BlackBerry Forums Support Community
              

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 02-05-2009, 04:31 PM   #1
blackout626
Knows Where the Search Button Is
 
blackout626's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Los Angeles
Model: 9900
OS: 7.0.0.585
PIN: 28CDFBCB
Carrier: AT&T
Posts: 37
Default Does Theme Size Affect Performance?

Please Login to Remove!

Hi,

I've tried searching for this topic in the forums but haven't found any answers.

Let's say I have two themes... Theme A weighs in at 320kb and Theme B at 1.2mb. For my question, please assume that both themes are installed in my phone at the same time (taking up approximately 1.5mb of my device memory).

Would my phone's free device memory differ depending on which theme I was currently using? Would it be using more memory to run Theme B because it's heavier?

Also would there be a difference in my phone's performance (i.e lag, slower response times, more hourglass/clock icons...) if I was actually running the 1.2mb theme instead of the 320kb theme?

I read somewhere that the phone would lag more if the theme it was using utilized custom icons instead of the default OS icons. I noticed that my phone seemed to lag more after installing and running a 2mb theme. But I wasn't sure if it was the theme that was slowing it down or possible another application I may have installed. Does anybody out there know the answer to this?

Thanks in advance!
Offline  
Old 02-05-2009, 04:55 PM   #2
JSanders
Crimson Tide Moderator
 
JSanders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North of the moss line
Model: Z30
OS: 7.0sumtin
PIN: t low
Carrier: Verizon
Posts: 41,921
Default

**moved to the Media Section**

I have *my* thoughts on this, I would rather see our fine theme 'xperts have to say...
Offline  
Old 02-05-2009, 06:36 PM   #3
Heavy Fluid
CrackBerry Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: US
Model: 9930
PIN: Ask please
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Posts: 694
Default

I would think that the big theme might make the phone run slower, but I am not an expert in any way. I have noticed that depending on the OS, some third party themes make the phone run extremely slow in comparison to one of the stock themes that comes on the phone.
Offline  
Old 02-05-2009, 07:31 PM   #4
BCollins521
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
 
BCollins521's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: OH
Model: 9700
PIN: Ask...
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 2,033
Default

Now this is my thought on the topic...yes the larger theme would cause the phone to lag when you first install the theme but once you get it stored in the memory then it shouldn't. Yes it will take up more free memory BUT that wouldn't cause that much of a difference in the memory if you had say a few themes...now if you had a ton of themes in various sizes and it is resulting in like say 10 themes with each totaling a lot of memory then sure it will use up your memory for the programs to be able to use that memory.

If you notice when you switch themes/restart your phone your BB will slow down for a bit, that's because it is putting all the information back into the stored memory for your phone to be able to read and access...I don't know exactly how the BB memory management works but from my experience with anything else it will be slow in the beginning to store all the required things in the memory so that it will be able to display/read/etc everything. When you look at the size of the Dimension themes they are tiny compared to anything with custom icons or anything that changes from the stock look. Icons are the biggest memory hog when it comes to themes, then you have svg's (today+ dock, scrolling, etc)...both combined will make a large theme.
__________________
-Brian

Get My Themes Here! | [email address] | Twitter
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 12:52 AM   #5
Heavy Fluid
CrackBerry Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: US
Model: 9930
PIN: Ask please
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Posts: 694
Default

Icons are the big hog? So if I make a theme using the stock icons, it will be smaller in size? What about recolored stock icons?
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 02:18 AM   #6
Shaun
Retired BBF Moderator
 
Shaun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Model: 9700
OS: 5.0.0.296
Carrier: at&t
Posts: 2,384
Default

First, let me say that this thread title is strong with innuendo.

I have been through many themes, on my Bold and on my 8700 and 83xx devices. I have seen very little lag or slow-down on my Bold and occasional slowdown on the other devices. In the case of the devices before the Bold, there was no evidence that the themes were the direct cause of the issue. As for the Bold, I have seen very brief slowdowns on themes that had heavy amounts of animation and custom icons.

imho, themes have a minimal impact to devices, especially when you consider the number of apps that are installed on the average BlackBerry, and how many of the "poll" for data, or run random updates in the background.
__________________
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 02:51 AM   #7
Heavy Fluid
CrackBerry Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: US
Model: 9930
PIN: Ask please
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Posts: 694
Default

I have noticed that on a lot of third party themes, while texting, if you hit the symbol key, there is often a huge lag, and it stays while you have that screen open, and until you close it.
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 04:25 AM   #8
BCollins521
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
 
BCollins521's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: OH
Model: 9700
PIN: Ask...
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 2,033
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun View Post
First, let me say that this thread title is strong with innuendo.

I have been through many themes, on my Bold and on my 8700 and 83xx devices. I have seen very little lag or slow-down on my Bold and occasional slowdown on the other devices. In the case of the devices before the Bold, there was no evidence that the themes were the direct cause of the issue. As for the Bold, I have seen very brief slowdowns on themes that had heavy amounts of animation and custom icons.

imho, themes have a minimal impact to devices, especially when you consider the number of apps that are installed on the average BlackBerry, and how many of the "poll" for data, or run random updates in the background.
The Bold can handle a very heavily graphic/animation theme...take a look at some animated theme for the Curve and Pearl...lags and slows down the phone big time (I have used the Snow globe theme first hand to be able to tell). I have started working on the Hiding Today Plus dock and before I started trimming down the fat of the svg it was slowing the phone's performance down. And when I switched to the non svg theme it sped right up and had no problems. This is all coming from my phone that I haven't added any programs or anything new on it for weeks and use it heavily during the day so I can see the difference between themes that I have made when it comes to content of the theme.
__________________
-Brian

Get My Themes Here! | [email address] | Twitter
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 02:55 PM   #9
ngc
Knows Where the Search Button Is
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Model: 8330
PIN: N/A
Carrier: Movilnet
Posts: 15
Default

thanks to the Bold Biga** processor it can handle big themes...

I loaded one theme to my 8330 that was about 800kb and it almost crashed my phone!!! even though I had more than 22mb on my memory...

My recomendation, load themes that aren't that big and delete the ones you don't use...
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 03:08 PM   #10
JSanders
Crimson Tide Moderator
 
JSanders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North of the moss line
Model: Z30
OS: 7.0sumtin
PIN: t low
Carrier: Verizon
Posts: 41,921
Default

So... as in everything, "size matters"?
Offline  
Old 02-06-2009, 05:39 PM   #11
Heavy Fluid
CrackBerry Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: US
Model: 9930
PIN: Ask please
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Posts: 694
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JSanders View Post
So... as in everything, "size matters"?
It really sounds that way. I am using a tiny stock modified theme from BCollins, and there is absolutely no lag whatsoever on it. Most of the theme is stock, I would say about 90% of it is. It runs just like a regular dimension theme.

I load a theme that I made on there, which is considerably bigger, and I notice a little lag. My theme is about 450k, his is about 71k.
Offline  
Old 02-07-2009, 07:22 PM   #12
blackout626
Knows Where the Search Button Is
 
blackout626's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Los Angeles
Model: 9900
OS: 7.0.0.585
PIN: 28CDFBCB
Carrier: AT&T
Posts: 37
Default

So it looks like most people feel like theme size really does affect your overall phone's performance. JSanders, did you thoughts on the topic pretty much travel in this direction as well?

Followup question for theme-makers or pretty much anybody familiar with themes: What are the largest factors that determine theme size? I've used anything from 41kb to 2mb. Is it mainly the custom icons that make it heavy? Or animations? Background wallpaper? Icon pixel size/placement/number on the homescreen? I mean, I've seen two themes differ in size by almost 1 MB, with both having custom icons, background, and some sort of animation. Just trying to sort out where the differences are.

If any of ya'll know, please enlighten me. Thanks!
Offline  
Old 02-07-2009, 09:20 PM   #13
BCollins521
BlackBerry Extraordinaire
 
BCollins521's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: OH
Model: 9700
PIN: Ask...
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 2,033
Default

First it's the animations that right there can cause it to be big if the animation isn't slimmed down for the animation for the phones, second is your scrolling dock, hiding dock, those of that nature..they can be rather large in themselves depending on what you do with them. The you have the icons...making them sharp and crisp will beef up the image size....just depends on what the theme maker decides on the look of the icon.

From what I've seen as background wallpapers don't really make much of a difference, they could theoretically but when you look at the size of the image as far as screen size the image doesn't get to the point of a large wallpaper. Locations of things on the theme wouldn't make any difference. It's really just depends on the content of the theme
__________________
-Brian

Get My Themes Here! | [email address] | Twitter
Offline  
Closed Thread


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Grandstream WP810 Dual Band Portable Wi-Fi Phone Voip Phone and Device- picture

Grandstream WP810 Dual Band Portable Wi-Fi Phone Voip Phone and Device-

$42.95



Digium D-60 VoIP Phone picture

Digium D-60 VoIP Phone

$39.99



NEW CyberData Amplifier 011061B VoIP V2 Paging picture

NEW CyberData Amplifier 011061B VoIP V2 Paging

$89.99



Polycom SoundPoint IP 335 HD Corded VoIP Phone Office Business Phone Black picture

Polycom SoundPoint IP 335 HD Corded VoIP Phone Office Business Phone Black

$18.00



Allworx Verge 9308 Voip IP Display Phone 8113080 Black, Ethernet VOIP picture

Allworx Verge 9308 Voip IP Display Phone 8113080 Black, Ethernet VOIP

$88.09



Mitel 5330e Enhanced Gigabit (50006476) BACKLIT Display POE IP NEW picture

Mitel 5330e Enhanced Gigabit (50006476) BACKLIT Display POE IP NEW

$139.00







Copyright © 2004-2016 BlackBerryForums.com.
The names RIM © and BlackBerry © are registered Trademarks of BlackBerry Inc.