14 DAY TRIAL // One of the features that Galaxy S5, Samsung’s latest flagship Android-based smartphone, will arrive on shelves with will be support for ART, the new Android Runtime in the platform, which replaces Dalvik.
ART was included in the Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS version as default, yet it seems that many mobile phone makers out there, including Samsung, chose not to deliver it to their older devices as part of their latest OS upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy S5, which comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat loaded on top right from the start, however, will include the feature, which should translate into improved performance to its users.
As SamMobile explains, ART brings along a change in the manner in which applications are installed and stored on a device.
For example, with Dalvik, a part of the code needed to run an app was compiled into machine code each time the software was launched on the device.
ART, however, will compile all the necessary codes for an app to run right from the moment when it is installed, which means that no additional code will be needed when running an app, thus improving startup times and battery usage.
The fact that ART would be present on Galaxy S5 was allegedly confirmed through a leaked screenshot that emerged online today over at Ruliweb.
It also shows that users will be provided with the option to manually switch between Dalvik and ART architectures, as AndroidBeat notes. However, it also appears to be only an experimental project.
Of course, this does not come too much as a surprise, considering the fact that Samsung has had enough time to build the code for Galaxy S5 between the unveiling of Android 4.4 KitKat and the actual launch of its device.
However, it is good to have some sort of confirmation on the matter, since it also means that the handset will indeed be able to deliver the performance capabilities that people are looking for to seeing in it.
Moving forth, we should see more and more mobile phone makers out there making the switch to the new Android Runtime, which should translate into good news for both end users and mobile app developers alike.
With applications running faster than before, the user experience is improved, and everyone is happier. Not to mention that most of the software available for Android today already features support for ART.
At the moment, Android 4.4.2 comes with both Dalvik and ART, though Google is expected to leave only the latter inside the OS at some point in the future.