Windows 10 'Redstone': 64-bit ARM Support Could Deliver Fastest Windows Phones Ever

A new job listing posted on Microsoft's careers website has revealed details about Windows 10's next big update. If the listing is to be believed, Microsoft wants to bring support for 64-bit processors using the ARM architecture, typically found in high-end mobile phones, to Windows this year.

Twitter user @h0x0d spotted the posting on Thursday for a senior program manager, which lists as one of the position's responsibilities "building the plan for ARM64 aligned with the Redstone wave." This would allow for phones with more memory, which would in turn mean more tasks and documents running at once. It could also mean computers and tablets, no longer hindered by memory limits, using low-powered mobile chips instead of Intel's offerings.

Microsoft would be joining a big list of manufacturers who already use 64-bit ARM. Apple jumped to 64-bit with the launch of the iPhone 5S, while Android manufacturers are slowly stepping further and further into using the architecture on their devices.

It's one of the first reveals directly from Microsoft of what's to come in "Redstone," the codename for the big wave of updates coming to Windows 10 this year. The initial update wave, under the name "Threshold," refined small portions of the software to fix some of the more annoying bugs in the operating system.

Previous rumors have suggested "Redstone" will bring a radical set of changes to the system. One of the slated additions is a system that will allow users to move documents and data to and from a mobile device instantly. Apple users will be familiar with a similar feature, known as Continuity.

A report from October 2015 suggests Microsoft plans "Redstone" updates to transform the Windows 10 PC into a "technology hub," tightening integration with the various devices used by consumers. If 64-bit support is also in the plans, it could help support these integration features as they find their way into phones.