Why RAMageddon Might Force Apps and Operating Systems’ Performance to Suck Less

As RAM prices surge and RAMageddon headlines multiply, Google posted new requirements for Android app developers earlier this week. Starting in 2027, apps distributed via Google Play must work within strict memory thresholds to “help protect the overall user experience from applications using excess memory and causing system-wide slowdowns.”

The idea is to prevent a single misbehaving app from glitching the device, hogging RAM and degrading your entire smartphone experience. Not surprisingly, Google explicitly cited the supply shortage in memory — now a scarce, expensive resource amid booming AI demand — as one of the motivations behind the new rules.

And these are rules, not just suggestions. Google threatens that apps that don’t comply “will be slowed down and may be terminated.” Compared with a lot of past updates, it also seems a pretty tight time frame for compliance.

Far from punishing innovation, these rules codify what responsible development...

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