How to Fix Android’s Bad Performance and Awful Design
What is TRIM, Anyway?
We need to explain what TRIM is, before elaborating on how the LagFix app eliminates latency experienced on Android devices: Your solid state storage device doesn’t actually erase files, even through you’ve uninstalled or removed them. This is a peculiarity native to solid state storage. Erased files are simply invisible to the operating system. TRIM command is a Linux executable that solves this issue by making erased files visible, and thus eraseable.
If the TRIM command is never run, these unerased blocks become a speed bottleneck resulting in horrible performance. Specifically, anything that uses a cache such as the browser will perform terribly.
In short, TRIM command in modern operating systems marks blocks of data for deletion. When data isn’t deleted the operating system must find potions of its drive marked for deletion and then overwrite it. The extra overhead dramatically slows down write speeds. Without this feature, all drives suffer from stutter and slowdown.
Solid State Drives and newer eMMC modules on modern smartphones include compatibility with TRIM. Conversely, inexpensive flash memory modules on older smartphones and tablets lack this ability. The difference between flash memory and latter day eMMCs is moot, unfortunately, as operating system-based TRIM doesn’t work in Android 4.2 and earlier versions.
Cache2SD and Multi-Browser2RAM
In addition to poor software design, cheap memory modules cause lag issues with many smartphones and tablets. Oftentimes the flash memory-based hard drives inside of top-tier tablets, like the Asus Transformer, suffer from horrendous write speeds. This results in slow, laggy performance. These issues can be resolved by moving the device’s cache to a SD card. However, the SD itself is based on flash memory and cheap ones have terrible performance.
Anyone who wants to improve their device’s speed needs to get the highest class of flash memory: Class 10. Its performance benefits will only show up on software using your device’s cache, if the cache exists on the SD card.
The Cache2SD mod, to my knowledge, only works on the Asus Transformer series of tablet. It resolves the issue of cheap, slow memory modules by moving your device’s cache to the SD card. However, on later devices using eMMC (MultiMediaCard) technology, this fix is unnecessary.
These two modifications exist only on the Asus Transformer series of tablet. Although in theory they could be adapted to any poorly designed device.
Running Out of Storage Space?
One of the biggest problems in Android is that of storage. Apps do not cleanly uninstall, oftentimes leaving behind rather large zombie folders. Another problem is of extra large caches. Fortunately, third-party apps can kill these files, without much issue.
DiskUsage: DiskUsage visually displays the amount of space available in your Android device. It also includes pinch-to-zoom and other novel features. I use it to locate and then zap any large, unused files.
SD Maid: SD Maid provides a huge number of functions. Of these, its most useful is its ability to clear the system folder, its empty folder finder and its duplicate file finder (paid version only).
Conclusion
The current performance problems in Android originate from both Google and device manufacturers. First, there never was proper implementation of TRIM in Android until 4.3. Second, manufacturers used cheap flash memory modules, resulting in extreme amounts of lag on many devices. Solving these issues will work on only a narrow selection of devices, with only a narrow selection of apps.
Anyone else sick of Android’s poor performance? Vent your frustrations in the comments.
