Android devices to see first 64-bit CPUs in 2014
Apple was first to offer a mobile device featuring a 64-bit CPU, but speculation says Android makers will soon follow suit. According to a report from Digitimes, chipmakers including Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Broadcom are expected to introduce CPUs with 64-bit architecture that could make their way into smartphones and tablets sometime during the first half of 2014.
The chip designs will be based off of ARM blueprints for their Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 silicon, which would closely match the design of Apple’s A7 processor. Apple’s CPU ranked among the top chipsets in recent benchmarks.
64-bit processing has up until recently remained relegated to the more robust PC systems we normally find on our desktops. But bringing 64-bit chips to mobile devices is only half of the equation. 64-bit native builds of Android would be required to take full advantage of the added benefits of 64-bit processing, and apps and games would need to be updated to match. While Apple launched a version of iOS 7 tailored to the architecture with the release of the iPhone 5S, developers have been slow to bring their wares up to speed.
While 64-bit is most definitely in the future plans for Android manufacturers, the change won’t come overnight. But in a marketing war that relies on flashy specs to sell smartphone hardware, expect to see the new chips come to devices sooner rather than later.