Microsoft’s Windows 10 on ARM push has gained a lot of exposure since the late 2016 announcement, and the very first PCs have already been launched, but the software giant still has to deal with one major drawback: the lack of 64-bit apps.
While this is more of a deal-breaker for some, there are users who’re ready for a trade-off given the advantages of a Windows 10 ARM PC, which include stunning battery life that could even reach one week per charge.
And yet, it looks like Microsoft is ready to move one step closer to making no compromises with its Windows 10 ARM platform, as the company plans to take the wraps off an SDK for ARM64 apps at the upcoming Build developer conference.
While this doesn’t make any difference for those who expected 64-bit apps, it shows that Microsoft is looking into ways to improve architecture support for Windows 10 on ARM.
Faster performance, increased battery life
Developers will be allowed to recompile apps to run in 64-bit on ARM-based PCs,
Engadget says citing general manage for Windows Erin Chappie, and this should lead to improved performance and even better battery life.
While 64-bit app support isn’t yet on the radar, the good thing is that the majority of legacy programs already come with a 32-bit sibling, though there are cases when such a version isn’t available. This is where Windows 10 ARM shows its limits, and Microsoft could try to address this with future updates, though for the time being it’s not known how and when this could happen.
More devices running Windows 10 on ARM should see daylight in the coming months, and Microsoft is also working with partners on bringing to the market models powered by the new Snapdragon 845. This is projected to happen in late 2018, however, despite the processor already being installed on mobile devices, as further tweaks are necessary for PC implementations.
