(RIP) FLAPPY BIRD || The Pixel 7 runs 64-bit Android and cannot run 32-bit apps

 The Pixel 7 runs 64-bit Android and cannot run 32-bit apps

64-bit-only Android promises better performance and security, if we can get there.

As the upcoming Pixel Tablet received code check-ins to prepare it for a 64-bit-only version of Android, we knew Android was about to stop supporting 32-bit apps at some point soon. Nobody realized that the Pixel 7 also discontinues support for 64-bit apps, so its launch yesterday marked a significant step toward Android's future as a 64-bit-only operating system. Mishaal Rahman, a senior technical editor at Esper, has figured out all the details of how this will operate.

The Pixel 7 is only moving in the direction of that milestone halfway, and it appears that the Pixel Tablet will still be the first device to run a 64-bit-only version of Android. A software flag makes 32-bit apps inoperable, but the device isn't yet running a 64-bit version of Android. An error message that reads "App not installed as the app is not compatible with your phone" will appear when attempting to install a 32-bit app.

Since some system libraries are still 32-bit, it appears that the OS is not quite ready for 64-bit-only builds, but Google is working on it. Additionally, using a fake software flag as a starting point is a good test case. Google can easily disable the flag in a software update if things get out of hand because it can precisely predict how many issues 64-bit only will bring about.

Most consumers, however, will not notice the loss of 32-bit apps. The Android RunTime (ART) compiles Java apps, and the runtime can only create 64-bit binaries! The only issue is that non-Java apps (usually games) will require the developer to create 64-bit builds. However, the Play Store made 64-bit support mandatory for all app updates in 2019, so the only issues should be with abandonware apps that are several years old. Flappy Bird, a 2013 smash hit, appears to be the best example.

New Android devices will soon be forced to operate in 64-bit-only mode. The Pixel 7's Tensor 2 still supports 32-bit operations on each core, making it the only 2022 flagship device that can make that claim. Three of the eight cores in the top-tier Qualcomm and Samsung SoCs from this year only support 32-bit, and Arm's proposed X3 SoC design for 2023 has no 32-bit support at all. Qualcomm is reportedly reluctant to abandon 32-bit support so soon and may not adhere to Arm's rules because of the Chinese market. 

We should experience better performance and security once the full 64-bit-only Android builds are up and running because all that 32-bit clutter will be gone. According to Rahman, one internal Google study found a 5-10% improvement in performance and power efficiency, as well as lower RAM and storage requirements.