Android 12’s Compatibility Definition Document Highlights Requirements for Flagships

Furqan Shahid
Android 12's Compatibility Definition Document Highlights Requirements for Flagships
Credits: Unsplash/Eriel Suarez

Google recently released the AOSP version of Android 12, and even though the release for Google Pixel devices is going to take some time, there are a lot of changes that are happening, and not all of them are on the front-end. This means that under the hood, Android 12 is a beast of its own, and the latest Android Compatibility Definition Document has been released, and it outlines everything that the OEMs will have to focus on.

Google Finally Outlines Everything it Will Take to Run Android 12 on a Smartphone

The Android Compatibility Definition Document has been an integral part of the Android ecosystem for those who do not know. This is done to make sure that there is consistency in APIs and platform behavior between Android devices. Google bundles the distribution of Google Mobile Services with license agreements ensuring that the devices adhere to the rules under Google's Android Compatibility Program. The Android Compatibility Program consists of multiple automated tests suited with rules mentioned in the CDD, which you can check here.

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If for some reason, the device fails to meet the requirements outlined in the CDD, then it could fail Google's Compatibility Test Suite, resulting in the loss of Google's suite of applications. The CDD in the past has been used to enforce changes that proved suitable for consumers. So, we are not surprised that Google is serious about it.

With Android 12, there are a couple of new changes that the CDD brings. However, most of these are small and will only impact the OEMs. The most significant change was introducing a performance class that can be defined in the build properties of an Android smartphone. Google already announced this when they released the Android 12 Beta 1, and it is an easy way for developers to check just how fast an Android smartphone is. Google has also mentioned that each version of Android has its performance class, which means that the performance class for Android 12 could be different than the performance classes of future Android versions.

The performance classes are also forward-compatible. This means that a device can update to a new Android version without changing its performance class, but the same time, it means that the device can change their class if they meet the requirements of the new Android version. The CDD refers to performance classes 11 and 12 as performance classes R and S.

Some of the critical requirements for the Android 12 are below.

  • The device must have at least 6 gigs of RAM.
  • The screen must be of at least 400dpi and 1080p resolution.
  • There should be at least 120MB/s sequential write, 250MB/s sequential read, 10MB/s random write, and 40MB/s random read speeds.
  • The phone must have, at minimum, a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of 4K 30 FPS recording and a minimum 4-megapixel front camera with 1080p FPS recording.

Performance classes could be helpful for developers so they can improve the overall experience on not just the devices that meet the performance class requirements but also the devices that are on the lower or middle of the spec sheet. You can read all about it here.

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