Smartphones, without exaggeration, can be called the most popular gadgets of our time. It is difficult to find someone who uses a regular mobile phone without an operating system. Smart devices on operating system allow you to significantly expand the communication capabilities of the device, for example, due to the fact that you can install Skype on a smartphone, a person can make video calls, and when installing a navigator, use his mobile device as GPS navigation.
On the this moment, the leading positions in the global smartphone market are occupied by devices based on the Android and iOS operating systems. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, for objective reasons, the vast majority of smartphones are purchased on the Android platform.
Why you need to know the technical characteristics of a smartphone
For the installed applications to work, you need a productive system, at least a quad-core processor and one gigabyte random access memory Moreover, if a person wants to use navigation, a GPS module must be installed in the device, and if the user wants to make a video call, the device must have a front camera.
All these parameters, of course, are indicated in the technical characteristics of the device, but, unfortunately, these are far from all the parameters that the buyer should know.
For example, not so long ago it became known, oh, it certainly does not mean that support for 32-bit programs will end, but following the example of 32-bit Windows, it is already possible to understand that fewer and fewer developers will implement support for the outdated architecture. For some reason, the technical specifications do not indicate the processor architecture.
Another equally important parameter is the video chip of a smartphone. As with personal computer, the speed and smoothness of event processing in mobile games depends on the performance of the video subsystem of the device. If some technical specifications indicate information about the video chip, it may still be incomplete, for example, the technical data may indicate the Mali-400 video chip, but it may also be different versions, Mali-400 MP2, MP3 and MP4. Accordingly, if the video chip is not latest version, in the technical specifications, they will most likely be silent about this.
In addition, Android smartphones have a set of libraries, OpenGL (roughly speaking, an analogue of DirectX on Windows). Needless to say, support for 3D games and many other applications depends on this feature. But, as with the video chip, manufacturers are in no hurry to mention the OpenGL version in the technical specifications. As a result, it may turn out that the game will fall into a black screen at startup.
There are other parameters that are not specified in the technical specifications, for example, the lens aperture, the presence of a magnetic sensor, pixel density, screen refresh rate and much more.
How to find out the detailed characteristics of a smartphone
Of course, sellers will not indicate all the characteristics of a smartphone, in addition, the parameters of some little-known smartphone models are unknown to the sellers themselves.
In other words, to find out the technical data of the device, it does not need a special service application that will have access to all the technical and software functions of the smartphone.
Sometimes, in order to more accurately establish the characteristics, it is necessary to obtain superuser rights on the smartphone, the so-called.
There are quite a lot of similar applications for mobile devices, most of them are downloaded for free from the Play Store.
The most popular information apps are: AIDA64, System Info Droid, CPU-Z, and AnTuTu Benchmark.
With the exception of small external differences, the functionality of these applications is similar.
Perhaps the simplest and at the same time very functional application from a well-known developer. AIDA64 is a program from the same developers who release AIDA64 to the computer.
The interface of the application is quite simple, after entering the program, the user can scroll through the vertical menu, choosing the CPU section, system, battery, Android, etc.
Each menu contains relevant information.
CPU-Z
Like the PC version, CPU-Z is one of the most informative applications for determining processor specifications. But the processor model is extremely important information for smartphones, the sound quality, data processing speed and even the installation of one or another firmware depend on the processor.
The program interface is divided into several horizontal tabs, between which you can navigate with a swipe.
This application does not differ much from the previous two, especially it is similar to CPU-Z. The advantage of Info Droid is more detailed information about the audio chip, including preset codecs and stereo modes, as well as camera parameters such as maximum frames per second, macro shooting and much more.
Unlike previous apps, AnTuTu Benchmark is primarily used to test smartphone performance. Behind the scenes, Benchmark has long been the benchmark application for benchmarking performance android devices however, with each new version, the program is becoming more and more demanding on the technical data of the device or the firmware version.
In the section "Info", you can view technical information about a smartphone, but compared to the other programs listed above, Benchmark is significantly inferior in information content.
Summing up, it should be noted that the declared specifications, i.e. those parameters that are stated in the display price list cannot fully characterize the device.
The only way to find out the detailed parameters is to install a special application, but hardly before buying a smartphone in a store, you will be allowed to install any applications on it. This is possible if only when you buy a used phone from your hands.
It is recommended to carefully study the reviews of the owners of the device you like, who installed one of the above programs and shared the technical characteristics with other users, before buying a new device.
- an application that helps the user to look into the internal characteristics of his mobile friend. It is with such a program that you can find out the exact technical nuances of a smartphone and understand whether it meets the stated requirements. So the program is very useful, especially if you are just choosing a device and want to know its real capabilities. It is very easy to use because the program breaks down all the characteristics into categories.
You just need to open the category you need to find out the necessary data and draw conclusions based on this. It is worth to cancel that the application is very precisely defined, all characteristics and can help you in a number of very specific questions. A huge number of users happily began to check the parameters of their mobile devices along with such a wonderful application.
It is with such a program that you can keep abreast of subtle technical knowledge that sellers do not always reveal. For example, the program is very useful if there are similar models, but they differ in insignificant technical parameters. With the help of this program, you can accurately establish their difference and buy exactly the model of the device that you want.
As a result, - a wonderful program that will give you the opportunity to get true data about the internal parameters of your smartphone or tablet computer... The program does not need the Internet to work.
Service (they are also engineering, they are also secret) codes are used for quick access to various functions, often even hidden. There are universal codes for Android, and there are those that are available only for certain device models.
Not so long ago I published an article in which I told. To do this, you could use special software or use one of the secret codes. Now I will talk about the most popular of them, thanks to which you can make many system settings.
Popular secret codes for Android smartphones
Why are these codes called "secret"? It's just that they are not needed by most ordinary users, they are not published in the instructions for smartphones. First of all, "secret codes" are intended for engineers and developers to conduct various tests.
To use any of the service codes, you must enter it in the dialer. On tablets you will have to download third party application to make calls - enter in the search Google play request "Dialer" and download the "dialer" you like.
- * # 06 # - information about the IMEI of the smartphone
- * # * # 4636 # * # * - information about Wi-Fi, battery and usage statistics
- * # * # 3646633 # * # * or * # * # 83781 # * # * - enter engineering menu on smartphones with MTK processor (you can use it)
- * # * # 8255 # * # * - testing Google service Talk
- * # * # 7594 # * # * - if you enter this combination, after that, when you press the shutdown button, the smartphone will immediately turn off, without offering a menu
- * # * # 44336 # * # * - information about PDA, CSC, build time and other data about the smartphone
- * # * # 232338 # * # * - Wi-Fi MAC address
- * # * # 7780 # * # * - instant reset to factory settings ( Hard reset). Removes only applications
- * 2767 * 3855 # - instant reset to factory settings, but unlike the previous one android way completely re-installable
- * # * # 1234 # * # * or * # 12580 * 369 # - information about the device firmware
- * # * # 1111 # * # * - information about the FTA software version
- * # * # 2222 # * # * - information about FTA hardware version
- * # * # 0283 # * # * - Loopback test
- * # * # 0 * # * # * - screen test
- * # 0 * # - testing various components: screen, camera, speakers, vibration, microphone and others
- * # * # 0673 # * # * or * # * # 0289 # * # * - audio test
- * # * # 0842 # * # * - vibration and backlight test
- * # * # 232339 # * # * or * # * # 526 # * # * - wireless network test
- * # * # 1472365 # * # * - GPS test
- * # * # 1575 # * # * - detailed GPS test
- * # * # 232331 # * # * - Bluetooth test
- * # * # 232337 # * # * - show bluetooth address
- * # * # 2663 # * # * - touch screen version
- * # * # 2664 # * # * - touch screen testing
- * # * # 0588 # * # * - testing the motion sensor
- * # * # 7262626 # * # * - GSM signal test
- * # 197328640 # - switch to service mode
- * # * # 3264 # * # * - RAM version
- * # * # 8351 # * # * - activation of the voice dialing registration mode
- * # * # 8350 # * # * - turn off the voice dialing registration mode
- # * 5376 # - delete all SMS
- * # 2222 # - Android firmware version
- # * 2562 #, # * 3851 #, # * 3876 # - restart your smartphone, tablet
- * # 34971539 # - full information about cameras and updating their firmware
- * # * # 273283 * 255 * 663282 * # * # * - quick creation backup media files
- * # * # 4636 # * # * - secret menu for Motorola devices
- ** 05 *** # - PUK unblocking on Sony
- 3845 # * 855 # - service menu on LG G3
- * # 0011 # - service menu on Samsung Galaxy S4
- ## 778 (+ call button) - displays EPST-menu (for Samsung)
- ## 3424 # - diagnostic mode (for HTC)
- ## 3282 # - EPST (for HTC)
- ## 8626337 # - VOCODER (for HTC)
- ## 33284 # - technical data of the network status (for HTC)
- ## 7738 # - protocol revision (for HTC)
In principle, these are the most basic and universal service (secret) codes for tablets and smartphones on Android, but all manufacturers add support for their own, so if you are interested in codes for a particular device, download the application. It will be discussed below.
Android Service Codes in Secret Codes App
The Secret Codes application will scan the system for engineering codes and display the result in the form of a list. You just have to click on the code of interest and you will be taken to the desired option.
Unfortunately, this method has a drawback: on some devices, the application does not find a single service code, and on some it does not find everything. But on the devices I tested, everything was fine, and the reviews on Google Play are almost all positive.
In this article, we will look at how to get information about the phone, sim card, network cellular as well as display and battery options mobile phone.
Telephone and cellular network
The TelephonyManager class is used to access data about the phone, sim, and cellular network. Using this class, you can determine the type and state of the phone, the availability of the cellular network and the state of the sim card.1. An instance of the TelephonyManager class cannot be created directly, for this you need to call the getSystemService () method (from the Context class) and pass the Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE constant to it.
- TelephonyManager tm = (TelephonyManager) getSystemService (Context .TELEPHONY_SERVICE);
2. For some methods of the TelephonyManager class in the manifest file (AndroidManifest.xml), you need to add the permission READ_PHONE_STATE (receive information about the state of the phone) or ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION (information about base station cellular networks). Permissions are added to the manifest file like this:
"http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/andr oid" - android: versionCode = "1"
- android: versionName = "1.0">
"android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />"android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATI ON" />- >
- >
3. Let's see what information we can get:
- int getCallState ()- defines the call state of the phone. Returns one of three constants: CALL_STATE_IDLE(phone is not active), CALL_STATE_OFFHOOK(call attempt), CALL_STATE_RINGING(connection with the subscriber).
- int getPhoneType ()- defines the type of mobile phone. Returns one of the constants PHONE_TYPE_CDMA, PHONE_TYPE_GSM, PHONE_TYPE_NONE, PHONE_TYPE_SIP.
- int getNetworkType ()- defines the type of cellular network. Returns one of the constants NETWORK_TYPE_UNKNOWN, NETWORK_TYPE_GPRS, NETWORK_TYPE_EDGE, NETWORK_TYPE_UMTS, NETWORK_TYPE_CDMA and etc.
- String getNetworkCountryIso ()- returns the code of the country in which the operator is registered.
- String getNetworkOperator ()- returns the operator code (MCC + MNC) (mobile country code + mobile network code)
- String getNetworkOperatorName ()- returns the name of the operator
- String getDeviceId ()- returns the ID of the mobile device
- String getDeviceSoftwareVersion ()- returns software version (it is not android version)
- int getDataState ()- defines the state of data transmission. Returns one of the constants DATA_DISCONNECTED, DATA_CONNECTING, DATA_CONNECTED, DATA_SUSPENDED.
- int getDataActivity ()- determines the direction of data transfer. Returns one of the constants DATA_ACTIVITY_NONE, DATA_ACTIVITY_IN, DATA_ACTIVITY_OUT, DATA_ACTIVITY_INOUT, DATA_ACTIVITY_DORMANT.
- boolean isNetworkRoaming ()- determines if the phone is in roaming.
- CellLocation getCellLocation ()- determines the current position of the device. Returns an instance of the CellLocation class, or rather one of its descendant classes CdmaCellLocation (for CDMA networks) or GsmCellLocation (for GSM networks). In the GsmCellLocation class, you can determine the ID of the base station of the cellular network (int getCid ()) and the code of the territory in which the phone is located (int getLac ())). In the CdmaCellLocation class, you can also get the base station ID (int getBaseStationId ()), as well as its geographic coordinates (int getBaseStationLatitude (), int getBaseStationLongitude ()).
- int getSimState ()- determines the state of the sim card. Returns one of the constants SIM_STATE_UNKNOWN, SIM_STATE_ABSENT, SIM_STATE_PIN_REQUIRED, SIM_STATE_PUK_REQUIRED, SIM_STATE_NETWORK_LOCKED, SIM_STATE_READY.
- String getSimCountryIso ()- Returns the country code of the provider
- String getSimOperator ()- Returns operator code (MCC + MNC)
- String getSimOperatorName ()- Returns the name of the provider
- String getSimSerialNumber ()- Returns serial number sim cards.
Display
The DisplayMetrics class is used to obtain information about a device display.- DisplayMetrics metrics = new DisplayMetrics ();
- getWindowManager () .getDefaultDisplay () .getMetrics (metrics);
The first line defines an instance of the DisplayMetrics class, and in the second, this instance is initialized.
getWindowManager ()(from Activity class) - returns window manager (instance of WindowManager class)
getDefaultDisplay ()(from the WindowManager class) - returns the display on which the window manager creates windows (an instance of the Display class)
getMetrics ()(from the Display class) - a method that takes an out-parameter of the DisplayMetrics type to get the display parameters.
That is, after these two lines, we get metrics, which contains information about the display.
The DisplayMetrics class has the following public fields:
densityDpi- pixel density on the screen (dpi)
scaledDensity- scaling factor for fonts
heightPixels- screen height
widthPixels- screen width
xdpi
ydpi- the exact number of pixels per inch across the screen width
Battery
The BatteryManager class is used to obtain information about the battery. Unlike the previous two cases, there is no battery management service for the device. Android system sends broadcast messages (Broadcast) about changes in the state of the battery. We need to subscribe to receive such messages.You can subscribe to broadcast messages using the method
registerReceiver (BroadcastReceiver receiver, IntentFilter filter) where
receiver - an instance of a class inherited from BroadcastReceiver with an overridden OnReceive () method
filter is an instance of the IntentFilter class that determines which messages we want to subscribe to.
- public void onCreate (Bundle savedInstanceState) (
- BroadcastReceiver receiver = new BroadcastReceiver () (
- @Override
- public void onReceive (Context context, Intent intent) (
- int status = intent.getIntExtra (BatteryManager.EXTRA_STATUS, -1);
- registerReceiver (receiver, new IntentFilter (Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED));
We subscribed to ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED messages, now when the state of the mobile phone battery changes, the OnReceive method will be called. An intent variable is passed to this method, which contains a set of Extra parameters that provide information about the accumulator.
You can get these parameters using the methods
int getIntExtra (String name, int defaultValue) or String getStringExtra (String name)
where name is the name of the parameter
defaultValue - the default value if the parameter is not specified.
These methods return a numeric or string value of the parameter (the Intent class also has functions for float, double, etc., but we won't need them in this case).
One of the constants from the BatteryManager class is passed as the name of the parameter (name):
EXTRA_HEALTH- battery condition. The value will be one of the following constants:
BATTERY_HEALTH_DEAD- the battery is inoperative
BATTERY_HEALTH_GOOD- battery in good condition
BATTERY_HEALTH_OVERHEAT- the battery is overheated
BATTERY_HEALTH_OVER_VOLTAGE- the battery has increased voltage
BATTERY_HEALTH_UNKNOWN- condition unknown
BATTERY_HEALTH_UNSPECIFIED_FAILURE- the battery is defective
EXTRA_ICON_SMALL is the resource identifier for the battery icon. This icon is shown in the status bar of the mobile phone and indicates the battery level.
EXTRA_SCALE- maximum battery level
EXTRA_LEVEL- current battery charge level (value from 0 to EXTRA_SCALE)
EXTRA_STATUS- determines the state of charge of the battery. The value will be one of the following constants:
BATTERY_STATUS_CHARGING- the battery is charging
BATTERY_STATUS_DISCHARGING- the battery is discharged
BATTERY_STATUS_FULL- the battery is charged
BATTERY_STATUS_NOT_CHARGING- the battery does not charge
BATTERY_STATUS_UNKNOWN- the condition is not known
EXTRA_PLUGGED- defines the connection charger... The value will be one of the following constants:
BATTERY_PLUGGED_AC- connected to a charger
BATTERY_PLUGGED_USB- connected to USB
EXTRA_PRESENT- determines the presence of a battery in the device (boolean value)
EXTRA_TECHNOLOGY- battery technology such as “Li-Ion”. (String value)
EXTRA_TEMPERATURE- battery temperature
EXTRA_VOLTAGE- battery voltage
To get battery status information, you need to add BATTERY_STATS permission to AndroidManifest.xml
I will not give the full code here, it is quite banal. With a sequential call of all the described methods, we get something like this:
SysManager application sources can be downloaded below. There are 5 classes in the application:
SysManagerActivity- the main window of the application, in which three tabs are defined. More on how to make tabs
TelManager- getting information about the phone and sim card
ScrManager- getting information about the display
BatManager- getting information about the battery
In all three classes, the resulting information is simply displayed in a text field.
TS- a helper class, with a bunch of static methods, which translate int constants of the TelephonyManager.NETWORK_TYPE_GPRS type into strings (“GPRS”).
Don't forget about additional permissions in AndroidManifest.xml :)
How to find out the characteristics of an android device? How much memory does he have? What processor is on my device? In this article, we will provide you with a couple of solutions to answer these questions.
It so happens that by downloading application from the Internet (in APK format or from the app store), the downloaded software does not work, although it was installed correctly and without errors?
This may be due to the fact that unlicensed software is often made for certain graphics processors and even phone models. And in It is likely that your smartphone does not support the system requirements of the application. The minimum amount of information about a smartphone can be found:
- after reading the instructions that were included in the box with the purchased device;
- by looking in the phone settings and reading the information in the "About phone" section ("Settings" -> "System" -> "About phone". On all devices there will be approximately the same path to system information). In this case, you have to dig into the tabs. You will not get a clear summary of what you need, all the data will be scattered;
- take advantage of specialized a program or utility for analyzing a smartphone.
Read the instructions and look for information in your android device you can yourself. M We suggest considering programs for displaying detailed information about characteristics android device.
AIDA64 (Download)
Many people already know the name AIDA, since a similar PC program is often used to collect data about hardware. The application allows you to get incredibly detailed and structured information about the android device, including temperature, codecs, sensors, system folders, batteries. There is a lot of data and most likely only advanced users or specialists in the field of smartphone software will understand most of it. For an ordinary user, more than 60% of the information is simply not useful. Going through the tabs, you sometimes have to look for the data you need. Advertising is present, but does not interfere.
Photo: AIDA64 
CPU Z (Download)
In CPU Z from xSoft Studio, information is presented in a more readable and understandable form for the average user. Display, sensors, central processing unit, memory, device and more - everything is here. But, unfortunately, additional and necessary functions (for example: "Network") are available only after purchasing the full version of the program. The most common, simple program. There is nothing special and unique.
Photo: CPU Z 
AnTuTu Benchmark (Download)
An excellent program that allows you not only to see the characteristics of an android, but also to test your device in the most severe conditions and compare it with other models. The characteristics are displayed only the most necessary, basic and understandable. There are no unnecessary and incomprehensible abbreviations.
Testing is done using maximum CPU and GPU load. The speed of transferring and receiving data both from the internal storage and from the network is taken into account.
Photo: AnTuTu Benchmark Heavy is used as a load, high poly 3D video. As the test progresses, the phone gets very hot. On weak devices, the picture on the screen will freeze up a lot. Fear not, it should be so. After graduation, you will see the device score in points describing the comparative characteristics operability your device.
Photo: AnTuTu Benchmark 
Test using 3D models is possible only after installing an additional program AnTuTu 3DBench (Download) which is essentially an extension to the main application. Without extension, only simple tests are possible. You can, for example, test multitouch.
Photo: AnTuTu 3DBench
AnTuTu Benchmark offers to download one more additional extension AnTuTu Officer (Download). After doing a few manipulations with the computer and the QR code, it will show whether your phone is "gray" or not.
Photo: AnTuTu Officer Droid Info (Download)
Solid program, providing hardware information and characteristics android devices. Shows only the main characteristics with a slight extension. The application is working, but requires some improvement (it does not always give correct information, especially about new devices). And the last update is dated July 24, 2016. It seems that the developers have abandoned their creation, but in vain. The interface is very user-friendly and simple, the information you need can be found in a couple of seconds. It is possible to send a detailed report about the device (in the form of text) to the mailbox - a strange feature, but it may come in handy.
Photo: Droid Info CPU -Z from CPUID (Download)
Almost identical to Droid Info, only in English. Unlike the latter, CPU -Z is regularly updated and maintained by the developers. The information is accurate and correct, everything is correct reality... It is better not to download for those who do not know English, there are a lot of technical names. By the values themselves, you can guess what characteristic is in question, but still not always.
Photo: CPU-Z by CPUID Geekbench 4 (Download)
Another powerful tester productivity phone similar to AnTuTu Benchmark. Provides only the basic characteristics of an android device: model, memory size, firmware, graphics processor, number of cores, etc. (we will not see sensor readings and changes in processor temperature here). Has the ability to check operability device under load. Unlike AnTuTu, the application does not require additional installation of extensions.
Photo: Geekbench 4 
By choosing a program to view the characteristics of your android, it is worth proceeding from your needs. Do you need information about the exact values of temperature, readings of sensors on the processor cores? It is worth trying all the applications and finding the one you need and the most convenient one, specifically for your needs.
Dear Readers! If you have any questions or comments on the topic of the article, please leave them below.