Google has announced that the recently launched Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the first Android phones to support only 64-bit apps. The firm encourages developers to start paying extra attention to testing their apps and updates for 64-bit-only devices, and details a few advantages of the transition.
According to Google on its Android Developers Blog, 64-bit apps operate more quickly than 32-bit ones because they have access to additional registers and instructions. Furthermore, 64-bit code runs up to 25% faster on newer CPUs, and some even stop supporting 32-bit code altogether.
Google claims that dropping support for 32-bit code can help in saving up to 150MB of RAM, which the OS was using even when 32-bit apps weren’t being used. Also, because 64-bit-only device configurations cut the time needed for CTS testing in half, smartphone OEMs can release updates faster.
Google believes that the ecosystem is ready for a change that will improve the user experience.