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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-06-03T05:02:43+00:00

I’m implementing an app for Android(API 10). I have few designs for tablet(supposedly) and

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I’m implementing an app for Android(API 10). I have few designs for tablet(supposedly) and for mobile phone. Regarding the previous sentence it might sound a bit stupid: in my opinion layouts should be picked according to device’s physical size – not resolution, otherwise there might be a phone with high resolution that renders, say, a grid of 5×5, in rather confusing, inadequately small-sized way. In order to provide division by physical size I gotta use /res/layout-* folders. Agreed ?

Also: I’m a bit confused about multiple-screens guide’s definition on physical size. Would you mind explaining what physical size is in terms of Android mean, what it’s measured in? Is there any correlation with dpi?

Thanks.

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  1. Editorial Team

    A workaround for api level 10 could be something like this:

    1. use the compat lib from the SDK so that you can design with fragments.

    2. Assume everything before android 3 is a phone. For example use your layout files in layout/* for this (and the rest will be based it on unless overriden). This assumption is basically only wrong for the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″ from 2009.

    3. Assume everything on android 3.x is a tablet (they are), so do some tablet specific layout if you want and have them under layout-v11 (and maybe also layout-v12 if there is anything specific to android 3.1). Tablet specific layout could mean that you arrange your fragments differently and/or show multiple fragments at the same time.

    4. Everything newer (android 3.2+) you can use the new stuff from api level 13. Such as layout-sw600dp/ for some layouts etc etc. http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html#DeclaringTabletLayouts

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