Struggling Daily to Maintain a 7-Year-Old Smartphone
In the digital age, smartphones have become an essential tool for many, serving various purposes from communication to entertainment. However, for some users, the limitations of their devices can make daily tasks a challenge. This article explores the factors that contribute to the struggles faced by the author of this piece, whose smartphone has become a tool for forced disconnection due to its limited capabilities.
The size of Android apps has quadrupled between 2013 and 2017, according to Sam Tolomei, a former Google employee. This growth in app size has put pressure on smartphones with limited storage capacity, such as the author's Samsung J3, which has a non-expandable storage of 16GB.
The author's smartphone struggles to handle heavy websites, causing crashes and limited functionality. Visiting the FranceTV Info site often results in the smartphone crashing due to resource requirements. The author also experiences social exclusion due to the smartphone's limitations, such as difficulty sending photos in instant messaging groups.
The issue of app storage and compatibility is complex. Developers determine whether to allow app installation on micro-SD cards in Android devices primarily based on Android's system policies and storage access restrictions. The system restricts write access for user-installed apps on micro-SD cards, limiting app installations to internal storage or dedicated app-specific directories on the SD card.
Developers can specify in their app's manifest whether installation on external storage (like an SD card) is allowed. However, due to Android's security and performance considerations, many apps still prefer internal storage. Some apps, like Google Maps, are installed by default and cannot be uninstalled or transferred.
The author roots their smartphone to become an administrator and delete pre-installed apps to free up storage space. However, this is an advanced solution and not suitable for all users. The author also has the habit of deleting apps they use occasionally to free up storage space.
The author's inability to test applications quickly or access certain features due to the smartphone's limitations is another challenge. LinkedIn profile validation requires downloading the application to take a photo of a passport, which the author cannot do due to the smartphone's limitations.
The author feels that the race for technological power led by smartphone manufacturers and online service creators contributes to the smartphone's limitations. Developers and businesses prioritize optimization for the most recent devices, leaving older ones like the author's with major malfunctions. The author is considering giving up the fight to keep the smartphone up-to-date due to the limited support for older devices and the frequent release of new smartphone models.
In summary, the struggles faced by the author highlight the complexities of app storage and compatibility issues in smartphones. As apps continue to grow in size and demand more resources, it is essential for developers and manufacturers to consider the needs of all users, including those with older devices or limited storage capacity.
The exponential growth of Android app sizes, as shown by Sam Tolomei, puts pressure on smartphones with limited storage capacity, such as the author's Samsung J3, causing challenges in handling websites or sending photos in instant messaging groups. Due to Android's storage access restrictions and system policies, developers often determine whether apps can be installed on micro-SD cards, resulting in limited app installations for users like the author.
