For questions about the hardware of Android devices. Note that asking for finding or recommending hardware (phones, tablets, accessories, etc.) is off-topic.
Questions tagged [hardware]
557 questions
43
votes
2 answers
What are the minimum hardware specifications for Android?
As per the title, what hardware do I need to be able to run various versions of Android?
Matthew Read
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38
votes
8 answers
How to get hardware specs of Android device?
How can I find information on the hardware of my Android device like processor architecture, RAM, etc?
Oxwivi
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30
votes
4 answers
Why can the Nexus 7 display so much more content on-screen than the Galaxy Nexus?
The Galaxy Nexus is 1280x720, and the Nexus 7 tablet is 1280x800.
I realize that the tablet is physically larger, but it's screen resolution, not display size, that determines screen real-estate.
Why is it that the Nexus 7 appears to be able to show…
zacharyalexstern
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29
votes
1 answer
How can I find the comparison of specs and features of Android devices?
I recently got fed up with my previous smartphone (name omitted) and I'm considering switching to an Android-based phone. However, I have been stumped by the sheer number of handsets. I'm more than willing to change carriers and I have no…
tzenes
29
votes
2 answers
What is JTAG in regards to Android?
I see the term JTAG used for reviving dead Android devices that otherwise don't respond to anything and aren't seen when USB connected. It seems that it's something done from the physical hardware side of the device (as opposed to some pure…
stackuser
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25
votes
4 answers
How do RAM and processor speed affect overall performance on Android?
Since Android can be installed on wide range of devices, I'm wondering how important RAM and the CPU speed are to the performance of a device. There are always tradeoffs when something is increased and another one decreased!
Is more RAM or a faster…
sat
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25
votes
1 answer
How does Android calculate battery consumption by apps?
How does Android measure energy used by individual hardware component?
How does Android measure energy used by each individual process?
diimdeep
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24
votes
1 answer
How to tell if your phone is refurbished
Is there a way to tell if an Android phone is an original or a refurbished product?
Nick
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22
votes
10 answers
What Android phones are ANT+ hardware enabled?
I'm trying to gather information regarding ANT+ hardware support in Android phones. Basically, what Android phones have ANT wireless hardware?
ANT and ANT+ (http://thisisant.com/) as wireless protocols are quite promising, especially with potential…
IgorK
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21
votes
7 answers
If I buy an Android phone today and want security updates for as long as possible, how should I choose a phone? I'm willing to use custom ROMs.
Background
Quite a few software developers offer special "long-term support" (LTS) or "extended-support release" (ESR) editions of their products. You install the product once and get security updates for up to ten years, without having to upgrade…
unforgettableidSupportsMonica
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16
votes
6 answers
How can I find out which bands my phone supports
Background:
I recently bought the Padfone X, and have been attempting to get it on my network. Part of this effort has been verifying information I have found online which claims that it supports LTE band 4.
4G-LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and…
NT3RP
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15
votes
1 answer
Is it possible to know the wear level information of a phone, like SSD have with SMART?
Is there a way to find out the media wearout level on an android device? I have a tablet that is acting weird and slow, so I wonder if the internal storage is still ok: it is the Nvidia Sheild (renamed Tegra K1 later on) and probably has eMMC since…
ForeverLearning
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15
votes
5 answers
How do I find out what wifi chipset my phone has?
I've got LG Optimus One phone (model LG-P500h). How do I find out what wifi chipset my phone has? Is there a general mechanism that will work for all phones?
Gili
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14
votes
2 answers
Is there a RAM test for Android devices?
I need to fix a friend's phone this evening that has suddenly produced loads of android.process.media and com.google.process.gapps errors. I am going to reinstall the OS as it's an older ROM but it got me wondering: there is memtest for x86 based…
Peter Grace
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14
votes
2 answers
How can I find out the make and model of the chips in my device?
I'm trying to find out what kind of GPS receiver is in my phone. Every spec sheet is vague on this. I can easily find out what kind Soc or CPU it has, but parts like GPS and FM receivers, Bluetooth modules, Gyroscope etc. are not listed anywhere.
Is…
user13391