ARM Cortex-A

The ARM Cortex-A is a family of ARM architecture processor cores developed by Arm Holdings. Designed for application-level computing, Cortex-A cores are widely used in devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and embedded systems. Cortex-A processors include both 32-bit and 64-bit designs. Most 32-bit cores implement the ARMv7-A architecture profile. All 64-bit Cortex-A cores implement the ARMv8-A profile, which supports both 64-bit and, in some cases, 32-bit execution. The Cortex-A series is distinct from Arm's Cortex-R and Cortex-M families, which are optimized for real-time and low-power applications, respectively. Unlike the other two families, the Cortex-A series supports a memory management unit (MMU) required by many modern operating systems. In 2025, Arm introduced the C-series naming scheme to succeed the Cortex-A and Cortex-X branding for application processors. The C-series cores continue the architectural lineage of the Cortex-A family, beginning with the C1 generation.