Apparently an exec of Intel has remarked that the current versions of the Android smartphone operating system makes woeful use of dual core processors, and that poor implementation of threading tech by the OS saps any benefit dual core processors brings to the Android operating system.
According to an article over on PC World by way of The Inquirer, the general managers of Intel’s mobile and communications groups, Mike Bell has stated that Android Ice Cream Sandwich apparently suffers from issues with threading scheduling, which limits the benefits that ARM dual core processors bring to Android smartphones.
Apparently Bell also says that Intel testing has found single core processors run faster than some dual core processors, and that for quite a few smartphones it is not clear that turning on the chip’s second core gains much benefit, and Bell also goes on to say, “having a second core is actually a detriment, because of the way some of the people have not implemented their thread scheduling.”
Apparently the Intel exec also maintains that whilst multi-core processors do offer performance benefits in environments without power constraints, this is not the case when it comes to smartphones as they have limits on both thermal tolerances and power consumption.
However apparently the Intel exec doesn’t drop all the blame for poor dual core processor performance on Android, as some of the operating system scheduler problems could be addressed by chip makers, but according to the exec they simply haven’t been bothered to do so.
Multi-core processors have been used as a marketing tool by Android handset makers, such as releasing dual core smartphones before Android could support the chips, and are also rushing to bring quad core handsets to the market, and if Android handset can’t handle dual core processors then what is the point of offering quad core handsets?
Do any of our Android smartphone users with a dual core handset agree that their device doesn’t make use of the benefits a dual core processor brings?