Go directly to the HarmonyOS system? Google announced that AAB will replace APK format in August.
Just a few days ago, it was reported on the Internet that Google Play will use the new AAB application file format to replace the APK format from August this year. At that time, the new program uploaded to the Google App Store must be in AAB format before it can be successfully adopted.
As soon as this news came out, it immediately caused a heated discussion on the Internet. Many people say that Google's move is aimed at the HarmonyOS system. Because at the HarmonyOS system conference, Huawei publicly announced that "Huawei's HarmonyOS system is compatible with Android's APK program", and now Google's sudden move is obviously to embarrass HarmonyOS system.
We all know that APK is the abbreviation of Android Package, which has been used as the standard package format for Android applications and games.
Having said that, many people can't help asking what AAB is.
The full name of AAB is Android App Bundles, which is just a standard package format that can be used in Android system. In fact, AAB format files are nothing new. As early as 20 18, Google announced its support for this format file.
Even in the summer of 2020, at the Google Developers Conference, the engineering director of Google App Store publicly stated that "AAB is one of Google's key development areas". It also published the current usage of AAB. By the summer of 2020, there will be more than 500,000 AAB program files in Google App Store.
At that time, one out of every three apps in Google App Store was released in AAB format, which was nearly 8 times higher than that in 20 19, and the adoption rate was also increasing. Not only that, we all know that large developers such as Adobe, Yi Bei and UC browser are also adopting this format.
Then why did Google choose to use AAB format?
Although AAB and APK are two different formats, the contents in the two formats are similar. However, AAB has more advantages, because it can package resources separately, so the installation package will be smaller, which can save more storage space for users, and users can also download according to their own needs.
According to the requirements of Google App Store, this file format change is only applicable to newly released applications and will not affect previously released applications.
But I have to say that, unlike APK, AAB cannot exist on a platform other than Google App Store, nor can it be distributed outside its platform. In other words, if the file format is changed from APK format to AAB format, it will not be able to provide exactly the same software package or experience on other application sources.
The most important reason for Google's mandatory use of AAB is to improve the ecology of Android and constantly "close" to Apple's iOS. Because Apple's ecology is relatively closed and standardized, no matter whether developers release applications or users download applications, they can't bypass the Apple App Store. In comparison, the ecological fragmentation of Android is very serious. Not only that, many vendors also like to "modify" and "customize" Android independently, which further aggravates the incompatibility of software developed by developers.
Of course, in addition to the above speculation, Google's "adjustment" is aimed at the problem of HarmonyOS system. Others said that Google's "adjustment" may also be in response to the new operating system launched by Microsoft. After all, just a few days after Microsoft released its brand-new Windows 1 1 system, Google announced that AAB would replace APK.
How to treat this wave of Google operations?