Mobile CPU Architecture | Android Introduction #4
In order to develop and deploy apps for different mobile devices, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) architecture must be considered.
What is a CPU?
A CPU is like a translator between the software and the hardware of a device. It can take high-level software instructions and translate them into native machine language that a mobile phone can understand and use to perform specific operations. Ideally, you want a CPU that combines efficiency and power, without requiring excess resources, something that will be determined by its architecture. A CPU with great architecture provides mobile users with a seamless user experience without consuming significant battery resources.
What’s ARM, ARM64 and x86?
As of now, there are three main CPU architectures used in most smartphones — ARM, ARM64 and x86. CPU types include:
- ARM: ARMv7 or armeabi
- ARM64: AArch64 or arm64
- x86: x86 or x86abi
Of these three, ARM is the most common as it is properly optimized for battery use.
ARM64 is an evolution of the original ARM architecture that supports 64-bit processing for more powerful computing and it’s quickly becoming the standard in newer devices.
Then there’s x86, which is a bit more powerful than the ARM CPUs, but not quite as battery-friendly, so it’s the least commonly used of the three.
Overall, ARM better embodies a mobile-first mentality, with simple instruction sets, efficiency and low power consumption as its major priorities. The fact that it requires fewer transistors and frees up that hardware space more than makes up for the use of RAM in a mobile device.
