Android 2.3.x app size limits like 2.2?

[Oyeve]

I have a samsung vibrant, it came with 16gb internal storage but has a 2gb app storage limit. I plan on getting either a Sensation or a Hercules when my contract is up in a few months. I am at the app install limit even when I moved whatever apps I could to SD. My question is does the later versions of android 2.3.x have a app install size limit? In particular the 2 phones I mentioned above (I know the hercules isnt out yet)?

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

How much crap is installed on your phone? jeez.

Anyways, I just went from a Vibrant to the Sensation and the phone is much faster, HOWEVER there is only 1GB of onboard storage, and an 8GB SD card.
You will have to root the Sensation and install an app, can't recall off the top of my head the name, that will allow you to install apps to your SD card.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I have a samsung vibrant, it came with 16gb internal storage but has a 2gb app storage limit. I plan on getting either a Sensation or a Hercules when my contract is up in a few months. I am at the app install limit even when I moved whatever apps I could to SD. My question is does the later versions of android 2.3.x have a app install size limit? In particular the 2 phones I mentioned above (I know the hercules isnt out yet)?

HTC phones are MUCH MUCH worse about this than your Vibrant. HTC only gives you 1GB onboard for apps.

Seems the only way around this limit is to get a device with large internal storage (so Samsung or Moto) and reformat the internal partitions using ADB to increase the app storage size. That is what I did for my Nook Color.

 

[Oyeve]

Thanks guys. Wow, that really sucks. One would think that app size limits would be a thing of the past. 1-2gb a coulpa years ago may have been great but I have some games that are over 100mgs or close to that size. May have to wait until hercules then.

 

[vshah]

every game I've ever seen that was more than a few MB in size installed the core executable to internal memory, and then downloaded the game media/artwork to the SD card on the first launch.

 

[iahk]

every game I've ever seen that was more than a few MB in size installed the core executable to internal memory, and then downloaded the game media/artwork to the SD card on the first launch.

This. Generally, if the dev doesn't do this, you'd see the game rated 1 or 2 stars.

 

[Oyeve]

every game I've ever seen that was more than a few MB in size installed the core executable to internal memory, and then downloaded the game media/artwork to the SD card on the first launch.

Yeah, but some core-exs are rather large. And, in some cases of massive file size, you need 3x the file size on the storage for download, extraction of files and the installation itself. Would be nice to remove those storage limits. Its not like memory is expensive.

 

[Raduque]

I've never seen a game that used more than 50mb of the app storage space.

I also have a bunch of apps (and 3 big games, PvZ, Chuzzle and GRave Defence), and have barely use half of my 1.2gb app space on my myTouch4G Slide.

As well, android apps don't "extract files and install". An APK is simply dumped into /data/app and is unpacked into RAM at runtime.

 

[alent1234]

I have ios games that use more than 500mb. Rage hd is over 1gb

 

[gaidensensei]

This is why root is the way to go and custom roms/cyanogen/ported cm's/virtuous etc to remove the bloat.

Also get app2sd or link2sd.

 

[vshah]

in earlier versions of the market, the app size limit was indeed 50mb. google has since increased it to 4gb for a single app. so it is conceivable that we will see mammoth apps someday.

 

[Raduque]

I have ios games that use more than 500mb. Rage hd is over 1gb

iOS games are a completely different animal. iDevice storage is all one contiguous block, so there's nowhere else to put a game's data files EXCEPT on the same storage with everything else.

On an Android device, Rage HD's game data would be on the SD card with only it's binaries and libraries (packed in a single APK file) stored in /data/app.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I just checked. I have used 2.2GB on my Nook Color for apps. I am avoiding HTC devices.

 

[hanoverphist]

i dump everything installed on my dX to the phone instead of the SD. with 8gb internal i figured id never run out of room, and so far ive hit the 5gb available mark (so im assuming at least 2+gb used for apps) and havent had any issues with installing programs or games. so far the 16gb SD is for my pics and music.

 

[Raduque]

i just checked. I have used 2.2gb on my nook color for apps. I am avoiding htc devices.

You really need that many damned apps? Insane.

i dump everything installed on my dX to the phone instead of the SD. with 8gb internal i figured id never run out of room, and so far ive hit the 5gb available mark (so im assuming at least 2+gb used for apps) and havent had any issues with installing programs or games. so far the 16gb SD is for my pics and music.

The internal 8gb is like having a built-in 8gb SD card. Apps go on a separate partition. You can check yourself how it looks by going to Settings, Phone Storage (or SD Cards, or SD Space or whatever Blur calls it in the settings menu).

 

[poofyhairguy]

You really need that many damned apps? Insane.

Sure. I can hand it to anyone it my family and it has a few things they will be interested in.

 

[hanoverphist]

You really need that many damned apps? Insane.



The internal 8gb is like having a built-in 8gb SD card. Apps go on a separate partition. You can check yourself how it looks by going to Settings, Phone Storage (or SD Cards, or SD Space or whatever Blur calls it in the settings menu).

the storage settings page has the SD card on the top, total space is 14.83GB available space is 6.10GB. the bottom section is titled "Application storage" and lists the available space as 5.03GB. id say that was internal as internal gets, not a separate SD card. now, RAM is a different story, but that 8GB internal is actually earmarked for app storage. mebbe its the way you say and they just hide that fact in the interface to make it easier, but whatever. it says what it says.

 

[Oyeve]

If I root my vibrant, is there a rom that will break the 2gb app barrier? if so, which rom should I use (loaded question for sure)?

 

[alent1234]

You really need that many damned apps? Insane.



The internal 8gb is like having a built-in 8gb SD card. Apps go on a separate partition. You can check yourself how it looks by going to Settings, Phone Storage (or SD Cards, or SD Space or whatever Blur calls it in the settings menu).

i have 15GB of apps on my ipad 2. some are 1GB in size.

the tomtom and navigon apps for the iphone are 1.5gb each because they download all the maps to your device

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

i have 15GB of apps on my ipad 2. some are 1GB in size.

the tomtom and navigon apps for the iphone are 1.5gb each because they download all the maps to your device

And on Android, those maps would be saved on the external SD card, not the App/system partition.

I guess I'm still befuttled at how people can have so many apps on a phone.

 

[Oyeve]

And on Android, those maps would be saved on the external SD card, not the App/system partition.

I guess I'm still befuttled at how people can have so many apps on a phone.

Because we can I guess. Netflix is over 20mg, the sims 3 is like 75mg, i have a few games that are over 100mg just on the app mem plus they throw in a few hundred more megs on the external. Its more than a phone now.

 

[YoungGun21]

That's true. It certainly is more than a phone now.