The 64-bit version of the browser began to spread
Google has taken a long-awaited leap forward and began distributing a more modern version of the Chrome browser for mobile devices based on the Android operating system.
Google gets rid of remnants of the past: modern Chrome released only for Android 10 and 11
In July 2020, Google began testing a 64-bit version of the proprietary Chrome browser – six years after the first 64-bit version of Android was released. Now 64-bit Chrome has started showing up on supported devices for casual users.
Android first introduced 64-bit support in November 2014 with the debut of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Since then, more and more 64-bit SoCs have come out and now almost all Android devices are capable of running 64-bit software.
However, 64-bit Chrome is available with serious limitations:
- Devices based on Android 10 and newer OS versions
- Devices with at least 8 GB of RAM
To check the version of Chrome on your smartphone or tablet, you need to open the chrome: // version page in your browser. The 64-bit version should improve browser performance through optimized memory management.
In August 2021, Google will introduce new restrictions on Google Play – all new applications must be 64-bit, although no one is going to remove old 32-bit applications yet. From 2022, all high-end Arm-based SoCs will only support 64-bit applications.
According to StatCounter statistics, as of February 2021, 42.71% of all Android smartphones in the world have already switched to Android 10 and 5.97% to Android 11.
