According to an MS engineer, you will be able to sideload APKs to Windows, which solves the problem for any app that doesn't need GMS:
My memory of the details is fading, thankfully, but I think side loading was disabled for 8.0 and 8.1 (without a key), and the restrictions were removed or relaxed in 8.2.
Here some news for you. You can even side load Exe files and MSI files. See, nothing special. APK yes, side loading no.
Actually, it is:
"Sideloading describes the process of transferring files between two local devices, in particular between a computer and a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet, portable media player or e-reader." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideloading
Additionally side loading refers to mobile devices not desktop PCs.
Words can have different meanings under different contexts, and I'm providing you that context, which is important for understanding what people are talking about here. Please stop being obtuse.
0: Provided it runs on your OS in the first place, obviously; adding support for APKs in general is a meaningful feature, in the same way as wine adding support for EXEs on linux.
1: In the same windows has been able run arbitrary EXEs since... well the entire time it's existed, give or take incremental extensions and revisions of the file format.
0: ie, that windows doesn't really support APKs because it doesn't provide the APIs needed for them to work properly
Another question is, how does Amazon solve the GMS problem? Do they provide their own shim library, modify the apps somehow, or something else? Could the whole Windows 11 thing pressure developers not to rely on Google APIs now that there's more competition in the space?
Android apps are also inferior to Windows apps, so the real question is: Who is going to use Android apps on Windows.
Android app developers seem to be the target group.
It's not something they'll understand the significance of. That doesn't mean it isn't important.
>Android apps are also inferior to Windows apps, so the real question is: Who is going to use Android apps on Windows.
Many people who use their phones for a lot of the time and want a similar/identical experience on their laptop.
>Android app developers seem to be the target group.
I disagree. It's for people who want snapchat or signal or whatever on their devices. Android developers already have emulators or test devices.
Ok, so why even have freeform window mode? Well, that is because Android has a "desktop mode" that is supported by some Android 10+ devices. If you have a USBC/HDMI/USB adapter (same thing you use with newer macs), you can plug your phone in and use it like a desktop. It's not great, but it is surprisingly useful, especially when an airline loses your laptop bag.
There is no windows app to access my credit card, an Monzo doesn't even bother creating a website to access your bank account.
Some functionality specifically requires a mobile app and is not accessible from websites.
You see where this is going. Google has moved _so much_ functionality into play services that Android as a platform is losing features every day if you don't have it. It's fine for fully local applications, but should you rely on location services, dynamic module delivery, any maps service, etc, you are utterly fucked.