Earlier Android applications were limited to a maximum size of 50MB which was pretty obvious as smaller size is easier to download and takes less space in your smartphone. Google has however increased this limit of 50MB to 4GB which will help app developers in expanding their app functionality to extreme levels.
The size of the APK will still be restricted to 50MB, but developers can now add expansions files to the APK file.
- Each app can have two expansion files, each one up to 2GB, in whatever format you choose.
- Android Market will host the files to save you the hassle and cost of file serving.
- Users will see the total size of your app and all of the downloads before they install/purchase.
New devices will automatically download the expansions files once the user downloads an app from the Android Market, and the refund period won’t start until the expansion files are downloaded. On older devices, the app will download the expansion files the first time it runs, via a downloader library.