Compatibility problems with x86 phone?

Question

I have read this and this question and I want to ask for some elaboration.



I'm considering buying an x86 phone. I have some questions regarding compatibility issues.




  1. I know that the majority of normal (non-root) apps will work without issue on x86, but I understand that there are exceptions. Apparently some apps use native ARM functions. How common is this? What are some examples of popular apps that won't run on x86? Can I get an idea of how widespread this problem will be?


  2. Is it true that root apps are less likely to run than normal ones? How widespread is incompatibility with x86 in root apps?


  3. I know that Xposed Framework can work on x86, but what about the modules? Are many of them incompatible with x86? If yes, how common is it?



— Fiksdal | Sources

Answer


  1. It's mostly games that might be incompatible with x86. Typically, apps have no reason to use the NDK unless they has special performance or graphics requirements, and their libraries might only be built for ARM.


  2. I don't believe that apps using root are typically incompatible, it's rooting apps — since they often rely on platform-specific binaries/exploits. Root apps are not inherently different in how they are coded than others apart from requesting elevated privileges via su.


  3. Unfortunately I am not familiar with Xposed support for x86, but I believe the answer should be similar to #2. Xposed mostly functions by injecting itself into Android's platform framework, which is Java rather than native libraries. I would advise you to be careful with backups and making sure your device is relatively easy to flash if you need to restore everything to stock.



— Matthew Read | Sources

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