Google has released a new version of Android Runtime (ART), the environment for running applications on the Android operating system. According to the company, the new ART version is more efficient than the previous version and uses approximately 9% less code without any performance loss.

Google’s blog explains:

Code size is one of the key metrics we look at, as smaller created files consume more memory (both RAM and storage).

The optimizations allow you to save an average of 50 to 100 MB on a single Android device. With more than a billion compatible devices worldwide, 47 to 95 petabytes are saved.

Since ART is no longer a system component of Android and can be updated independently of the system, all devices running Android 12 and later will soon be able to benefit from the innovations. The new version of ART 14 will be available through Google Play system updates that are automatically distributed to users’ phones.

Google details how it achieves such savings on its blog, but the bottom line is that the company has optimized certain processes that occur when translating application code into the necessary instructions. Source