Budget smartphones will change — Google have new requirements

Google is making changes to its requirements that will affect manufacturers of low-cost smartphones and tablets: starting with Android 15, devices that qualify for Google Mobile Services (GMS) certification must come with at least 32 GB of internal storage. At the same time, approximately 75% of this volume will be available to users for data storage.

This is written by Android Headlines.

Will smartphones come with 16GB of internal memory?

Two years ago, Google raised the minimum storage requirement from 8GB to 16GB in Android 13. Now the company is raising the bar again, and while 32 GB is a step forward, given the number of AI-powered features, it would be worth going to 64 GB.

It's worth noting that Google has no legal grounds to prohibit the release of devices with less memory if they run the open source version of Android (AOSP). However, the 32 GB requirement is mandatory if a manufacturer wants to obtain GMS certification and thus have access to Google's proprietary services.

The confidential document outlining the new requirements for GMS also includes a mandatory feature to transfer emergency contacts to the Emergency Location Service when calling 911 or other emergency numbers. In addition, the chipsets on new devices must support at least Vulkan 1.3, as well as the Android Baseline 2022 profile and the Vulkan profile for Android 15.

Google has also increased the minimum RAM requirements. For GMS certification, devices must have at least 2GB of RAM. If a smartphone or tablet has 2 or 3 GB of RAM, it must use so-called low RAM optimizations. If you have 4 GB of RAM, such optimizations are no longer required.

By increasing the base memory and making other tweaks, Google hopes that users will find using low-cost Android devices more convenient and efficient.

As a reminder, you can find Android smartphones on the market with RAM ranging from 4 to 16 GB, sometimes even 24 GB. However, users may wonder what amount of RAM is optimal for their needs.

As a reminder, Google has added one useful Android feature to the iPhone that allows you to search for information without having to take a screenshot or open a new tab.