Google Pixel tablet going 64-bit-only? That’s a big deal
Google already gave us a glimpse at its upcoming Pixel tablet duringGoogle I/O 2022, but the new device is still very much in the dark, with only few details on it known so far other than a 2023 release window. Thanks to some digging, one possible tidbit of information has now made it to the light. The Pixel tablet might launch with a 64-bit-only version ofAndroid 13, which could make it one of the first Android devices to omit 32-bit support altogether.
As spotted by Mishaal Rahman inGoogle’s development resources, Google is currently experimenting with 64-bit-only builds of Android 13 for a device named “Tangor,” which is the codename for the Pixel tablet. The omission of 32-bit support should reduce RAM usage, but naturally, it also means that the tablet wouldn’t be able to run any 32-bit applications anymore. Luckily, this isn’t a big issue as most apps in the Play Store need to support 64-bit architectures these days.
The switch to a 64-bit-only architecture is right in line with the current trajectory of Android app development. As Mishaal Rahman noted in adetailed post on Esper.io’s blog, Google has long been working towards a 64-bit-only version of Android. Last year’sAndroid 12then was the first version of the OS that can be compiled with 64-bit-only components, and the same is true for the just-launched Android 13.
You might wonder what takes Google so long given that Apple already moved over to a 64-bit-only architecture for iOS back in 2017. The difference is the fact that Apple single-handedly controls its apps and devices market, making it much easier to force developers to adopt this significant change. Google’s open-source operating system relies on many more distribution options and device manufacturers that need to be taken into account when making a big switch like this. The Chinese market, in particular, has proven to be difficult for a long time, with many app stores co-existing next to each other, which makes it harder to enforce a big switch like this. Thankfully, these stores have come to an agreement to phase out 32-bit app support, so there is not too much in the way of 64-bit-only apps and devices anymore.
The move might also be forced by chip makers. Arm chip designs, which most mobile processors are based on, are quickly moving to 64-bit-only architectures after already introducing unsymmetrical chips where only a minority of cores support 32-bit applications. As Mishaal Rahman notes, the newly introduced Cortex-X3 and Cortex-A715 only support 64-bit processes, and even a redesigned Cortex-A510 only offers optional 32-bit compatibility at special request.
If the Pixel tablet moves to a 64-bit-only architecture, the next question is: What about the Pixel phones? It’s certainly possible that Google might want to use the Pixel tablet as a test bed to see how consumers and app developers react to a 64-bit only machine before doing the same move on its most important hardware product lineup. The company might also want to move its whole product lineup over to 64-bit only in 2023, which might make sense given that it’s using its own custom Tensor SoCs these days.
At this point, this is nothing but an educated guess, though. For all we know, Google might just internally test how well the Pixel Tablet would run on a 64-bit-only build, and the company could very well still scrap this experiment altogether.
Whatever Google settles for, you probably won’t notice much of a real-world difference in either case. The Play Store has started mandated 64-bit releases in 2019, and in 2021, this requirement was extended to all apps on the Play Store. All recently updated applications will thus work with a 64-bit only device.
Still, technologically, this switch is a big step to a more modern future with less redundancies and more efficient usage of computing power, so if Google does opt for it, it would be a big deal, and it would likely set off an avalanche of Android manufacturers following suit for all theirbest Android phones.
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