Executive Summary: The Inevitable Choice in 2025

A profound transformation is happening in Android development. The traditional XML view system is rapidly being replaced by Google's modern declarative UI framework — Jetpack Compose. As of 2025, Compose has become a mature industry standard, marked by Google as "the recommended modern UI toolkit for Android."

Google I/O 2025 data shows that 60% of the top 1,000 apps on the Play Store have adopted Jetpack Compose. This shift is not just a technical iteration, but a massive productivity leap. Compose solves two inherent pain points of traditional XML layouts: code redundancy and maintenance complexity.

Real-world data from the Google Play Store team shows that migrating to Compose reduced their UI code by up to 50%. Even more impressive is Lyft's case: a core button component required 3 Java/Kotlin files (800 lines of code) and 17 different XML files to define various styles and layouts in the XML era; after migration, it was simplified to a single Compose function requiring just a few lines of code. This not only reduces code but eliminates the cognitive load of file fragmentation.

The MAX (formerly HBO Max) team also reported that adopting Compose improved their UI change implementation speed by 30%. These data clearly indicate that Compose is not just Google's recommendation, but an essential path for enterprises to improve R&D efficiency.

Deep Analysis of Traditional XML Layout Pain Points

The core problem with XML layouts lies in their "imperative" and "fragmented" nature. Developers must frequently switch between XML files (defining "what") and Kotlin/Java files (defining "how"). When debugging a feature, understanding its complete context becomes extremely difficult.

Additionally, the XML view system has serious performance hidden dangers. The traditional View system requires two phases during rendering: Measure and Layout. Certain layouts (such as `LinearLayout` with `layout_weight` or `RelativeLayout`) cause "Double Taxation." When these layouts are nested, measurement counts grow exponentially (e.g., 3 layers of nesting can result in 8 measurements), seriously affecting rendering performance, especially in scrolling lists like `RecyclerView`.

While ConstraintLayout alleviated this problem, it's more like a "band-aid" and doesn't fundamentally solve the underlying architecture of the View system that "allows and even depends on multiple measurements." Compose, through single-pass measurement rules and intrinsic Intrinsic Measurement mechanisms, eliminates double taxation at the architectural level.