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Qualcomm realizes insulting Apple isn’t a good idea, says 64-bit A7 chip isn’t a gimmick

Published Oct 9th, 2013 9:30AM EDT
iPhone 5s 64-bit

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When one of your biggest customers makes its new 64-bit mobile processor a huge focus as it unveils its next-generation flagship smartphone, calling that new processor nothing more than a “marketing gimmick” probably isn’t the best idea. Qualcomm finally realized that on Wednesday and it issued a retraction following comments made last week by its chief marketing officer Anand Chandrasekher.

“The comments made by Anand Chandrasekher, Qualcomm CMO, about 64-bit computing were inaccurate,” a Qualcomm spokesperson said in a statement delivered to BGR via email. “The mobile hardware and software ecosystem is already moving in the direction of 64-bit; and, the evolution to 64-bit brings desktop class capabilities and user experiences to mobile, as well as enabling mobile processors and software to run new classes of computing devices.”

Last week, Chandrasekher called Apple’s move to 64-bit architecture in the iPhone 5s’ A7 chipset a “marketing gimmick” during an interview. “There’s zero benefit a consumer gets from that,” the executive added.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.