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Some more great news coming from the Q & A section of today’s Press Gathering for the Nexus One pertains to Application Developers and Application Storage. Currently, most Android devices only have 256MB of app storage – unless you have a rooted device and an application that allows you to run stuff from your SD card (AppsToSD). This limitation was stressed in the Q & A and truthfully, it has been a big complaint and sticking point for detractors. Fortunately the folks at Google are addressing this problem and it sounds like a fix for installing applications to the SD card which will be included in the core OS in the near future.
Q: Why 512MB for app storage only?
A: They store apps in the internal ROM and not on the SD card now, for piracy reasons, but they will offer an upgrade soon for installing apps on the SD card.
[via Gizmodo]
Applications saved to the SD card memory will be encrypted so that it will be incredibly difficult to pirate any applications. Gotta protect those devs! We say “incredibly difficult” because when it comes to the l33t h4xors out there we don’t want to suggest anything is impossible. This upgrade will knock off one major complaint developers have in regards to Android application development in comparison to the iPhone’s application storage. Watch out world because after this upgrade, the ANDROID MARKET IS TAKING OVER!!!
512mb seems pretty good. That is what I run right now on my app2sd. If they give us enough room we wont need a class 6 card to run apps off the sd, and we will all be happy :)
Maybe essential parts for running/launching will remain internally but alot will go to SD card?
A plus to this will be application quality. One thing lacking in Android Market is the look of apps because the sizes need to be low. Same goes for games on Android. This will open us to a lot of gaming options currently on the iPhone. Can’t wait but I feel this will be a while away, I’m all for the general ROM update for now.
G8D, that is how it can work already. Only an idiot would develop only for the internal memory (unless it was a real small app).
This “issue” has always been a non issue that morons proliferate. No programs have suffered because of this.
it’s really a problem for users: they dloaded all these apps that didn’t have the SD in mind and now they have no more room for new apps.
dhill: I often notice that those who call others morons are the most moronic of all. I guarantee you that, on my G1, changing to Apps2SD made a HUGE difference in performance. Removing the apps from the system memory made the phone run much faster than it had before.
Since the MT3G, Hero (Eris) and Droid, the flash memory hasn’t been that much of an issue. 512 is definitely a huge improvement. I can see how at least 1GB on SD would make the apps even better. Just remember, they still have to run in 512MB (or less) of RAM!
This has been a major sticking point for me as an app developer. My app will continue to add new content to it and will eventually the 256-512mb limit. Probably with 6 months of its release.
I’m also glad to see it will be encrypted.
I’m all for AppsToSD, but some people (including some developers) seem to be missing the fact that apps can already store content on the SD card.
@Cyxodus
Why don’t you just store your data files on the SD card? It’s not like your app can’t read from and write to the SD mem.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the Iphone have 512MB of partitioned real estate for apps? In other words, you couldn’t load up 4 or 6 GB of apps on an Iphone?
After purchasing a G1 on launch day, I was shocked to find out I couldn’t install apps to the SD card. Around that time I found a post in T-mobile forums stating that Google was “working on it.” That was a year and a half ago. In other words, don’t hold your breath.
It will be Android’s ‘copy and paste.’ That also means it’s going to be really kick ass once you can install apps to the sd card. You’ll be able to swap them out on the fly for different application sets or something.
Will this function require an update to the next version of Android?
They really hedged in the Q&A about how the phones aren’t being updated when the new OS comes out. The market is fragmented between 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and now 2.1.
It would suck if you bought a current phone (Nexus one?) running 2.1, and in three months they “fixed the problem,”…but you couldn’t update the OS to take advantage of it.
I had a real issue with the whole cavalier attitude about not upgrading operating systems on legacy phones; it seems that Google is taking a page from the Apple playbook of not caring about existing customers when new hardware comes out. They brought up old computers; however the life cycle on smart (ahem, SUPER) phones seems to be shortening to months, whereas desktop computers work for years.
Android developers bitch about not being able to make any money selling apps, yet they want the applications they claim no one is be encrypted so no one can pirate them, and they are willing to make us all suffer with an inferior product because of it???
I love my driod, but Android app makers are a bunch of whining assholes.
Will this be an update for all android phones such as the Droid or will it only be for upcoming phones?
Thank you
Super Cool review of the top 10 android apps. GetFugu is AMAZING! http://tinyurl.com/yebhzo5
Why can’t they make an Android device with instead of 256 internal storage, do a 16gb or 32gb phone like the iphone..Problem solved…
“Why can’t they make an Android device with instead of 256 internal storage, do a 16gb or 32gb phone like the iphone..Problem solved…”
maybe because the cost of the phone could go up. yeah its a bummer that we dont have apps2sd.if it was included with androiod 2.1< i can wait.
@dhill, you are clearly not a security expert and hence spewing shit out of your mouth.
Many apps need to store data (say an Outlook email client). If they store it in the SD card, then any other app can read it and transmit it. If every app is going to implement encryption on it’s own, that’s going to lead to app size bloat and is not going to be efficient or bug free.
This is just one example of an issue.
So, no, the current state of affairs is not problem free like you mention.
Were there any questions about an iTunes equivalent from Google?
I think this is the next missing piece.
in other words: free games can be big by offloading to SD but commercial games won’t go for it because they fear piracy. That’s why we won’t see big commercial games until google has a solution.
pachi: “Why can’t they make an Android device with instead of 256 internal storage, do a 16gb or 32gb phone like the iphone..Problem solved…”
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even if someone did, it would just be one expensive phone and that won’t be enough to get game devs on board.
All these other phones have all these gigs but android just needs to make use of it. And once android does, then that 16 gig internal memory phone will be a big waste of money…who will pay more for a phone just to compensate for an OS limitation?
I call this google running around the question. We will see when it actually happens.
Yeah its so expensive to embed a 16gig or 32gig flash card. How about they keep their crappy ear phones and cheap belt holster. I’m sure that will offset the cost.
@AnonCow I’m sure that you would happily work 2 or 3 months for a $60 paycheck and not have a single complaint cuz you’re so much better than those whining asshole developers. Considering your attitude, I don’t think you’ve worked 2 or 3 days in your life without being a bitch about it.
@Wilco
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the Iphone have 512MB of partitioned real estate for apps? In other words, you couldn’t load up 4 or 6 GB of apps on an Iphone?”
You’re wrong. I currently have right at 3GB of apps.
For your info iphone has 256 mb ram go check i t out on phonearena. Two iphone use their extra rom memory instead of there built in tiny 256 mb . Rom they use 8gb,16gb and up because there not cheap when come to memory. But there camera sucks sorry even my g1 take better picture not comparing it to moto cliq because obviously it has 5.0 megapixes my ex has iphone3gs that phone battery suck she need charge that shit at least 4 time a day. I charge my g1 twice a day and moto maybe 1 every two days in my experince. App store did this already they alow application to read from apple big rom then there tiny ram they have! That why they have 125,000 applications.
@adam
“For your info iphone has 256 mb ram go check i t out on phonearena. Two iphone use their extra rom memory instead of there built in tiny 256 mb . Rom they use 8gb,16gb and up because there not cheap when come to memory. But there camera sucks sorry even my g1 take better picture not comparing it to moto cliq because obviously it has 5.0 megapixes my ex has iphone3gs that phone battery suck she need charge that shit at least 4 time a day. I charge my g1 twice a day and moto maybe 1 every two days in my experince. App store did this already they alow application to read from apple big rom then there tiny ram they have! That why they have 125,000 applications.”
OMG learn english! :O
not fast enough, lets go gooooooogle.
Not being able to run apps from storage card has been the single reason I have not switch to Android. Do this Android and I am on board :)
Too expensive to have 8gig on-board??? The manufacturers are already saving money by using Android to begin with, since they don’t have to pay licensing fees.
Why is it that the iPhone 3G, and the Palm Pre can both sell for $99? Even the Samsung Galaxy had 8 gigs internal, but when they brought it to the US (Behold II) they stripped the memory down!
They could at least stop including a 4 gig card and include 2 gig on on-board app storage!
Why don’t they just get with the times and put in 16gb or 32gb of memory? You wanna charge as much as they do for the phone, at least put the memory in there to justify it, processor is nice, but if it cannot handle the apps, what’s the point. This is one of the biggest reasons i haven’t looked to get an N1, come on goog, where’s your creativeness and ingenuity?
Honestly all you waiting for Apps to SD for android that have half a brain could run a modded 1.6 with auto apps to SD been able to do it for a while in the modding android community.Some are even running backported 2.1. Still get a kick watching Iphone users cuss you having a fast android that makes thier status symbol phone look weak.
Hi Guys – I’ve been thinking of an iPad but wanted to see if I could use a tablet device enough to warrant the HUGE price. I’ve found an Android Tablet that will be about 1/4 the ipad price. It has (supposedly) 2gb internal, but I don’t know how much I’ll have free after Android 1.7. I will admit that not taking advantage of the ability to use MicroSD storage at the moment is a real hamstring. Regardless of (how) it does it, I have over 1GB of apps on my iPhone, and I think that Google and the Developers can work out something that will allow them to protect rights as well as take advantage of the great storage potential of inexpensive TF cards to store and run apps. I’ll be having fun with my Android Tablet in the mean time.. :)