A list of apps worth considering for users who want widgets and real-time analysis of what is happening inside their Android smartphone. Also includes tools that can tweak CPU settings and speed of your rooted smartphone.
Android is the most flexible and customisable mobile platform today and one has access to a number of apps with multiple uses. If you are one those who is interested in the hardware and wants to know what is cooking inside your Android device, then we have some apps that will not only give you access to system information but also provide certain tools to tweak the system hardware. Of course to change some settings you need to have a rooted Android device, so a word of caution for those who are new to Android devices.
CPU-Z
You probably have seen this on Windows as well where it tells you information about your hardware, processor speeds, clock speeds and more. The Android app gives you information about the following:
– SoC (System On Chip) name, architecture, clock speed for each core
– System information : device brand & model, screen resolution, RAM, storage
– Battery information : level, status, temperature
– Sensors
System Monitor
This app gives information including OS Build, CPU, Memory, Telephony, Networks, WiFi, Storage, Battery, Camera, Display, Sensors. There are also some monitors including a CPU Monitor which displays a graph of the current CPU load, a Memory monitor which displays a graph of memory usage and a Battery monitor which displays a graph of battery usage. The app also has its own Task Manager, an app manager and a bunch of widgets which give you real-time information right on your homescreen.
No-frills CPU control
You will require a rooted Android device for this application as it requires special administrative privileges. This allows you to change your CPU frequencies and also to use the highest supported frequency of the CPU which can help in gaining some extra performance. You can also reduce the frequency of the CPU so that it uses less battery.
System Info Droid
A simple looking app that gives you system and hardware information about your Android device and it also comes with a widget which provides info about your CPU Temperature, Frequency and CPU Usage. Other features of the app include:
– Processor info (Cores, Max Frequency, Real Time Frequency)
– Device info (Android version, Kernel, Compilation )
– Graphics Processing Unit info (GPU, OpenGL, Vertex and Texture Units)
– RAM Memory info (Total RAM, Available RAM)
– Storage Space info (Internal, External, SD Card)
– Display info (Screen Resolution, Screen Size, Density, Refresh Rate)
– Camera info (Megapixels, Flash Modes, Focal Length, Focus Modes, Effects)
– Temperature info ( System temperature and Battery Temperature )
– Sensors info (Accelerometer, Orientation, Magnetic Field, GPS, Light, Gravity )
– Export your System Report by E-mail
CPU Tuner
CPU tuner gives you access to control your CPU speed and in turn helps you to have control over the power consumption of your Android device. You can also overclock your smartphone, although it isn’t advisable as there are chances you will damage it. There are also some profiles that can automatically switch on/off services of the device like mobile data, Wi-fi, etc. This app also requires a rooted Android device.