Google to make ART as default runtime and include kill switch in the next version of Android

Sunday, June 22, 2014

/ by Abhinaya
As the Google I/O Conference is fast approaching, the rumors surrounding the next major iteration of Android likely the Android 5.0 are pouring in heavily. After the plethora of leaks suggesting new feature additions and enhancements to the existing services, Google has revealed that the upcoming build of Android will add a kill switch security feature to the devices that are based on it.

Android

The concept of kill switch is not new to the Android devices as it is already included in the Galaxy S5 and LGG3, but it is called reactivation lock or anti factory reset protection and it blocks any attempt that is made to factory restore the device or reactive it. This feature makes the stolen smartphone useless until the user knows the password making it impossible to resell the phone.

While the specifics of the Android kill switch are not clearly known, it remains unknown if this feature will be a part of the Android Device Manager, which allows users to track or wipe the data in their lost smartphone.

Dalvik is deak, ART is default

Besides the inclusion of the kill switch in the Android 5.0 (say for now), the platform will also make the Android Runtime (ART) the default runtime. The runtime is responsible for the execution of the applications and program. The ART was introduced with the Android 4.4 KitKat and it is has been involved in testing since then. This software is believed to make Android devices faster and enhance the battery life, but it has to be noted that the applications will take more time for the initial installation and they occupy relatively more disk space, up to 10-20% more space.

Expect to hear more about these features next week at Google I/O 2014 event. 

Source 1, 2 | Via
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