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Latency is an important system performance metric. While many kinds of audio latency metrics exist, one useful and well-understood metric is round-trip latency, defined as the time it takes for an audio signal to enter the input of a mobile device, be processed by an app running on the application processor, and exit the output.

Figure 1. Round-trip audio latency on device: T output - T input

This page provides round-trip audio latency measurements for select Nexus/Pixel devices and Android platform versions.

Why we measure latency

Google measures and reports latency so Android application developers have the data they need to make informed decisions about available latency on actual devices. By sharing latency numbers for select Nexus and Pixel devices, we hope to encourage the entire Android community to measure, publish, and reduce latency on all Android devices. Please join us in our commitment to reducing audio latency!

Application impact on latency

Signal processing can add the following types of delay to latency:

Algorithmic . This delay is inherent and does not vary with the CPU. An example is the delay added by a finite impulse response (FIR) filter.

. This delay is inherent and does not vary with the CPU. An example is the delay added by a finite impulse response (FIR) filter. Computational. This delay is related to the number of required CPU cycles. For example, attenuation of a signal is usually done by a multiplication operation that takes a varying number of cycles depending on the CPU.

How we measure

We made the measurements listed on this page using the Dr. Rick O'Rang audio loopback dongle and an audio feedback (Larsen effect) test. Measurements assume the application signal processing adds zero algorithmic delay and near-zero computational delay.

We measure round-trip latency via the headset connector for several reasons:

Figure 2. Round-trip latency via headset connector: T output - T input

Important music applications (such as guitar and voice processing) use the headset connector.

Measuring round-trip latency of the on-device microphone and speaker can be cumbersome, as it is difficult to keep a feedback loop in open air from entering uncontrolled oscillation.

On-device transducers are small and sacrifice frequency response to achieve their small size. To compensate, digital signal processing is applied but increases algorithmic delay for the on-device path.

There are cases where on-device microphone and speaker latencies do matter, but they are usually for one direction, not round-trip. Techniques for measuring unidirectional latency are described at Measuring Output Latency and Measuring Input Latency.

Example measurements

The measurements listed below are specific to a build number. Devices are listed in approximate order of initial release and by platform version; you can also view latencies in a chart. The test application uses the Android native audio API based on OpenSL ES.

Model Platform

version Build

number Sample rate

(Hz) Buffer size

(frames) Buffer size

(ms) Round-trip

latency (ms)

± one buffer Nexus One 2.3.6 GRK39F 44100 768 17.4 345 Nexus S 2.3.6 GRK39F 44100 1024 23.2 260 Nexus S 4.0.4 IMM76D 44100 1024 23.2 260 Nexus S 4.1.2 JZO54K 44100 880 20 210 Galaxy Nexus 4.0.1 ITL41D 44100 976 22.1 270 Galaxy Nexus 4.3 JWR66Y 44100 144 3.3 130 Nexus 4 4.2.2 JDQ39E 48000 240 5 195 Nexus 4 5.1 LMY47O 48000 240 5 58 Nexus 10 5.0.2 LRX22G 44100 256 5.8 36 Nexus 10 5.1 LMY47D 44100 256 5.8 35 Nexus 7

2013 4.3 JSR78D 48000 240 5 149 Nexus 7

2013 4.4 KRT16S 48000 240 5 85 Nexus 7

2013 5.0.2 LRX22G 48000 240 5 64 Nexus 7

2013 5.1 LMY47O 48000 240 5 55 Nexus 7

2013 6.0 MRA58K 48000 240 5 55 Nexus 5 4.4.4 KTU84P 48000 240 5 95 Nexus 5 5.0.0 LRX21O 48000 240 5 47 Nexus 5 5.1 LMY47I 48000 240 5 42 Nexus 5 6.0 MRA58K 48000 192 4 38 Nexus 9 5.0.0 LRX21L 48000 256 5.3 35 Nexus 9 5.0.1 LRX22C 48000 256 5.3 38 Nexus 9 5.1.1 LMY47X 48000 256 5.3 32 Nexus 9 6.0 MRA58K 48000 128 2.6 15 Nexus 6 5.0.1 LRX22C 48000 240 5 65 Nexus 6 5.1 LMY47I 48000 240 5 42 Nexus 6 6.0 MRA58K 48000 192 4 33 Nexus 5X 6.0 MDA89E 48000 192 4 18 Nexus 5X 8.0.0 OPR4.170623.020 48000 192 4 18 Nexus 5X 8.1.0 OPM2.171019.029.C1 48000 192 4 18 Nexus 6P 6.0 MDA89D 48000 192 4 18 Nexus 6P 8.0.0 OPR5.170623.014 48000 192 4 18 Nexus 6P 8.1.0 OPM5.171019.019 48000 192 4 18 Pixel 7.1.2 NHG47L 48000 192 4 18 Pixel 8.0.0 OPR3.170623.013 48000 192 4 18 Pixel 8.1.0 OPM1.171019.021 48000 192 4 18 Pixel XL 7.1.2 NHG47L 48000 192 4 18 Pixel XL 8.0.0 OPR3.170623.013 48000 192 4 18

Figure 3. Round trip latencies