Dear all,
I stumbled upon this article on osnews.com some days ago:
https://www.osnews.com/story/133647/google-sunsets-the-apk-format-for-new-android-apps/
Thought it could be of interest to the SailfishOS community. Will our Android compatibility layer be compatible with that AAB thing ?
Best regards,
Samuel
Did I understand this in a correct way? The .aab file type is then a momopole of the Android App Store?
I read the articles, and it has been around since 2018. The intention is good - let Play store generate device/featureset specific apk files on the fly - but if it really blocks all other app stores out, it can hurt the FOSS community a lot… Another downside is that when aab is in use, app devs must export apk packages manually, which is extra step in the process…
Well, at least e.g. Amazon app store can’t take aab into use, so my guess is that apk will stay around for quite a while at least…
It’s a miracle that Google took so long to do this. And no, it won’t upset anyone if Google gets its way. At the Google I/O conference, 3 billion active devices with Android were spoken of. Most of them run outside of China. Developers who want to make money with their apps will only be fine with having fewer illegal copies in circulation. Win win.
However, it could be more difficult for some apps that are offered on the company or developer website, play store and free stores. The free world is getting smaller 
It’s an interesting coincidence to see this after Microsoft announced to add support for Android apps using the Amazon Store in Windows 11… Does Google fear the big market of Windows devices to break the Play Store monopoly?
From the hell to another hell 
What about with the “exclusive apps” in Play store like banking apps and other?
That is actually a very valid concern… I can imagine the Finnish banking software already being “Google Play only” (no .apk to download separately) and them not giving a dang about non-official Android devices.