One of the greatest features of Android 4.4.x KitKat, also probably the most under-reported one, is the next generation Android RunTime (ART).
What is ART?
When you start any apps on your Android device, the system actually takes some time and effort to compile the app package to machine code so your device can understand and execute. It does this Just in Time of execution. So as you run apps on your device, it actually keeps doing these resource intensive tasks in the background and this is a major reason why people notice Android apps are a bit sluggish when compared to their iOS counterparts.
This is, until you switch to the new Android RunTime (ART).
With ART enabled, machine code compilations are done Ahead of Time during app installation. So when you run apps on your device, it can skip all that and simply executes the code directly.
The result? Reports show that ART yields performance improvements of around 10% to 20% on average. On the other hand it also boosts battery life because your device now does a lot less resource intensive machine code compiling. Take into considerations ART is currently a preview technology in Android 4.4.x KitKat so it can only get better and better in upcoming Android releases.
What this means to MHC users?
It means MHC gets even better!
In normal shooting MHC already performs better with ART enabled. But it gets even more interesting with the extreme features in MHC PREMIUM edition like background shooting. Now everything runs faster on your device and in MHC’s background shooting mode, while MHC keeps shooting in the background, not only can you keep running other apps on top but now you do it even more naturally with enhanced performance and you can also do it for longer thanks to new battery savings!
How to enable ART
ART is currently a development preview feature in Android 4.4.x KitKat. You can enable it by:
- go to Android’s Settings / About phone
- continuously tab Build number over and over until it says you’re a developer, then hit back and you’ll see the new Developer Options just above the About phone item
- under Developer Options / Select Runtime, select Use ART, it’ll reboot and optimize all your apps. (so this first reboot will take a while)