As some of you may know, Apple has been using a 64-bit A7 processor to power their newly released iPhone 5S. As of now, there isn’t much when it comes to applications that can use this chip to its full potential. As a result, Qualcomm executive Anand Chandrasekher went on record saying that the chip was a “marketing gimmick” and that “there’s zero benefit a consumer gets from that”.
Well now, it appears that Qualcomm has changed their minds. Venture Beat is reporting that Chandrasekher, who was formerly the company’s senior VP and chief marketing officer, has been quietly reassigned within the company.
It is no surprise that Qualcomm wanted to reverse their stance on 64-bit chips. Apple has made it very clear that there is in fact an advantage to these chips, especially evident in the company’s demonstration of Infinity Blade III, which uses the specific 64-bit technology to create an impressive performance.
So what does this mean for Android and Qualcomm? Well, the fact that company reacted so harshly to Chandrasekher’s comments leads us to believe that Qualcomm is interested in, if not actively pursuing, the manufacturing of 64-bit processors themselves. This will of course lead to the capability of providing graphics and experiences on par with Apple’s demonstration in future Android devices.
It is important to stress that Infinity Blade III is in the minority. Generally speaking, Chandrasekher was correct in that most applications do not take advantage of the 64-bit technology and actually perform exactly the same on the A7 chip as they did on the A6 chip. However, this is likely to change as more and more developers get used to the technology and begin taking advantage of it.
As of right now, it is unclear as to what Chandrasekher’s future is. We do know that he has been removed from the company’s website, leaving his past position vacant. The company has in fact stated that he will be moving to “certain enterprise related initiatives”. While we are unsure what this means, we definitely know that he will be remain with the company for now.