The AV1 codec should be a requirement for every Android 14 device, while the 64-bit change will only affect some
Google has just released Android 13, but of course the company is already working hard to prepare Android 14. According to the latest findings, it seems that the new version will make the AV1 codec mandatory for all devices. This new method of video encoding is much more efficient than other systems and will save bandwidth, all without losing quality. More than that, it looks like some devices launching with Android 14 will be forced to support 64-bit-only apps, finally spelling the end of 32-bit-only apps.
As Esper’s Mishaal Rahman shared in his excellent Android 14 preview, the new AV1 requirement is codified in the Android Open Source Project Gerrit. The entry reads: “According to Android cdd 14, sec 2.2.2 and sec 2.6, portable and tablet device implementations must support AV1 decoding.” CDD here refers to the Android Compatibility Definition document, which lists all the requirements that devices must meet to be certified for update or release by Google. It looks like work on this document started very early in the project this time around, as Mishaal Rahman has already spotted a skeleton page for the next version of the compatibility definition.
Forcing all devices to support AV1 in Android 14 is a big deal and could reduce bandwidth requirements on different web services. Notably, YouTube already uses AV1 to make certain resolutions more efficient to transfer while using less bandwidth.
There’s another, potentially even bigger change for devices launching with Android 14. Those that ship with Armv9 processors will be forced to only support 64-bit apps. The latest processors are all bound to make this change, with 2021’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 already based on the Armv9 architecture. This same switch is already rumored for the Pixel tablet, which is supposed to launch with support for 64-bit only. It looks like Google is finally starting to take the removal of 32-bit apps seriously, a step Apple already took in 2017. Most modern apps are already updated to run on 64-bit architectures. This change should therefore not harm users too much. in fact, 99% of apps on the Play Store are already updated. However, this could mean that a handful of older games or discontinued apps will no longer work.
With 2023 drawing closer and so, Android 14, we’ll likely learn a lot more about the new version before it hits us in the form of a beta, which should arrive in April this time around.
