ARM anticipates 64-bit Android phones 'by Christmas'

'Big uptick in demand for mobile 64-bit products,' ARM EVP tells CNET

With announcements earlier this year from chipmakers NVIDIA and Qualcomm, there's clear momentum building behind 64-bit processors in mobile devices. And in an interview with CNET today, ARM's executive vice president of corporate strategy reveals it's recently seen a "big uptick in demand for mobile 64-bit products," with the potential for 64-bit Android products by the end of the year.

ARM's Tom Lantzsch says in today's interview, "we believe the capability will be there for a 64-bit phone by Christmas." There was no comment on when a 64-bit version of Android would be made available, but the Christmas timeframe hints at the technology possibly making its way into the next Nexus phone, usually released with a major new Android revision around the end of each year. Such a Nexus device would pave the way for more 64-bit phones and tablets in early 2015, which is when Qualcomm is aiming to ship the first Snapdragon 808 and 810 SoCs.

But the benefits of ARM's 64-bit v8-A architecture, used in its Cortex A53 products, extend beyond running natively 64-bit code, Lantzsch says "The architecture itself allows for more efficiency in the code. So, that means better battery life, quicker responsiveness, better features." ARM's new v8-A, it's claimed, will run 32-bit code even faster than the company's current 32-bit architecture.

More: CNET

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