KEY POINTS

  • Google is preparing for the release of Android 11 Beta in the first quarter of 2020
  • The next major Android update might remove the 4 GB video file size restriction according to a new report
  • This could be good news considering that users and developers have long been requesting that Google do something about this

2019 is a remarkable year for smartphones as a massive leap in camera quality, particularly in low-light and zoom happened. Despite this, it appears that the video quality has not been given the same amount of importance as the camera. But, it appears that this, too, is going to change in 2020 as a new report claims that Android 11 will break the 4 GB video file size barrier when it releases next year.

A new report from XDA Developers reveals details of this fascinating news for Android users. The site reportedly discovered a new commit in the AOSP Gerrit that will enable users to create video files larger than 4 GB. It is worth mentioning that it was in 2014 when the restriction on video recording was put in place.

Back then, 4K recording was a rarity, and smartphones do not come with large storage with limited SD card storage capability. These are some of the factors that prompted Google to limit video files to 4 GB in size. Additionally, during that time, FAT 32 SD Cards could not recognize the files.

Android
What lies ahead for the Android OS? Pictured: Dave Burke, Google Vice President of Engineering for Android, speaks during the opening keynote address at the Google I/O 2017 Conference at Shoreline Amphitheater on May 17, 2017 in Mountain View, California. Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivered the opening keynote address to kick off the three-day Google I/O 2017 Conference. Getty Images/Justin Sullivan

Developers and users have been requesting Google to give them the ability to create a video with file sizes larger than 4 GB. While it might not arrive at any new Android update releases, fans might have to wait until Android 11 rolls out. Google already tested the feature and was able to create a 32 GB file with absolute ease, according to reports.

It was even able to fill the whole memory of the device in one single recording. These days, 4K 60 fps is becoming a norm, and, understandably, video file sizes would be massive. It would be tough for a user to record a video only to realize later that he just lost a 20 GB of storage space, and Google would probably do something about that.

The commit, at the time of this publishing, has not been merged according to XDA Developers. However, when it does, the change would reflect in Android 11, considering that it is the next major release from Android. Google released the first Android 10 Beta in Mar. 2019, so there might be a chance that Android 11 Beta would be released in Mar. 2020.

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