New tool for Google's development helps reduce the common Android fragmentation problem.
Google is giving developers new tools to better deal with broken sensors, which have long been a sore point of Android fragmentation.
According to the Android 6.0 Compatibility Definition Document, devices whose sensors are accurate within very tight tolerances can enable a new signal: android.hardware.sensor.hifi_sensors. Devices whose accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometers, proximity sensors, etc. deliver data with high accuracy and wide range should make this setting. This is a benefit for developers, who can look for a single value and know that they can rely on the sensor data being accurate.
Currently, developers can examine various signals to determine whether a device is a specific sensor or not, but they have no way of knowing if it will provide accurate data.
The compatibility document also specifies power requirements so that hardware manufacturers can build sensors that will work as Google intends. Devices don't have to meet the new requirements; it's entirely optional, but having a standardized way to tell developers that they can rely on sensor data that's accurate and fast will go a long way toward reducing one of the prominent pain points in Android fragmentation.
Why this matters: One of the reasons some apps appear for the first time or only on iOS is because iPhones deliver very consistent sensor data from one model to another. Android phones, being so different, often give wildly different results. Moreover, developers cannot rely on results that are delivered in a timely low-latency manner. Google makes it easier, albeit optional, for developers to understand if a device provides high-quality, reliable, fast sensor data. Over time, you may start seeing apps that are heavily dependent on the sensor (such as running trackers or motion-based games) issue a warning about devices that have not set android.hardware.sensor.hifi_sensors.
