Google has announced the development of the Pixel tablet, with which it will return to the tablet hardware and 2-in-1 market. It is expected to be a reference model for developers and to better compete with the dominance of the iPad Manzana for its Android partners.
The new Pixel Tablet will be powered by a variant of Google Tensor, a custom SoC created in-house by the internet giant for the Pixel 6. It is certain that this engine will be accompanied by sufficient RAM and storage, updated connectivity of the latest interfaces including 5G, a camera system with the usual performance of Pixel phones and accessories , such as a keyboard with cover and styluses.
With everything, the big news may come from the software section. Google’s tablet will release Android 13 with additional features that we have seen since Android 12L, which offered special optimization for large screens or less common formats such as foldable.
And the application? developer found in the Android source code that Google is testing only the 64-bit version of Android 13 on a device codenamed “Tangor”, which is believed to correspond to a new tablet. Benefits of ending 32-bit app support would include reducing the code base required for this Pixel’s optimized Android, as well as usage like memory.
Against, would reduce the number of compatible applications, although in the medium term this may not be a problem. It should be said that Google has been paving the way for 64-bit versions of Android for years, and as of mid-2019, it requires developers to include a 64-bit build in the apps they submit to the Google Play Store.
The developer notes that there is evidence that Google could plans to require the device manufacturer only ship 64-bit versions of Android if they want to use their mobile services starting with Android 14 devices.
It is not clear that Google has taken this step. There are still a large number of Android phones and tablets that have processors with 32-bit CPU cores. And it’s unlikely that Google will end support for 32-bit apps until that number drops in the next few years. Something similar will happen like support for Windows Win32 applications that Microsoft would like to remove but can’t. What do you think? Do you think Google should make the final leap to 64-bit Android apps?