Google has announced that it will be raising the capacity for Android apps from 50MB to a whopping 4GB – catering for the demands of the new updated version of the popular mobile OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, and the incoming influx of powerful and hungry Quad-Core gadgets such as the HTC One X and LG Optimus 4X and ZTE Era smartphones.
The Android Market launched in 2008 to offer owners of Google-based gadgets a one-stop app-shop for all their software needs, and after ten billion apps downloaded for free or paid, tech has of course developed and those needs have changed. Google will now allow developers to set their goals much higher than ever before with a 4GB limit soon to be employed – no limit to the imagination at all really.
This means games will look much better and will get bigger and even make the best use of 3D on capable devices. Software tools and photo editing gear will also never have been more in-depth, and Google will soon be issuing a Software Developers Kit to allow software developers to work on their heavyweight projects and deliver them to the Android Market.
Google raises a good point in its announcement statement “This [50MB limit] works for most apps, and smaller is usually better — every megabyte you add makes it harder for your users to download and get started.” – But they are at least offering the opportunity to go large when it counts!
With the changes made, Android phone and tablet users will need to be aware of what they’re downloading, and ideally be connected to Wi-Fi whenever possible for downloading apps. Download too many 3-4MB apps over 3G and you’ll soon use up your limit.
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