This is according to an anonymous source at Qualcomm who told Dan Lyons that the A7 chip “hit us in the gut”. According to the source, “Not just us, but everyone, really […] We were slack-jawed, and stunned, and unprepared. It’s not that big a performance difference right now, since most current software won’t benefit. But in Spinal Tap terms it’s like, 32 more, and now everyone wants it.” The source went on to state that no one saw 64-bit as “essential” at that time, but just like how more megapixels on cameras does not necessarily equate to better photographs, it is a numbers game and that’s what consumers want.
Qualcomm has recently announced their own 64-bit chipset in the form of the Snapdragon 410, but unlike Apple’s A7 chipset and Samsung’s upcoming 64-bit chipset which looks like it could be destined for high-end handsets, Qualcomm’s take is targeting the low-end segment.