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I am quite new to this big android world. I am going through my first app so go easy on me. There are lots of API levels and lots of devices and i think this makes lots of hard stuff on android.

So my questions are :-

  • which minimum API level should I choose and why ?
  • Which Virtual Device should I start for - like there are lots of options available ?
  • Should I check my UI every time when I make changes on all the devices ?

Thanks. any help is appreciated :)

loop
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  • 1) Android Studio actually shows you [statistics](https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html?utm_source=ausdroid.net) on which API lvl to support when creating a new project, 2) Which one are you contemplating, what did you find about them? 3) Good luck with checking a million devices :). Android Studio [can show multiple device sizes](http://java.dzone.com/articles/android-studio-tip-multiple) though. – nhaarman Sep 10 '14 at 20:13
  • i think you should read the android documentation, choosing target version and other questions that have you..it will serve you great.. – Elltz Sep 10 '14 at 20:18
  • @NiekHaarman this question seems to be pretty odd/naive. I wanted not to worry so much about the devices thats why I am asking which AVD should I choose e.g Nexus 5 or any other ? – loop Sep 10 '14 at 20:18
  • @loop Functionality-wise, it doesn't really matter. Layout-wise, stick with Nexus 5 first (or any 5" screen), but keep in mind that you also want to see what it looks like on 3", 7" or 10" devices. As a last note, keep in mind that the Nexus 5 is a high-end device, your application will need to work on low-end devices as well. How much you test these low-end devices is your own choice -- how much do you care? – nhaarman Sep 10 '14 at 20:21
  • I just started to explore android. I just wondering is it really difficult to add something in comment like - Minimum api level - some number or AVD = somedevice. for me to start. I am sure about it that when I go for app publishing I explore all stuff about android. Thanks all btw :) – loop Sep 10 '14 at 20:22
  • The easiest way is to just use your own Android device if you have one (if you don't have one, get one). Nothing brings about the user experience than a real device. You can still use emulators to check other screen sizes. – nhaarman Sep 10 '14 at 20:24
  • @NiekHaarman thanks :) that is something useful. But If I dont have devices then Can I rely on AVDs for some time ? – loop Sep 10 '14 at 20:25
  • Sure, they do have limitations though.. The official AVD's are _terribly_ slow. Genymotion is faster, but not ideal either. – nhaarman Sep 10 '14 at 20:26
  • @NiekHaarman Thanks I have decided to go for genymotion. I won't mind you summerize your comments and add that as an answer. I found them useful. I will accept that answer :D – loop Sep 10 '14 at 20:28

1 Answers1

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1) Basically there are two ways here. Right now (2014/09) you can go for SDK 10+ or SDK 15+. SDK 10 still has about 12% of total active users. As indicated here: https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html?utm_source=ausdroid.net

Supporting from API 10+ is a pain, it requires using a lot of backports and compatibility libraries. But you're in luck! It's pretty safe to develop on SDK 15+, as you can see from the dashboards that will cover close to 90% of all devices.

2) You can use Genymotion. It's free for small developers and beginners. You can also use the native emulator but it's laggy, if you use Intels HAX and GPU rendering it will be decent. Have a look here.

3) Well yes and no. You should develop for the best device you can get, a Google Nexus is prefered because it gets the newest versions of Android fastest. Then you should probably get the worst device you want to support and test on it. The more devices you test on the better. Also Android Studio has the option to preview layouts on multiple devices.

Community
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VM4
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  • Thanks :) Can I be sure that if my Ui looking good on AVD say nexus then it will be looking same on device ? – loop Sep 10 '14 at 22:27
  • Most of the time yes. But if you're publishing always try to see how the app looks on as many devices as you can. The samsung galaxt models are very popular right now and are a good test target. Also check atleast one small screen as they are usually problematic. – VM4 Sep 10 '14 at 22:30
  • Thanks Now I am good to try more :) – loop Sep 10 '14 at 22:33