Will Android’s switch to AAB installation package become a stumbling block for Hongmeng? won’t

For example, Hongmeng OS, which is entrusted with the important task of building a domestic mobile ecosystem and breaking the status quo of technology “stuck neck”, and Windows 11, which has just been released.

Android applications compatible with these systems use APK format installation packages. Now that Google is pushing the new AAB format, is it intended to kick away these competitors who are using APK compatibility to rub against the Android ecosystem? Let’s just chat today.

What is the AndroidAAB format

Before talking about this issue, we need to have a little understanding of the AAB format. In fact, Google has been promoting the AAB format since 2018. Compared with APK, the biggest advantage of AAB lies in saving volume.

We know that there are so many Android models, and if an Android App wants to be compatible with a large number of devices, it needs to build a lot of additional configuration files to adapt to different screen specifications, CPU models, RAM capacity, etc.

In the traditional APK installation package, all configuration files will be packaged together, and the device installation APK will write these data into the mobile phone.

But in reality, you don’t need all these configuration files, which will take up extra space.

The emergence of AAB effectively solves this problem. The Google Play Store uses AAB to distribute applications. Compared with the previous APK, AAB will automatically adapt to the configuration files required by the model, which is more flexible and less bulky. According to Google’s official statement, ABB distributes applications for different device configurations and languages, which can save an average of 15% in volume compared with general APKs, and the download speed and installation speed are both faster.

In other words, the main value of AAB lies in flexible packaging and distribution and saving volume, which is the main purpose of Google’s implementation of AAB.

Will AAB become a stumbling block for Hongmeng and Windows 11?

Actually, Google only stipulates that applications on the Google Play Store must use the AAB format, and developers can still distribute APKs in other channels.

Unlike iOS, Android does not only have Google Play as a distribution channel, and Google currently has no intention of monopolizing applications that can only be released in Google Play.

Google stated that developers can still use a common key to distribute applications in different channels, so it is foreseeable that developers will still release APK installation package versions in other channels when promoting their own applications.

Obviously, since the domestic Android ecosystem is basically insulated from Google, and Chinese people do not use the Google Play Store to download apps, Google’s move to implement AAB will not have any substantial impact on China.

The commonly used domestic application stores and the installation packages provided by the official website of the application will still be in the APK format for a long time, which will not embarrass other systems compatible with Android applications.

Also, there are some facts worth noting. For example, the Huawei App Store also supports the submission of AAB format. In fact, AAB and APK do not affect the essence of Android applications, but the packaging is different, which will not cause compatibility difficulties;

For another example, Android applications compatible with Windows 11 need to be distributed from the Microsoft Store, so whether Google Play distributes AAB or APK, it will not affect which Android applications are compatible with Windows 11. Developers need to distribute applications to the Microsoft Store separately. app to run on Windows 11.

In general, AAB has practical advantages over APK. Google’s implementation of AAB is not to block the gap for other systems to be compatible with Android. After all, apart from the Google Play Store, developers will still package their applications when distributing them through other channels. into APK format, and Google has not restricted it.

Other systems want to quickly expand their ecosystems, and choosing to be compatible with Android will still be a good way.