Hardware

The main hardware platform for Android is
the 32-bit ARMv7 architecture. There is
support for x86 from the Android-x86
project, [7] and Google TV uses a special x86
version of Android. In 2013, Freescale
announced Android on its i.MX processor,
i.MX5X and i.MX6X series. [68] In 2012 Intel
processors began to appear on more
mainstream Android platforms, such as
phones. [69]
As of November 2013, current versions of
Android require at least 512 MB of RAM, [70]
and a 32-bit ARMv7 , MIPS or x86 architecture
processor, [7] together with an OpenGL ES 2.0
compatible graphics processing unit (GPU).
[71] Android supports OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0 and
3.0. Some applications explicitly require
certain version of the OpenGL ES, thus
suitable GPU hardware is required to run
such applications. [71]
Android devices incorporate many optional
hardware components, including still or video
cameras, GPS , hardware orientation sensors,
dedicated gaming controls, accelerometers,
gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers,
proximity sensors, pressure sensors,
thermometers and touchscreens. Some
hardware components are not required, but
became standard in certain classes of
devices, such as smartphones, and additional
requirements apply if they are present. Some
other hardware was initially required, but
those requirements have been relaxed or
eliminated altogether. For example, as
Android was developed initially as a phone
OS, hardware such as microphones were
required, while over time the phone function
became optional. [59] Android used to require
an autofocus camera, which was relaxed to a
fixed-focus camera [59] if it is even present at
all, since the camera was dropped as a
requirement entirely when Android started to
be used on set-top boxes.