- Android 16 will require minimum 6GB RAM for full Android experience.
- Android 15 mandates 32GB storage with 75% user-accessible space.
- Devices must support Vulkan 1.3 API and emergency contact sharing.
Google has updated its hardware requirements for smartphones shipping with its suite of services, including the Play Store. This change is part of Android 15 and beyond.
Looking ahead, Android 16 will further raise the bar by requiring at least 6GB of RAM for devices running the standard version of Android. Devices with lower memory will be restricted to the Android Go edition.
Android Phones Must Evolve: Google Sets Stricter Rules for RAM, Storage, and Safety
As smartphones grow more powerful, Google is tightening its minimum hardware standards to keep pace. With Android 15, new phones must include at least 32GB of storage. This move is driven by ballooning app sizes and system resources. Importantly, 75% of that storage must be user-accessible. This prevents bloatware from dominating space.
RAM requirements have also seen a boost. While 4GB RAM is the minimum for Android 15, Google has announced that Android 16 will bump this to 6GB. Devices with 4GB RAM or less will need to adopt Android Go, a lightweight version of the OS meant for more modest hardware.
On the graphics front, Android 15 devices must now support Vulkan 1.3 or newer. Vulkan is critical for modern 3D rendering and computational tasks. Thus, phones must be equipped with newer, more capable chipsets to meet this spec.
Google has also emphasized user safety with a new requirement: smartphones must allow users to share emergency contact info automatically when dialing emergency services. It’s a small but meaningful addition that aligns with broader trends toward safety and digital preparedness.
With these new minimum requirements, Google is pushing the Android ecosystem toward better performance, user accessibility, and smarter safety features, even on budget devices.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
