One of Windows 11’s biggest features allows the new Microsoft OS to run Android application far faster than you might expect, thanks to Intel’s Bridge Technology.
We don’t yet have the full details on Intel’s Bridge Technology, but Intel has described it as “a runtime post-compiler that enables applications to run natively on x86-based devices, including running those applications on Windows. Intel’s multi-architecture XPU strategy provides the right engines for the right workloads by integrating leading CPU cores, graphics technology, artificial intelligence accelerators, image processors and more, in a single, verified solution.”
For the consumer, that means a Windows 11 PC should run an application written for Android far faster than it does using emulation, such as the popular Bluestacks emulator for Windows.
Interestingly, those Android applications in Windows 11 will come from Microsoft’s BFF Amazon which has been waging its own war with Google’s Android store. Amazon’s Android-based tablets are the most popular tablets for the OS. As a variant of Android, however, Amazon doesn’t get access to Google’s Play Store so it has built a store of its own which it will now make available to Windows 11 users. Windows 11 use of Amazon’s store also means—like those popular Amazon Fire tablets—it won’t get direct access to Google’s services either in a native Android Gmail client or Maps.
Apps you can run from the Amazon store though, should at least run very well using the Bridge Technology.
AMD is not left out
With Intel as the primary driver of a key Windows 11 features, you may be wondering if people with AMD-based Windows devices will be left out. Good news: AMD is included, too.
“Intel believes it is important to provide this capability across all x86 platforms and has designed Intel Bridge technology to support all x86 platforms (including AMD platforms),” Intel told Tom’s Hardware in a statement. “However, Intel delivers platforms that result in an optimized experience making Windows platforms running on Intel Core processors the best choice.”
We won’t know how this all plays out until people get their hands on it, but clearly Microsoft isn’t adopting a feature that only favors one chip vendor, which is a good thing.