Can someone explain 64 bit vs 32 bit in basic english?

[FFR]

I agree. Benchmarks will show a difference, but as we know from Android vs iOS, benchmarks aren't the deciding factor in real world performance. Many of the upgrades in processing power are not specific to 32 vs 64 bit, and even if Apple still had a 32 bit CPU every new CPU will be significantly faster than the previous generation.



Apple seems to think their users always think higher numbers are better. It's why they always mention they have a 64 bit CPU over 32 bit in Androids, they make a point to tell everyone how many transistors are in their CPU, and they love graphs that show growth with #x times more performance than last year. Yet they leave out battery size, RAM, etc. since they are relatively low.

That's true those metrics are lower than the currant crop of android competitors, such as:
1 gb of ram vs 3 gb
2915 mah vs 3200 mah+
Dual core vs quad core

And yet with these specs, apple still managed to trump most competitors on performance and battery all in a smaller, more efficiently designed package,
The reason for the discrepancy:
a8 64bit processor
iOS 64 bit architecture
iOS 8 64 bit applications

You need all three to see any significant gains.
Good luck

 

[geoff5093]

That's true those metrics are lower than the currant crop of android competitors, such as:
1 gb of ram vs 3 gb
2915 mah vs 3200 mah+
Dual core vs quad core

And yet with these specs, apple still managed to trump most competitors on performance and battery all in a smaller, more efficiently designed package,
The reason for the discrepancy:
a8 64bit processor
iOS 64 bit architecture
iOS 8 64 bit applications

You need all three to see any significant gains.
Good luck

I agree that Apple performs much better than Android when using similar specs, but I still think this is why they leave out that information. Most people only go by numbers, they think a 21MP cell phone camera is better than the 8MP iPhone 6 because higher = better. If Apple released specs like their battery capacity, RAM, CPU speed, etc. people would be left wondering why their current Android phone is better (even though it probably isn't).

 

[cynics]

This is obviously something that can't be explained in basic English very well. Can you explain quantum physics in basic English? Not likely.

All you get is very very poor analogies then other people pointing out the flaws in those analogies.

 

[osofast240sx]

My thoughts on this, is pure marketing. For the iPhone where Apple is only giving1 GB of ram, there's little to no advantage to 64bit processors. Its Marketing pure and simple.

I don't see Apple marketing 64bit, does Apple mention 64 bit in any of its commercials?
Current Apple uses 64bit for:
Touch ID
Apple pay
Photo/Video

My FilMiC Pro app just got updated to 2k I'm sure it's taking advantage of the 64 bit chip.

 

[maflynn]

Current Apple uses 64bit for:
Touch ID
Apple pay
Photo/Video

And those apps could easily be written for 32bits. Right now, there is really no advantage on the mobile platform for 64bit processing. Its not like Apple is providing gobs of ram, which the 64bit processors could take advantage.

If there's no technical reason (and i don't believe there is a technical requirement), and as you state no marketing reason. Why the move to 64bit?

 

[osofast240sx]

And those apps could easily be written for 32bits. Right now, there is really no advantage on the mobile platform for 64bit processing. Its not like Apple is providing gobs of ram, which the 64bit processors could take advantage.

If there's no technical reason (and i don't believe there is a technical requirement), and as you state no marketing reason. Why the move to 64bit?

I was listening to a john Gruber podcast, as he explains it Apples implementation of Touch ID needs 64 for the secure enclave. Apple pay also uses a secure enclave. My understanding of apples implementation of computational photography requires 64 bit.

 

[I7guy]

My thoughts on this, is pure marketing. For the iPhone where Apple is only giving1 GB of ram, there's little to no advantage to 64bit processors. Its Marketing pure and simple.

For some low level instructions 64 bit means twice the work in the same clock cycles. This translates into being able to do better real time tasks. The big benefit is for Apple, should it decide to, is slap more than 4 gigs of memory into their phones, without (or little) software changes to support an expanded memory space.

 

[GoSh4rks]

I was listening to a john Gruber podcast, as he explains it Apples implementation of Touch ID needs 64 for the secure enclave. Apple pay also uses a secure enclave. My understanding of apples implementation of computational photography requires 64 bit.

Just because something was included with the A7 doesn't mean that 64 bit is required. Who's to say that they couldn't have implemented any of those features into an A6 based design?

 

[C DM]

Just because something was included with the A7 doesn't mean that 64 bit is required. Who's to say that they couldn't have implemented any of those features into an A6 based design?

But just because something could be done with older/32-bit design as well, doesn't mean that new architecture and 64-bit design isn't better in various ways even without larger memory footprint. Same kinds of things might be possible, but it might certainly take more either from effort, or time, or resources, or something else to do it with previous architecture than with newer.

 

[GoSh4rks]

But just because something could be done with older/32-bit design as well, doesn't mean that new architecture and 64-bit design isn't better in various ways even without larger memory footprint. Same kinds of things might be possible, but it might certainly take more either from effort, or time, or resources, or something else to do it with previous architecture than with newer.

Key word highlighted. We don't know, and to say one way or the other is just speculation.

 

[C DM]

Key word highlighted. We don't know, and to say one way or the other is just speculation.

Meaning to say that there aren't any advantages would similarly fall under that.

 

[GoSh4rks]

Meaning to say that there aren't any advantages would similarly fall under that.

Advantages to developers and hardware designers is one thing. Advantages to consumers is entirely different - and we're on a consumer forum here.

Keep in mind the OP:

Seems like Apple is the only phone maker (so far) to make their devices 64 bit. Most Androids (even the newest, the nexus 6) are still not 64 bit. What is the advantage to having a 64 bit device vs a 32 bit device?

What can you do on 64bit iOS that you can't on 32bit Android, that is directly attributed to 64/32? Another way to ask that question is "What features will Android gain when they go 64bit?" There isn't much evidence of anything, apart from the speed differences between ARMv7/v8.

The speed differences are already accounted for in the devices - that's one reason why Android devices are currently running with more cores and higher clock speeds than comparable iOS devices.

 

[maflynn]

I was listening to a john Gruber podcast, as he explains it Apples implementation of Touch ID needs 64 for the secure enclave. Apple pay also uses a secure enclave. My understanding of apples implementation of computational photography requires 64 bit.

Sounds like they decided to use 64bit instead of writing a 32bit driver. Its almost circular logic. We've long had 32bit encryption and security software, 64bit isn't needed.

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For some low level instructions 64 bit means twice the work in the same clock cycles. This translates into being able to do better real time tasks. The big benefit is for Apple, should it decide to, is slap more than 4 gigs of memory into their phones, without (or little) software changes to support an expanded memory space.

What real time tasks can the iPhone do that 32bit phones cannot?

I don't see apple slapping more then 4GB of ram into the iPhone when they're still giving us only 1GB.

 

[I7guy]

Sounds like they decided to use 64bit instead of writing a 32bit driver. Its almost circular logic. We've long had 32bit encryption and security software, 64bit isn't needed.

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What real time tasks can the iPhone do that 32bit phones cannot?

I don't see apple slapping more then 4GB of ram into the iPhone when they're still giving us only 1GB.

Advantages of 64 bit are sometimes hard to see as an end-user; just like minute advancements in processor speed, efficiency, and the fab process are difficult to see as end-users. It's a gradual process toward greater functionality instead of a big bang all at once.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit_computing#32-bit_vs_64-bit

http://www.arm.com/products/processors/instruction-set-architectures/index.php