Google Pixel 7 Series Only Support 64-bit Apps

An anonymous reader quotes a report from XDA Developers: As it turns out, the Google Pixel 7 series appears to be the first set of Android smartphones that only support 64-bit applications. [Android expert Mishaal Rahman first reported the news.] Rahman later corrected himself to say that it's a 64-bit Zygote but a 32-bit and 64-bit userspace, not a 64-bit only build of Android 13 as initially reported. This certainly lends credence to the claim that the Google Pixel tablet may come with a 64-bit only build of Android 13, though.

What this means is that for any apps that don't have 64-bit libraries, you won't be able to install them. This includes older versions of apps such as Jetpack Joyride and even older, completely defunct apps like Flappy Bird. It's not as if Tensor G2 doesn't support it either -- its three different cores all support AArch32 execution. Google could have enabled 32-bit support as they have done in its previous smartphones. Listing the Android Binary Interfaces (ABI) returns that there is nothing present for "armeabi-v7a" or "armeabi". "arm64-v8a" support is listed, but as per the Android documentation, it only supports the AArch64 instruction set.

What does this mean, and does it have any benefits? Most benefits won't really be visible to consumers, as these improvements are primarily found in heightened security, better performance, and reduced processing cost thanks to the lack of additional ABIs. All apps on the Google Play Store have had to have 64-bit support since August 2019, and the company stopped serving 32-bit apps that don't have any 64-bit support last year.

Want to evade the popup?

[oumuamua]

Then here is a site very similar to Slashdot (colored red instead of green) with no popups and not even a single ad! https://soylentnews.org/ [soylentnews.org]

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

You *seriously* use the modern web with a browser setup that *allows* stuff like ads and unwanted pop-ups? How do you even *live*?

I wouldn't know if slashdot had a million dancing 3d VR monkey pop-up adverts, my browser/extension combo means I never get to see or even load such abominations.

I'd suggest you give up modern life and go live in a shack in the woods if you can't take such basic security and usability measures.

Re:

[antdude]

Ad blocker!

Welcome to the club?

[shmlco]

So, welcome to the club? Apple required 64-bit only apps back in iOS 11 in 2017.

64-bit typically allows more memory access per app, better memory management for those applications, and increased application security due to techniques like Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). While ASLR doesn't technically require 64-bit processors, they do dramatically increase the address space in which such things can occur.

All in all, the user tends to see an environment that's much more stable.

Re:Welcome to the club?

[Luckyo]

"You won't be able to run what you want to run, but user environment for you not running what you want on will be really stable" is a rather poor sales pitch.

Though it probably comes out like a good thing if you're into Apple dictating what you should be allowed to have installed on your devices. "If big daddy Apple says I don't need to run this application, then I obviously don't need to run this application!" has been a case on ios for a very long time.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[shmlco]

This is one of those decisions that hardly seems arbitrary. Especially when it clears the way for processors to drop support for dual architectures and use that die real-estate for other purposes.

Apple got their house in order on this years ago and had much of the same whining, moaning, and groaning. Know what? They did it anyway and six months later the world had moved on.

Frankly, I was surprised to learn that Android hadn't already done so.

Re:

[Luckyo]

I too think that people like you should be put to live in standard sized house, with standard layout, standard furniture, eating standard food. It would be far more economical and environmentally friendly.

Sure, you're going to bitch about it for six months, but you'll get used to it and move on.

Re:

[shmlco]

Yeah, but this is like having a new, modern, much larger house... that has all of those smaller standard rooms in it just for "compatibility'"...

Re:

[Luckyo]

Not very familiar with comblock houses and their purpose, are you?

I'm not surprised.

Re:

[shmlco]

Another flippant response that ends with a snarky insult...

Why am I not surprised?

Re:

[Luckyo]

You didn't understand the first reference to historic reality that your claims led to in the past. So you said something incredibly stupid in a response to it. You got a snarky reply that rather than point out the extreme stupidity of your response, provided you with a description you could search for to understand the previous reply better.

And instead of doing so, you decided to get offended.

The lack of natural curiosity that people of your specific mindset have that unintentionally outs themselves like th

Re:

[drinkypoo]

Throwing away 32 bit makes it either more secure or less work, pick your excuse but they are two sides of the same coin (being unwilling to devote infinite resources.)

Re:

[tlhIngan]

Actually the primary reason for 64 bit only is speed.

AArch32 has pretty much been capped in speed - you can't get much faster because the architecture itself is limiting what you can do with it - things like conditional execution are hampering things because suddenly every instruction might be a speculative execution.

AArch64 however is much more open and architectural limitations that were great in the past were dropped so the architecture can optimize a lot more to enable much faster code execution. The sa

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

The only reason 64 bit is faster is because it is the main focus for new and future optimization. 32 bit is now an afterthought just for compatibility sake. If 32 and 64 bit was equally optimized 32 bit would have the advantage by virtue of pushing around fewer bits.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

The only reason 64 bit is faster is because it is the main focus for new and future optimization. 32 bit is now an afterthought just for compatibility sake. If 32 and 64 bit was equally optimized 32 bit would have the advantage by virtue of pushing around fewer bits.

No, the microarchitecture of AArch32 is basically end of the line. ARMv8 cores are only about 10-20% faster running AArch32 code over ARMv7. However, porting that code to AArch64 can you can get a 50% speedup. More registers is one reason, anoth

Re:

[Catvid-22]

The problem I have with developments like these is the "only" part. Why can't Android and iOS be more like desktop OS that support both 32- and 64-bit programs? It's hard enough trying to build FOSS programs for mobile devices (and in the case of iOS installing them). You're basically stuck with what's available in the xStore.

Re:

[shmlco]

"Why can't Android and iOS be more like desktop OS that support both 32- and 64-bit programs?"

Starting with macOS Catalina (2020), 32-bit apps are no longer compatible on macOS.

So basically you're stuck.

Re:

[Catvid-22]

"Why can't Android and iOS be more like desktop OS that support both 32- and 64-bit programs?"

Starting with macOS Catalina (2020), 32-bit apps are no longer compatible on macOS.

So basically you're stuck.

Last I heard, Windows can still run DOS-era software. And GNU/Linux can be made to run 32-bit software (multilib).

64-bit Windows doesn't run 16-bit apps

[tepples]

64-bit versions of Windows can run 64-bit Windows programs and 32-bit Windows programs. They cannot run DOS programs or Windows 3.1 programs without a third-party virtual machine.

Re:

[Catvid-22]

To be honest, I've never run 64-bit Windows. It's been a long time then.

Best thing ever

[PPH]

Web sites that are chock full of popup add bullshit see my clinging to old 32 bit platforms as ad-blocking. And it's not just me. One site had to remove its nag screens when they looked at how many of us were hanging on to old technology, immune to their crap. And they realized how many customers would just refuse to buy all new hardware just to see pop-ups.

Apple Did This Years Ago With iOS

[Vandil X]

...and I'm still pissed that I lost use of apps that I paid for and the developer subsequently abandoned.

But what can you do? Technology doesn't move on fast if you keep a very low common denominator for platform support.

Let me get this straight

[DaFallus]

As it turns out, the Google Pixel 7 series appears to be the first set of Android smartphones that only support 64-bit applications. [Android expert Mishaal Rahman first reported the news.] Rahman later corrected himself to say that it's a 64-bit Zygote but a 32-bit and 64-bit userspace, not a 64-bit only build of Android 13 as initially reported. This certainly lends credence to the claim that the Google Pixel tablet may come with a 64-bit only build of Android 13, though.

So they for whatever reason thought that the Google Pixel 7 was 64-bit only, but its actually not a 64-bit only build of Android 13. How does this lend credence to claims that a Google Pixel tablet may come with a 64-bit only version of Android 13? I didn't see any connection in the article or the summary. What is the point of this article then?

I miss some 8 & 16-bit games, but move along

[bsdetector101]

I miss some 8 & 16-bit games and have never found their equivalent as developers quit upgrading. I used to play Pong...but technology improves and I have no desire to play it again. Games/apps have improved immensely in the last 40-50 years and I enjoy the progress to 64-bit !