Apple has given the OK for developers to start submitting 64-bit apps for the iPhone 5s to the App Store. This will allow developers to leverage the power of the new A7 microprocessor and the new iOS 7 operating system.
Set to release this Friday, the iPhone 5s ships with the A7 CPU as well as a new version of iOS 7 compiled in 64 bits. Apple on Monday issued a note to developers, inviting them to now submit their 64-bit apps ahead of the iPhone 5s launch.
For the moment, developers who want to continue supporting iOS 6 will need to build their apps in 32-bit only. However, Apple has promised changes next month that will allow developers to support both 64-bit and 32-bit with a single binary.
“Xcode can build your app with both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries included so it works across all devices running iOS 7,” Apple said.
Apple boasted at last weeks iPhone event that its new custom A7 chip that will be in the iPhone 5s would be the first major 64-bit processor in a smartphone.
The new processor is twice as fast as its predecessor in raw processing power and graphics performance, and is an amazing 40X faster than the chip used in the original iPhone.
