Version note — reviewed October 13, 2026: This article was written in 2018. Device examples, app experiences, and vendor opinions describe that period; the old hardware rankings and buying advice are outdated. Technical corrections and updates identify their Android versions. These are not new measurements of the named products.
I’ve long wanted to write about Android system fluency because it’s the most direct aspect of the user experience. The long-standing criticism that Android “gets laggier over time” still casts a shadow over the platform, and it’s a primary reason many users default to iPhone.
Because Google keeps Android open, different manufacturers produce devices with vastly different hardware, and app quality varies wildly. Consequently, fluency is affected by countless factors. It’s rarely just “the system isn’t optimized.” Often, two devices with the same OS but different SOCs offer completely different experiences.
I want to talk through some of the reasons Android can feel slow, so that the next time it happens, we don’t immediately blame the system. Perhaps uninstalling one app will turn out to be enough. Here are the areas I want to cover:
- Hardware
- System
- Applications
- The Optimization Loop
Ready? Let’s get started, and please join the discussion.