Amazon has confirmed that it will add support for the new Android App Bundle format that Google is mandating for new submissions next month, replacing its current standard app publishing format.
In other words, the AAB format will be the new norm going forward, not the traditional APK.
And while this new format has some benefits for Android users, most notably making applications 15% smaller on average, the announcement has caused a stir among Android developers. In fact, on the Windows side of things, it has generated quite some controversy.
This change, as you can imagine, has big implications for Windows 11, with the new OS set to natively support Android apps via a partnership with the Amazon Appstore.
Amazon now has answer for this offensive mode.
In a post on its Appstore blog, the company has said that the App Bundle format will be completely optional on its App Store, and developers will be able to continue submitting applications using the existing APK format.
“We will share updates later this year on our progress to continue making app submission as simple and friction-less as possible for our developers.”
Meaning, if most Android developers ditch the legacy APK standard in favor of the new AAB format, then Amazon will have no choice but to add support for Android App Bundle as well.
The Amazon Appstore still lags behind considerably compared to Google Play, and is already missing out on a lot of big apps and games. And playing this legacy game is no way to grow an app store these days when app development moves like lightning.
Still, it is good to see that Amazon is working to future proof its app store.
Even as we await Microsoft to bring it to Windows 11 in a future Insider build. That is when the real fun begins, as the world gets a taste of native Android apps in the OS, and how these apps and games run on Windows 11.
