The launch of Xiaomi 14 e Xiaomi 14 Pro represented a radical change, with a exclusive embrace of 64-bit applications. However, a recent discovery showed an ingenious solution to maintain compatibility with 32-bit applications, thanks to a binary translator called Tango. This evolution especially benefits users who still need 32-bit applications, i.e. who have less powerful smartphones.
Xiaomi 14's turn towards 64 bit and the problem of 32 bit apps
The official presentation of the new series of top-of-the-range smartphones, led by Yu Zhang, senior sales manager at Xiaomi, had outlined a clear direction towards exclusive support for 64-bit applications. This decision had placed Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro as the The company's first flagship models designed exclusively for 64-bit software, leaving compatibility with 32-bit applications behind.
FLAPPY BIRD FLAPS ON!
- Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 27, 2023
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 does not have any CPU cores that support AArch32 (32-bit Arm apps).
Despite this, the Xiaomi 14 series is able to run 32-bit Arm apps like Flappy Bird, as shown below by @realMlgmXyysd.
How is this possible?
MlgmXyysd did… pic.twitter.com/pon4TflvVR
While this move opens up a world of possibilities, with more efficient memory management and architecture, it has also brought challenges, especially for users still tied to 32-bit applications. Despite the clear inclination towards the technological future, Xiaomi has surprised with a solution that takes into account user needs and the still ongoing transition towards 64-bit software. With the help of Tango binary translator, Xiaomi 14 can run 32-bit applications on a platform powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which does not natively support these applications.
Tango converts 32-bit machine code to 64-bit code, thus allowing smooth execution of 32-bit applications. This solution was confirmed by the expert Mishaal Rahman, which highlighted how applications like Flappy Bird can work seamlessly on the new series of smartphones.
Since 2017, iOS has been operating on a 64-bit basis, emerging as Android's main rival. The multiplicity of Android manufacturers has slowed such a transition though Google's encouragement of expanded support for 64-bit apps from 2019. Recent hardware especially ARM design chips have already embraced 64-bit support. However ARM plans to eliminate 32-bit support in its SoC designs in 2023. This move has been met with resistance from key players like Qualcomm due to markets where 32-bit apps are still dominant.
