Why does your Android phone become so sluggish after only a year?

A common scenario: a newly acquired mobile phone operates swiftly, quickly launching programs and seamlessly scrolling through the news stream. However, after a year, it starts to “ponder” each action, appearing weary. What causes this and is there a way to counteract it?

This issue is particularly noticeable for affordable and mid-tier gadgets, which constitute the majority of the market. Premium models possess more “performance headroom,” so their “decline” manifests later, but it inevitably catches up.

But why does grandma's ancient appliance still function well, while a sophisticated device deteriorates so rapidly? The point is, a mobile phone isn’t an appliance. It's an intricate computer in your pocket that evolves and adapts alongside the digital world.

Here are the primary contributors to its gradual “decline”.

Reason #1: Upgrades that accelerate the world, but not the smartphone

Operating system. Picture your mobile phone as an athlete, with each fresh iteration of Android being a new, heavier rucksack. Google’s developers continually refine the system: introducing features, patching vulnerabilities, modernizing the design. This comprises fresh programming code, developed with emphasis on the potent hardware of contemporary flagships.

When this update reaches your last year's mobile, its processor and memory must operate at their limits to handle this “rucksack”. This leads to delays. Furthermore, the Android ecosystem comprises thousands of varied models. It is virtually impossible to perfectly optimize the update for each one. Consequently, sometimes an update revitalizes one device, while conversely, another barely manages to function.

Disregarding updates isn’t an option. It's akin to leaving your house unlocked: an outdated system becomes vulnerable to viruses.

Apps. Similar situation. Your preferred messenger has expanded over the past year with stories, video conversations, animated icons, and numerous additional functionalities. It has grown significantly more resource-intensive. App creators, naturally, concentrate on the typical modern device, not your two-year-old model.

Nevertheless, for markets characterized by economical mobile phones, prominent firms develop specialized “Lite” editions (Facebook Lite, Google Maps Go). These are streamlined apps that operate more rapidly and utilize fewer resources. However, this is more of an exception that reinforces the general principle: advancement necessitates power.

Reason #2: The unseen adversary is physical erosion

A mobile phone deteriorates not just in software but also physically. Its elements wear down, akin to components in an automobile.

Battery degradation. A lithium-ion battery diminishes over time — it loses storage capacity and, more significantly, the capacity to supply substantial current during peak demands (for example, when initiating a game). To avert abrupt shutdowns resulting from a depleted battery, the system might intentionally decrease the processor speed. The phone commences operating more deliberately, but more consistently. This is termed throttling, and Apple was once scrutinized for concealing this mechanism.

Memory degradation. Internal storage (flash memory) possesses a finite lifespan of rewrite sequences. Over the years, subsequent to countless erased photos and installed programs, memory sections deteriorate. This can prompt errors and, as a result, a reduction in the velocity of data reading and writing.

Reason #3: Digital disorder and a messy cupboard

Nevertheless, some culpability also rests with us – the users.

Background operations. Myriad installed apps, widgets, and utilities generate constant activity. Even when you're not utilizing an app, it may be synchronizing data, verifying notifications, or monitoring your position in the background, gradually consuming your CPU and RAM.

Crammed storage. When the internal storage reaches 80-90% capacity, the mobile phone commences slowing down discernibly. The system lacks available area for short-term files that are essential for rapid operation. It's like endeavoring to locate the correct item in a congested cupboard – you must sift through all the clutter for a considerable duration.

What's wrong with Apple with their iPhones?

The circumstance within the Apple ecosystem is superior. The firm thoroughly manages both the hardware and the software. Only a limited number of iPhone variants are launched annually, enabling iOS and apps to be impeccably optimized for particular gadgets. This establishes a harmony that is unattainable within the fractured realm of Android.

But the iPhone isn't a perpetual energy device. It also encounters substantial updates that induce older models to operate slower. And the infamous battery regulation controversy demonstrates that the principles of physics pertain equally to everyone. Therefore, equating a budget Android mobile phone to the newest iPhone resembles positioning a family minivan and a sports vehicle on the identical treadmill. Android flagships from prominent manufacturers also receive extended support and sustain smoothness for years.

What to do?

Mobile phone deceleration is an inherent phenomenon stemming from two aspects: consistent software progression and physical deterioration of elements.

This mechanism is frequently designated “planned obsolescence.” It isn’t necessarily a malevolent conspiracy by manufacturers. Rather, it's a commercial strategy that sustains market advancement, rendering older gadgets less agreeable to employ and delicately motivating us to procure new ones every 2-3 years.

You can prolong the lifespan of your gadget somewhat: routinely tidying the memory, erasing superfluous programs, and occasionally even substituting the aged battery can impart it a second lease on life. But halting advancement is unachievable. Your mobile phone hasn’t worsened – the surrounding environment has merely become more exacting.