Google is reportedly tightening hardware requirements for Android devices. According to a report by Android Authority, with Android 15, the devices must have at least 32GB of internal storage to run the latest version. Notably, it is a major jump from the previous 16GB minimum requirement on Android 14.
The reports add that the phones with only 16GB storage often struggle as the Android system takes up huge space leaving little room for other applications, photos, documents, or updates. This ultimately leads to a lot of problems for the users. By increasing the minimum required space to 32GB, Google aims to make budget Android phones run more smoothly, the report stated.
Interestingly, Google cannot stop the phone makers from using less storage if they use an open-source version of Android, but if they want to include Google applications like Play Store or YouTube, they need a Google Mobile Services (GMS) license — and these new rules apply to those devices.
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Furthermore, the minimum RAM requirement for regular Android phones is now 4GB. If a phone has less RAM, it must run Android Go, a lighter version of Android designed for lower-end devices. Furthermore, phones running Android 15 must have chips that support Vulkan 1.3 or newer, a graphics and game-enhancing technology.
32GB minimum storage (75% must be available for user apps and data)
Phones with 2GB or 3GB RAM must use special memory-saving features (like Android Go)
Support for Vulkan 1.3 graphics API and ANGLE libraries to help older apps run better
Emergency contact sharing must be available during emergency calls (with user permission)
Do note that these changes aim to boost performance, improve safety features, and ensure that Android phones handle the growing demands of modern applications given that mobile gaming and AI features have become common.
