The Android Compatibility Definition document, in section 9.9, states that "If the device implementation has a lock screen, the device MUST support full-disk encryption of the application private data, (/datapartition) as well as the SD card partition if it is a permanent, non-removable part of the device. For devices supporting full-disk encryption, the full-disk encryption SHOULD be enabled all the time after the user has completed the out-of-box experience. While this requirement is stated as SHOULD for this version of the Android platform, it is very strongly RECOMMENDED as we expect this to change to MUST in the future versions of Android."
This essentially opens the door for manufacturer devices to ship without encryption, provided they continue to support it (which remains mandatory). The Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 could now be sold without encryption.
According to Android Police, the requirement has been changed in order to allow OEMs to implement faster storage and better file systems to handle the increased system overhead, since there is slight performance degradation due to encryption even with modern hardware. It is also speculated that law enforcement agencies in the United States are responsible for preventing encryption, but those are conspiracy theories at best.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.