Hello, this may sound like a silly question, I will be buying an iPad Air and setting it up from a back up of my current iPad 3rd gen through iTunes. Will it not just reload the 32 bit apps on to the iPad Air from the back up? Or will it know it needs to download the 64 bit versions (when available) instead?

Obviously the apps will have the same version number so how does it know it needs to update?

I don't believe that there ARE any 64-bit Apps yet! All 64-bit processors I have met have been very happy running 32-bit applications as well.

Certainly my new iPad Air just used the apps I had backed up from my iPad3!

I know several iPhone apps have 64 bit versions and also aren't there now 64 bit versions of apples own ipad apps.

Edit: Just done a Google search and there are some 64 bit iPad apps out.

So have I and I agree!

HOWEVER it also looks to me as if the 64-bit code may just be in a different section in the overall App download - in which case the OP (and myself!!!) CAN just reload older iPad backups AND immediately get any 64-bit code that is going

Ah, hope so, I don't want to have a 64 bit device and it still be using 32 bit apps cause it's loaded them from back up... Although I am fully aware (at least at the moment) that it won't make any noticeable difference.

Just make sure all apps are updated either prior to backing up the iPad or tell iTunes to download the updates for them. That way you'll have the updates for apps that contain 64 bit binaries ready to go .