Radxa CM3 Minimum Ram Requirement for Running Android

ROCK 3 Series CM3
1

Hi Everyone,

I am planning to use Radxa CM3 for running android. I want to get CM3 1GB/2GB version for saving cost. But Android says that it needs minimum 4GB to run.

Has anyone tried running android on the CM3? Will the 1GB/2GB variant be able to run it smoothly.
If not, what can I do to run Android on this variant.

Thanks

2

You’re correct that official Android builds typically recommend at least 4GB RAM for smooth performance, especially with modern UI and applications. While it’s technically possible to boot Android on the 1GB or 2GB variant , you may encounter significant limitations:

  • System UI may lag or become unresponsive
  • Background services might be aggressively killed due to low memory
  • Some apps or Google services may crash or fail to run

That said, if your use case is very lightweight (e.g., kiosk mode, minimal app set, no Google Play Services), you might be able to build a custom slimmed-down android image tailored for low-memory devices.

3

Got it. Thanks for the info.
I’ll go with 2GB for now and see how the android image can be trimmed down specific to my usecase

4

The official Android 11 image is working nicely on 2GB variant, apart from occasional hangs.
@jack Is there any plan to support android12 for radxa cm3?

Thanks

5

We do plan to upgrade RK356x to the latest Android 14, starting from 3C.

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