How to maximize free space and battery power on the BlackBerry smartphone

 

 

The BlackBerry smartphone is designed to operate properly with a modest amount of available flash memory. However, you can keep the BlackBerry smartphone operating at peak efficiency by maximizing its available flash memory. To maximize flash memory and battery power, you should know both how to monitor the available memory and what strategies help preserve flash memory and battery power.

Causes for decreased performance

BlackBerry smartphones based on Java technology depend on available flash memory for many tasks. Having low flash memory can lead to delays in processing information on the BlackBerry smartphone because the process for recovering blocks of flash memory, known as garbage collection, happens more frequently, which takes time. Java garbage collections automatically reclaim flash memory that is no longer being used by the Java operating system. Java garbage collections may also rearrange blocks of flash memory that are in use to create larger contiguous blocks of available flash memory. Just as a computer uses the hard disk as a source of virtual memory, the BlackBerry smartphone writes out lesser-used portions of its operating flash memory (normally held in fast static random access memory (SRAM)) to the slower flash memory. As the BlackBerry smartphone's flash memory begins to fill up, the BlackBerry smartphone must work harder to rearrange the flash memory to allocate the storage space it needs for normal operation. Therefore, low flash memory causes garbage collections to happen more frequently and take a longer time to complete, which also uses battery power.

 

Monitoring available memory

To see the approximate amount of occupied flash memory on the BlackBerry smartphone, complete the following steps.
For BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 and earlier

1. On the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, open Options.
2. Select Status.

For BlackBerry Device Software 6.0

1. On the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone, tap All, then open Options.
2. Select Device.
3. Select Device and Status Information.

The File Free field shows the approximate amount of available flash memory available for data. To make sure that this value is as accurate as possible, restart the BlackBerry smartphone to initiate a full garbage collection

What is considered low flash memory?
The BlackBerry smartphone's Java® operating system has a complex and dynamic way of determining exactly how much available flash memory it should have before starting the Low Memory Manager application. To determine if it has low flash memory, the BlackBerry smartphone takes into account a number of factors, such as the BlackBerry smartphone hardware model, the operating system version, the number of installed applications, the frequency at which BlackBerry smartphone user data is added and removed, and so on. Generally speaking, the more the BlackBerry smartphone is used, the more memory the operating system sets aside for normal, efficient operation.

Note: When the BlackBerry smartphone has determined that is has low flash memory, it automatically starts the Low Memory Manager application, which reclaims memory.

The File Free field shows 0
When the File Free field shows 0, it most likely means that the BlackBerry smartphone is full of data. The BlackBerry smartphone determines that it has low flash memory and performs more extensive garbage collections in order to make room for any new data. However, even when the BlackBerry smartphone is full of data, it is designed to operate properly. The Low Memory Manager application starts recovering flash memory when data is added that requires additional flash memory.

How the Low Memory Manager application works

The Low Memory Manager application works to recover flash memory by removing old and unimportant data; when the Low Memory Manager application is running, it does not affect the regular operation of the BlackBerry smartphone, so you are not aware that it is running. The Low Memory Manager application makes requests to all applications on the BlackBerry smartphone to recover memory. However, third-party applications must be specifically designed to interact with the Low Memory Manager application.
The Low Memory Manager application makes requests of the applications on the BlackBerry smartphone in the following order:

1. The Low Memory Manager application first asks all applications to remove low priority data (for example, transitory data such as browser caches). If step 1 does not recover enough free flash memory for normal operation, the Low Memory Manager application asks the applications to remove medium priority data (for example, very old messages, cached map data, and out-of-date calendar entries).
2. If step 1 and 2 do not recover enough flash memory, the Low Memory Manager application prompts the Messages application to remove email messages starting with those that are the least frequently accessed.

Cheers, BbugMy Admin