APB format for Android apps is Google's answer to Windows 11
July 19, 2021
It is well known that the Android operating system allows users to download and install applications externally. This is in addition to the possibility of downloading it from the official store as well. The similarity between the two cases is that these apps come in APK format, short for Android Package Files, but it seems that this situation will change. Which will affect the recent Windows 11 system.
It announced Google officially that it will change the format application files, to become now Android App Bundles any APB instead of APK. Simply put, this step comes as a counter-step to Microsoft's efforts to support Android apps on Windows 11, as this would render Chrome OS useless!
Google has been developing Chrome OS for years. It is the system for laptops, which is known here as Chromebook. The system is based primarily on the browser - which is why it bears the name Chrome - because a huge number of tasks can be completed directly from the browser without the need for programs. But the second major advantage of this system is the ability to run Android applications without the need for any add-ons.
Read also: Google makes it easier to build Android apps on Chrome OS
What's new in the APB format?
Google did not release the new formula just to counter Microsoft, on the contrary, this feature will provide very important advantages. The most important is that the new build method of applications using APB will divide the application into separate sections and files, and the goal here is to load only the part that the user needs.
Instead of installing all of the application in one go, the APB will rely on installing the parts that the user will encounter first right after the installation process. The system avoids parts that the user will only come into contact with at an advanced stage of use, which in turn will reduce the space needed by applications. and consequently increased performance.
This feature is really useful and important for Android phone users. Especially the phones that come with the Play Store. As well as Chromebook mobile users. And it becomes clear to us the party affected by the new version, which is Microsoft or any other company that is trying to emulate the operation of Android applications. Perhaps among these other companies we find Huawei.
The effect of the APB format on Windows 11 and others
The reason behind this is that the systems are limited in dealing with the technology that adopts new App Bundles compared to APK. This on the one hand, on the other hand, when the developers start emulating the new system, the systems that were dealing with APK files will not be able to handle the new APB files, since they are parts of applications and not complete applications!
The above means that running Android applications on Windows 11 will be a very limited process, the process may become limited only to older applications that come in APK format, but in the case of new applications APB, its installation will require that the Play Store, or Google services in general, are installed on the system Thus, Microsoft may eventually have to cooperate with Google, if the latter agrees at all.
In this way, Google protects itself from Microsoft, which was trying one step to take over the huge Android user base on the one hand, and kill the Chrome OS system on the other hand, because the Chrome OS system is limited in nature, so the user would have preferred to use Windows 11 and Android applications on it instead of Basically use Chrome OS.