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I really wanted to know the CPU word length of Samsung Galaxy A10s, running Android Pie. In the first appearance it looks like it has a 64 bit processor, since, it uses the MediaTek Helios P22 chipset, but I dont think apps/programs running in user space have access to 64 bit instructions etc. . Even __aarch64__ is undefined. The OS identifies it as ARM 7 and hence it cannot use AES instruction sets and other features. If it were the ARM Cortex A53 mentioned by MediaTek Helios P22 it should have an ARM architecture of 8.

  • Is this because the Kernel is 32 bit ?
  • Or is the Android permissions blocking it ?
  • How can I identify my Kernel is a 32 bit or 64 bit ?

Please do correct me, if I am wrong !?

Every help will be greatly appreciated!

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As suspected by OP, the hardware is 64 bit but it is running in 32 bit mode as mentioned in this reddit which in turn refers to geek bench for proof.

Apps like AIDA 64 can reveal this

enter image description here

Source

Also Antutu, if you have it installed, as it is removed from Play Store

As general info, see How to find ARM processor version on android device?

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  • I wonder why they would do this on a 64-bit-capable processor...
    – Nonny Moose
    Commented May 24, 2020 at 21:22
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    @NonnyMoose - Samsung cannot sell Exynos (Samsung developed) processor phones in USA (legal reasons ). They have to use Qualcomm in USA. That means 2 models of phone with same OS. This has been a sore point with users, Qualcomm often scoring better. I am guessing that price differential between 64 bit processors (Qualcomm Vs Exynos) is more than 32 bit, so to keep the cost comparable in both markets, they ended up using 32 bit. Or one of the 64 bit processors wasn't ready to be used. Better to have both models underutilized rather than cause more dissatisfaction, a business decision –
    – beeshyams
    Commented May 25, 2020 at 2:39
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    @NonnyMoose Memory. Shipping with both 64 bit and 32 bit userspaces costs a few hundred MBs of memory. With all services up and running a 2GB device may have 800MB left on a good day. Not many 3GB and very few 2GB devices ships with 64 bit userspace.
    – user3528438
    Commented May 25, 2020 at 4:47
  • @user3528438 I wonder if all of the userspace code is 64-bit. In near past there were issues with some core native services (e.g. audioserver, you may find reference in my comment to the question) and they were always 32-bit even on fully 64-bit ROMs.
    – Irfan Latif
    Commented May 30, 2020 at 17:23
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    @IrfanLatif I think 64 bit systems ships a full 32 bit environment as well (hence the memory overhead), because some apps releases a 32 bit only version, but google is trying to change this by forcing everyone to release a 64 bit version of their apps.
    – user3528438
    Commented May 30, 2020 at 21:55

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