Samsung to follow Apple with 64-bit smartphones The news follows Apple's announcement on Tuesday that its new flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5S, will be the first handset to include 64-bit technology, which it describes as a "desktop-class architecture." Samsung's co-chief executive Shin Jong-Kyun told journalists in South Korea that the company's next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality, but added that this would not arrive instantly, according to a report in the Korea Times. They can also access more than 4GB of RAM, unlike a 32-bit system. In a smartphone, however, this can also be a disadvantage, as RAM consumes battery life. Apple was prasied by analysts for its inclusion of a 64-bit architecture in its iPhone 5S. It is though that this will enable the iPhone 5S to validate fingerprints and perform processing on pictures taken with the "burst" mode from the camera. "It should certainly help the company further cement its lead as a mobile gaming platform and will give the Android fraternity something to think about in a space whose significance is sometimes downplayed beyond the gaming world," added Ovum analyst Tony Cripps. However, if Samsung does introduces a 64-bit chip in its next smartphone, it may have to wait for a 64-bit version of Android to be released before it can take full advantage of the increased processing power. Earlier this year, Samsung introduced a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with eight cores - twice as many as the previous maximum.