The OnePlus 12 has a workaround to run 32-bit apps

Summary

• The OnePlus 12 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which no longer supports 32-bit Arm apps.
• Xiaomi and OnePlus have both implemented a 32-bit to 64-bit Arm binary translator called “Tango” to allow old apps to run on their phones.
• While Google dropped support for running 32-bit apps, most mainstream Android apps have already switched to 64-bit, so this limitation may not be noticeable unless using abandoned or obscure apps.

The OnePlus 12 went official earlier this month, packing Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. In addition to packing a plethora of AI-focused features, the SoC uses 64-bit CPU cores, entirely dropping support for AArch32. This technically means you cannot run 32-bit Arm apps on any phone that uses the latest Snapdragon chip. But then, we saw Xiaomi come up with an innovative solution to bypass this limitation for its Xiaomi 14 series, and it appears that OnePlus will take a similar route as well.

Like Xiaomi, OnePlus has integrated a 32-bit to 64-bit Arm binary translator from Amanieu Systems dubbed “Tango.” It bridges the gap between the 32-bit and 64-bit code, allowing old and incompatible apps to run on CPUs (and phones) that cannot execute such code.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which powered the best Android phones of 2023, used refreshed A510 cores with 32-bit support to ensure compatibility with old apps. All its other CPU cores were 64-bit only.

Android expert Mishaal Rahman believes the OnePlus 12 initially shipped with an extensive whitelist containing a list of apps that could be run using Tango. But the company appears to have dropped the whitelist altogether with a recent OTA update, allowing any 32-bit app to run on the phone. It is unclear if the global OnePlus 12 units will ship with the Tango translator. This is because Google phased out submissions of 32-bit apps on the Play Store in August 2019. And starting in August 2021, the app store stopped installing 32-bit apps on 64-bit devices. In comparison, app stores in China only recently began phasing out support for 32-bit apps. So, the Tango translator will give developers more time to switch to 64-bit binaries for their apps.

Google dropped support for running 32-bit apps with the Pixel 7 in October 2022. This was despite Android 13 using some 32-bit libraries. All Pixel devices launched since then have only supported running 64-bit apps.

Almost all mainstream Android apps and games have switched to 64-bit binaries years ago. So, even if the OnePlus 12 ships internationally without the Tango translator, it should not be a matter of concern — you might not even notice this limitation. That is unless you sideload an old, obscure Android app that was abandoned by its developer years ago.

The OnePlus 12’s global launch is scheduled for January 23, 2024. So, we won’t have to wait long to know whether it ships with the 32-bit to 64-bit translator or not. OnePlus will also launch the OnePlus 12R alongside its latest flagship, featuring a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. So, if the ability to run 32-bit apps is important for you and the OnePlus 12 does not ship with a translator, maybe consider getting the 12R instead.