Do Android Phone Progressively Get Slower?

[v0lume4]

Hey folks!

I've seen some people online complain that their Android phones start off working excellently, but over time (~1 year) become slow and laggy. I thought this was a little discouraging to hear, as I currently use an iPhone 5 which works great given its age. I'm looking to go Android for my next purchase.

Have any of you had experiences with Android becoming slow after a year plus of use? Do you have any pointers to prevent this from happening?

 

[Surf Donkey]

Yes, mostly Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time. The OS is very bloated. So you might want to stay away from Sasmung if you are looking to buy long term.

You'll find stock Android or other cleaner OS (like HTC 10 Sense) will likely not feel as laggy. And they will have longer term support as well with quick updates. This helps keep the OS feeling clean and fresh as well.

 

[v0lume4]

Yes, mostly Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time. The OS is very bloated. So you might want to stay away from Sasmung if you are looking to buy long term.

You'll find stock Android or other cleaner OS (like HTC 10 Sense) will likely not feel as laggy. And they will have longer term support as well with quick updates. This helps keep the OS feeling clean and fresh as well.

I'm looking to get a Nexus (however the HTC 10 looks nice!), so this is great to hear.

 

[epicrayban]

Neither my S6 or currently my S7 Edge has slowed down over time. Why would it slow down over time?

 

[jamezr]

Yes, mostly Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time. The OS is very bloated. So you might want to stay away from Sasmung if you are looking to buy long term.

You'll find stock Android or other cleaner OS (like HTC 10 Sense) will likely not feel as laggy. And they will have longer term support as well with quick updates. This helps keep the OS feeling clean and fresh as well.

Oh...wait didn't you just return your HTC 10 over support concerns? So which is it? Do they have long term support as you just said? Or do you have support concerns as you stated in the HTC thread and was the reason you returned your HTC 10?

 

[Surf Donkey]

Oh...wait didn't you just return your HTC 10 over support concerns? So which is it? Do they have long term support as you just said? Or do you have support concerns as you stated in the HTC thread and was the reason you returned your HTC 10?

No I kept it. Not happy with their ordering support though. What does that have to do with this thread?
[doublepost=1464707818][/doublepost]

Neither my S6 or currently my S7 Edge has slowed down over time. Why would it slow down over time?

OP is still using the iPhone 5. Obviously they have concerns over the long term. No one with a straight face can say that Samsung phones hold up over the long term in terms of OS stability and support.

 

[762999]

Hey folks!

I've seen some people online complain that their Android phones start off working excellently, but over time (~1 year) become slow and laggy. I thought this was a little discouraging to hear, as I currently use an iPhone 5 which works great given its age. I'm looking to go Android for my next purchase.

Have any of you had experiences with Android becoming slow after a year plus of use? Do you have any pointers to prevent this from happening?

It's related to app you install. The concept of multitasking is very different on the two platforms. On iOS a single app is responsible for the user interface and the background process. On iOS there are plenty of different ways an app can seems to be running in the background but doesn't have to be alive at all time. It's very well done.

On android an app consist of the user interface which run inside it's own process when you launch the app and one or more service processes that run in the background. If the app needs to do background activity, this activity will run inside a service process. Any GUI process can be expected to be closed at any moments. When you kill an app from memory, you kill the GUI process not the services. Some application install more than one services and consume a lot of resources.
The more app you install, the more services it will install and the more ram/cpu power will be consumed. When you start up your phone even if you don'T launch an application, it will launch all their associated services. So if you install app for fun and don't remove them, the device gets slower with time. The only solution is to uninstall applications that you don't use.

 

[epicrayban]

No I kept it. Not happy with their ordering support though. What does that have to do with this thread?
[doublepost=1464707818][/doublepost]

OP is still using the iPhone 5. Obviously they have concerns over the long term. No one with a straight face can say that Samsung phones hold up over the long term in terms of OS stability and support.

I'm still not sure I understand why an Android device is expected to slow over time...

"TouchWiz starts to lag over time..." you said. What's that mean? I haven't experienced this. S6 with Marshmallow runs beautifully smooth, but even prior to that, it didn't slow down for me over time. My S7E hasn't slowed over time either.

I'm just not following your statement.

 

[jamezr]

No I kept it. Not happy with their ordering support though. What does that have to do with this thread?
[doublepost=1464707818][/doublepost]

OP is still using the iPhone 5. Obviously they have concerns over the long term. No one with a straight face can say that Samsung phones hold up over the long term in terms of OS stability and support.

You brought it up HTC and their support. Yet in the HTC thread you dinged them for their customer service and questioned their long term support. You seem to be saying two different things about HTC in two different threads.

Yes, mostly Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time. The OS is very bloated. So you might want to stay away from Sasmung if you are looking to buy long term.

You'll find stock Android or other cleaner OS (like HTC 10 Sense) will likely not feel as laggy. And they will have longer term support as well with quick updates. This helps keep the OS feeling clean and fresh as well.

Then the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S4 is getting Marshmallow reported on Sammobile. That sounds like longer term support to me.
Is the older HTC phones getting Marshmallow?
Just trying to keep things factual.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

You brought it up HTC and their support. Yet in the HTC thread you dinged them for their customer service and questioned their long term support. You seem to be saying two different things about HTC in two different threads.


Then the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S4 is getting Marshmallow reported on Sammobile. That sounds like longer term support to me.
Is the older HTC phones getting Marshmallow?
Just trying to keep things factual.

HTC customer service is poor, because they outsource it. Its poor, its frustrating, and a big turn off. If you are the majority, and get a HTC 10 that free of defects, you won't be disappointed.

I am betting the update speed will be second only to the Nexus, as long as HTC stays alive. If HTC is teaming up with google for 3 years, they will survive, and their updates will be fast.

Samsung does seem to be doing a lot better with support. I actually thing their update speed is pretty good, its just the carriers that slow it down.This is one of the large reasons I have moved to unlocked phones.

If the OP wants a phone with support and speed akin to the iPhone, only with the advantages of Android, he should go with a Nexus. Android, in my experience, does not slow down with the Nexus devices. Nexus devices are supported long term, and Google has great customer support (hardware and software, as long as you purchase from them). The Nexus 5 is still going strong for some.

 

[Surf Donkey]

You brought it up HTC and their support. Yet in the HTC thread you dinged them for their customer service and questioned their long term support. You seem to be saying two different things about HTC in two different threads.

Customer support and service = I dropped my phone and want to use my insurance. I have a hardware defect under warranty. What is the experience to get this processed? Based on my order support not good for HTC (but again this is order support = digital river). I hope I won't have to use it.

OS support = giving updates, security fixes, new versions of Android, hotfixes, etc.

This thread is about OS support. Nothing I have said in the HTC thread applies to this.

Then the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S4 is getting Marshmallow reported on Sammobile. That sounds like longer term support to me.
Is the older HTC phones getting Marshmallow?
Just trying to keep things factual..

HTC is pairing up with Google (if the rumors are true). They are keeping the OS slim and showing amazing memory management and standby time compared to the SD 820 S7. It will be a more stable phone in the long term.

MM was released what 10 months ago? Golf clap to Samsung for support the S5 I guess. And M8 was released the same time as the S5 and have had MM since last year.

 

[hallux]

"TouchWiz starts to lag over time..." you said. What's that mean? I haven't experienced this. S6 with Marshmallow runs beautifully smooth, but even prior to that, it didn't slow down for me over time. My S7E hasn't slowed over time either.

My only Samsung device (Galaxy Note 10.1 2014) lags HORRIBLY on Lollipop.

Then the Samsung Galaxy S5 and S4 is getting Marshmallow reported on Sammobile. That sounds like longer term support to me.
Is the older HTC phones getting Marshmallow?
Just trying to keep things factual.

My above-noted tablet got Lollipop over a YEAR after release of the OS. Samsung has way too many devices out there and can't keep up with OS updates for all of them. They have focused on phones and left tablets mired in the swamp. Samsung's history is not very good when it comes to updates, on the phones or tablets.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Obligatory Android Update report card:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3052937/android/android-upgrade-report-card-marshmallow.html

 

[jamezr]

HTC customer service is poor, because they outsource it. Its poor, its frustrating, and a big turn off. If you are the majority, and get a HTC 10 that free of defects, you won't be disappointed.

I am betting the update speed will be second only to the Nexus, as long as HTC stays alive. If HTC is teaming up with google for 3 years, they will survive, and their updates will be fast.

Samsung does seem to be doing a lot better with support. I actually thing their update speed is pretty good, its just the carriers that slow it down.This is one of the large reasons I have moved to unlocked phones.

If the OP wants a phone with support and speed akin to the iPhone, only with the advantages of Android, he should go with a Nexus. Android, in my experience, does not slow down with the Nexus devices. Nexus devices are supported long term, and Google has great customer support (hardware and software, as long as you purchase from them). The Nexus 5 is still going strong for some.

Oh I agree with you on HTC 10 value and it being a great phone. I was more responding to the non factual stuff and hate one guy always seems to bring up in these threads. He contradicted himself a few times already in this thread and in the HTC thread. I would get another HTC 10 if the price was right on swappa or CL.

 

[v0lume4]

Neither my S6 or currently my S7 Edge has slowed down over time. Why would it slow down over time?

I don't know. I haven't experienced it myself since I'm still on iOS. I've just seen people complain online that their phones (many of which are Samsungs) will begin to crap out after a year. I believe that @slayerizer is onto something when he says "it depends on the apps you install." My previous Windows machine never slowed down in the ~6-7 years that I owned it, however I know plenty of people whose Windows machines go from great to crap within months. You know, folks that install 10 toolbars on Internet Explorer and open emails titled "Click here to win $10,000!". It probably just depends on how you treat the phone, though I do know that TouchWiz is bloated relative to stock Android.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Oh I agree with you on HTC 10 value and it being a great phone. I was more responding to the non factual stuff and hate one guy always seems to bring up in these threads. He contradicted himself a few times already in this thread and in the HTC thread. I would get another HTC 10 if the price was right on swappa or CL.

Then just block me and stop responding. Easy as that. I have not made any contradictions, you are the one who can't separate customer support from OS support. And I am sorry I bring up flaws that you don't seem to be able to see or agree with. Please show me any of my "contradictions" or "non-facts". It seems to be you are the one who is hating on me for whatever reason.

 

[jamezr]

Customer support and service = I dropped my phone and want to use my insurance. I have a hardware defect under warranty. What is the experience to get this processed? Based on my order support not good for HTC (but again this is order support = digital river). I hope I won't have to use it.

OS support = giving updates, security fixes, new versions of Android, hotfixes, etc.

This thread is about OS support. Nothing I have said in the HTC thread applies to this..

I think it directly applies.... You said you were returning the HTC 10 for horrible customer service in the HTC thread. Now you reversed yourself and recommend them? Even though you felt so strongly against them you were going to return your phone?
So in this thread you recommended HTC even though you think their customer service is horrible? That their horrible warranty and customer service gets a pass as long as they update to the latest OS version quicker than others?

 

[Surf Donkey]

So in this thread you recommended HTC even though you think their customer service is horrible? That their horrible warranty and customer service gets a pass as long as they update to the latest OS version quicker than others?

Yes, I recommend the HTC as IT WON'T LAG OVER TIME and OS SUPPORT. Topic of this thread.

Yes, you should know warranty and customer support might likely be a problem compared to say Apple or Google. I will put that disclaimer in every HTC recommendation I make from here forward.

Conversely you have Samsung that lags over time, has awful OS support and the worst customer service. So yeah, when comparing HTC does get a recommendation before Samsung.

 

[jamezr]

Yes, I recommend the HTC as IT WON'T LAG OVER TIME and OS SUPPORT. Topic of this thread.

Yes, you should know warranty and customer support might likely be a problem compared to say Apple or Google. I will put that disclaimer in every HTC recommendation I make from here forward.

Conversely you have Samsung that lags over time, has awful OS support and the worst customer service. So yeah, when comparing HTC does get a recommendation before Samsung.

and there you have it...your Samsung hate. So just as you feel the need to mis represent all things negative concerning Samsung I will try to correct what is wrong.
I do agree that Apple and Google have the quickest updates. But I disagree with your blanket statements about Samsung. Do they have issues? Sure they do! Could they get updates out faster? Yes they need to work on that! But they are not the worst as you make them out to be. People here on this thread have posted their experiences that don't quite match up to yours. Then I showed you how Samsung phones seem to be getting OS updates for older models the same as HTC.

 

[epicrayban]

My only Samsung device (Galaxy Note 10.1 2014) lags HORRIBLY on Lollipop.



My above-noted tablet got Lollipop over a YEAR after release of the OS. Samsung has way too many devices out there and can't keep up with OS updates for all of them. They have focused on phones and left tablets mired in the swamp. Samsung's history is not very good when it comes to updates, on the phones or tablets.

Wait, we're talking about updates causing lag?

I thought we're talking about just general lag creeping into Android. @Surf Donkey , is that what you meant? Or did you also mean lag caused by a bad update? Because the post I was originally responding to read otherwise.

"... Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time."

In the context of the OP's post, I took this as Android/TouchWiz by itself will just begin to lag after time, and not after a software update, which could happen to any device. It's been known to happen to iPhones, too.

 

[Michael Goff]

Wait, we're talking about updates causing lag?

I thought we're talking about just general lag creeping into Android. @Surf Donkey , is that what you meant? Or did you also mean lag caused by a bad update? Because the post I was originally responding to read otherwise.

"... Samsung devices due to Touchwiz start to lag over time."

In the context of the OP's post, I took this as Android/TouchWiz by itself will just begin to lag after time, and not after a software update, which could happen to any device. It's been known to happen to iPhones, too.

I think the TW lag thing is a relic of when it was 100% true that TW led to extremely bad performance.

 

[jamezr]

I think the TW lag thing is a relic of when it was 100% true that TW led to extremely bad performance.

Totally agree. The TW of say the S4 or S5 is not the same as the TW on the N5 or S6 or S7 phones. Samsung has worked with Google to bring improvements to TW and Google has incorporated some of TW's features into Android as well.

 

[admob71]

My s6 edge plus from last year on MM runs like lightening, couldn't ask for better performance, just don't fill the memory to the hilt and you will be fine.

 

[gotluck]

we shall see how the s6 and s7 handle future updates, so far impressions of the s6 mm seem to be quite good

would be really interested to hear reports of MM on the s5

MM cyanogenmod runs fabulously on my S4, but that's irrelevant

TW still uses considerably more RAM (more than windows 7/10's footprint even) than other skins & stock and has significantly more background processes running, but it is better than before. I just can't say it is equal to stock though. Since android doesnt prioritize the ui thread/process like ios does, there are just going to be times when stock is smoother because the device has to work less :-/

 

[mountain]

My dad's moto x 1st gen is still the same and my moto x 2nd gen is quite fast. It depends what you do to your phone. If you have bunch of apps running in the background then that might be the culprit.