Settings Related to Resampling on Android Devices.
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. It is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software. Android is the most widely used mobile OS worldwide, running on over 75% of smartphones as of 2022.
One capability offered by Android is the ability to resample or upscale the resolution and refresh rate of a device’s display. Resampling allows a device to render content at a higher resolution or frame rate than its native hardware supports. This can provide a smoother visual experience, with crisper images and fluid scrolling and animations. However, resampling also requires additional processing power which can impact battery life and performance.
What is Resampling?
Resampling refers to the process of converting a digital audio signal from one sample rate to another. On Android devices, resampling is used to upscale or downscale the native sample rate of audio content to match the sample rate expected by the audio hardware and software.
For example, much digital music is encoded at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sample rates. However, some Android devices have audio systems that operate at 44.1 kHz while others operate at 48 kHz. Resampling allows audio playback at the device’s native rate regardless of the original encoding. This prevents audio quality issues like pitch shifting that could occur from mismatching rates.
Resampling also allows combining content with different native sample rates into a common rate. For instance, downsampling a 96 kHz audio track to 48 kHz for playback alongside a 48 kHz track on a device capped at 48 kHz. So in summary, resampling refers to converting sample rates through upscaling or downscaling to match device hardware or enable mixing different rate sources.
Source: https://source.android.com/docs/core/audio/src
Why Resample?
Android devices resample audio for a few key reasons:
Better performance – Resampling audio to a lower sample rate reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed, improving performance and reducing strain on the device’s CPU and battery (Source).
Save battery – Processing lower sample rate audio requires less computing power, which conserves battery life (Source).
Compatibility – Most audio content is either 44.1kHz or 48kHz. Resampling everything to 48kHz ensures compatibility across apps and reduces complexity (Source).
Resampling Settings Location
The location of resampling settings on Android devices varies depending on the device manufacturer. Here are some common locations:
On Pixel and Nexus devices running stock Android, resampling settings can be found in the Developer options. To enable Developer options, go to Settings > System > About phone and tap Build number 7 times. Then Developer options will appear in Settings.
On Samsung Galaxy devices, resampling settings are located in Settings > Developer options > Hardware accelerated rendering. You can enable Developer options by going to Settings > About phone and tapping Build number 7 times.
For devices running OxygenOS like OnePlus, go to Settings > System > Developer options to adjust animation scale settings which impact resampling. Enable Developer options by going to Settings > About phone and tap Software version repeatedly.
On Android 11 and higher, some resampling settings have been moved to Settings > Display > Refresh rate. You can switch between 60Hz and 120Hz here if supported by your device hardware.
Some manufacturers like LG, Sony and HTC have resampling options hidden in their own customized system settings menus. You may need to search to locate them.
Third party apps like [Solid Explorer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.solidexplorer2&hl=en_US&gl=US) with root access can also modify audio sampling rate and other advanced resample settings by editing configuration files directly.
Display Resolution Setting
The display resolution setting on an Android device controls how the screen renders graphics and images. It determines how sharp and detailed the display appears.
Higher resolution settings will make images and text look crisper, while lower resolutions may appear more pixelated or blurry. However, higher resolutions require more processing power and can drain battery life faster (1).
The default display resolution is typically set automatically based on the native resolution of the device’s screen. For example, many phones now have 1080p or 1440p resolution screens. Tablets may have up to 4K resolution (2).
Users can adjust the display resolution in their device’s settings app. The options available will depend on the device’s hardware capabilities. Lowering the display resolution can sometimes improve system performance and battery life. However, this comes at the cost of decreased image quality.
Overall, the display resolution is a key setting that impacts how sharp and detailed visuals appear on an Android device. Users should balance resolution quality with battery life and performance needs based on their priorities (3).
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6btMm6OmcGw
(2) https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18250277/how-must-be-android-display-resolution
(3) https://myelo.elotouch.com/support/s/article/I-Series-4-for-Android-Display-Resolution
Refresh Rate Setting
The refresh rate setting controls how often the display refreshes with new image data per second. On Android devices, this can often be set at 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz. A higher refresh rate will make motion appear smoother, but it requires more processing power and can impact battery life.
Adjusting the refresh rate affects the device’s performance and capabilities. As one Reddit user pointed out, “Android displays have adjustable refresh rates that impact performance. Setting a higher rate like 90Hz or 120Hz will make animations and motion smoother, but it requires more processing power which can affect battery life” (source).
The optimal refresh rate depends on your usage. Higher rates are great for gaming, VR, and video. Standard 60Hz may be best for general usage to conserve battery. Testing different settings can show if a higher rate provides a noticeably better experience versus the tradeoff of decreased battery life.
GPU Rendering Setting
The GPU Rendering setting enables hardware acceleration for rendering graphics on your device’s display. With GPU rendering enabled, drawing and animating views on screen is handled by the GPU rather than the CPU. This results in faster, smoother graphics performance.
According to the article What Is Force Gpu Rendering In Developer Options – Graphics Cards Advisor, enabling GPU rendering can improve graphics performance in games and other graphically intensive apps. The GPU is designed to handle these types of graphical workloads efficiently.
However, GPU rendering may have negative impacts on battery life. Since the GPU will be active more often when rendering graphics, it can draw more power and drain the battery faster. The impact depends on the specific app/game and GPU hardware. In many cases the performance benefits outweigh the battery costs, but it’s something to be aware of.
The GPU Rendering setting essentially toggles hardware accelerated graphics on or off globally. Developers can also control GPU rendering at the app level for finer grained control.
Animation Scale Setting
The animation scale setting controls how smooth animations appear on your Android device. It can be found in the Developer Options section of your device’s Settings app.
The animation scale determines how fast or slow certain animations run, like transitioning between app screens or opening and closing menus. The setting ranges from .5x to 10x, with 1x being the default speed.
Lower animation scales like .5x will make animations slower but smoother. Higher scales like 5x or 10x will speed up animations, but can cause choppiness or lag. Many users set animation scale to .5x or off to improve performance on older devices.
However, disabling animations completely may reduce usability. Most experts recommend .5x to 2x for a balance of smoothness and speed.
According to Stack Overflow, animation scale can impact certain transition animations in Android development. When coding custom transitions, the scale should be accounted for to ensure a smooth appearance.
Transitions Animation Scale
The Transitions Animation Scale setting controls the smoothness of transition animations when navigating between apps or switching between screens within an app. Lower animation scale values will make transitions faster and more abrupt, while higher values make transitions slower and smoother.
To adjust the Transitions Animation Scale setting, go to Settings > Developer Options and scroll down to the Drawing section. There you will find the option to change the “Transition animation scale” to one of the following values:
- Animation off (fastest transitions)
- .5x
- 1x (default setting)
- 1.5x
- 2x
- 5x
- 10x (smoothest transitions)
Lower values like .5x or Animation off will provide snappier transitions between screens, which some users prefer. However, higher values like 1.5x or 2x can make the animations look cleaner and more polished.
It’s worth experimenting with the different Transitions Animation Scale settings to find the right balance of smoothness and speed for your preferences. Just note that higher animation values require more processing power and can impact system performance over time.
For more details, check out this excellent guide on transition animations in Android: Top Android Articles on Medium
Conclusion
In summary, resampling is an important audio processing technique that allows audio to be converted from one sample rate to another. On Android devices, the default system settings often resample audio to 48kHz or 44.1kHz, which can degrade audio quality. However, various settings can enable higher sample rates, bypass resampling, and optimize audio performance.
For applications like music, movies, games, and calling that rely on high-quality audio, it is essential to configure Android’s audio settings properly. Enabling the highest display resolution, GPU rendering, animation scaling, and sample rates can help reduce unneeded resampling. Developers creating pro audio apps should be aware of Android’s audio architecture and sampling limitations.
With the right settings adjusted, resampling on Android can be minimized for an optimal listening experience. Audio enthusiasts should take time to tweak their device’s configurations to unlock studio-grade playback. Bypassing unnecessary conversion allows Android devices to output audio just as the source intended.
