Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile running on a Nokia 640 XL. Credit: Martyn Williams
Agam Shah
IDG News Service
Oct 3, 2016 10:48 AM
Switching Windows 10 Mobile from 32 bit to 64 bit is inevitable as memory capacity in smartphones goes up, Microsoft says.
There's a lot to like in Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones, but it has one glaring weakness: It still is a 32-bit OS.
But a transition to 64-bit for the OS was inevitable as memory capacity in smartphones goes up, Microsoft said during a presentation at the Ignite conference last week.
Windows 10 Mobile lags behind Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which transitioned to 64 bits a few years ago. Many new Windows phones already have 64-bit ARM-based Qualcomm processors, but the OS still runs as 32 bit.
Thirty-two bits is "not really a limitation for us since the devices are all 4GB [of RAM] or less. But that will change over the next couple of years," said Jason Whitehorn, partner software engineer manager of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft.
The company is "very aware of" the impending transition and recognizes the importance of 64-bit, Whitehorn said.
Smartphones with a 32-bit system have a ceiling of 4GB of RAM and need a 64-bit OS to tack on more memory.
Whitehorn didn't provide an exact date for the transition to Windows 10 Mobile to 64-bit. But it'll likely happen soon because handsets like Samsung's Android-based Galaxy Note 7 already exceed 4GB of RAM. Also, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chips -- which are compatible with Windows 10 Mobile -- support the latest low-power DDR4 memory and are better equipped to handle 64-bit apps.
Mobile devices are getting more memory and storage to handle demanding applications, graphics, and 4K video. Some Windows 10 Mobile handsets also
But a transition to 64-bit for the OS was inevitable as memory capacity in smartphones goes up, Microsoft said during a presentation at the Ignite conference last week.
Windows 10 Mobile lags behind Apple's iOS and Google's Android, which transitioned to 64 bits a few years ago. Many new Windows phones already have 64-bit ARM-based Qualcomm processors, but the OS still runs as 32 bit.
Thirty-two bits is "not really a limitation for us since the devices are all 4GB [of RAM] or less. But that will change over the next couple of years," said Jason Whitehorn, partner software engineer manager of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft.
The company is "very aware of" the impending transition and recognizes the importance of 64-bit, Whitehorn said.
Smartphones with a 32-bit system have a ceiling of 4GB of RAM and need a 64-bit OS to tack on more memory.
Whitehorn didn't provide an exact date for the transition to Windows 10 Mobile to 64-bit. But it'll likely happen soon because handsets like Samsung's Android-based Galaxy Note 7 already exceed 4GB of RAM. Also, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chips -- which are compatible with Windows 10 Mobile -- support the latest low-power DDR4 memory and are better equipped to handle 64-bit apps.
Mobile devices are getting more memory and storage to handle demanding applications, graphics, and 4K video. Some Windows 10 Mobile handsets also
