The Android 64bit deadline warnings have started

[Yaron 53]

We all knew it would come this August, but now the Google Play store is showing warning notifications on new uploads:

 

 

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Warning

This release is not compliant with the Google Play 64-bit requirement

The following APKs or App Bundles are available to 64-bit devices, but they only have 32-bit native code: 9.

From August 1, 2019 all releases must be compliant with the Google Play 64-bit requirement.

Include 64-bit and 32-bit native code in your app. Use the Android App Bundle publishing format to automatically ensure that each device architecture receives only the native code it needs. This avoids increasing the overall size of your app. Learn More

 

 

And to top it off, there's a new warning that I have no idea how to address (if it's even possible) with Delphi:

 

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Unoptimized APK

Warning:

This APK results in unused code and resources being sent to users. Your app could be smaller if you used the Android App Bundle. By not optimizing your app for device configurations, your app is larger to download and install on users' devices than it needs to be. Larger apps see lower install success rates and take up storage on users' devices.

Resolution:

Use the Android App Bundle to automatically optimize for device configurations, or manage it yourself with multiple APKs.

 

 

[Rollo62 536]

57 minutes ago, Yaron said:

Unoptimized APK

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AndroidAppBundle
Available in Android Studio 3.2 or later, Unity 2018.3 & 2017.4.17, and Cocos Creator 2.0.9 or later.

I had seen this too, and PlayStore still accepted that.
Maybe this is only a warning, since it doesn't sound that AndroidAppBundle has to be used from August.
I hope it doesn't come along with the 64-Bit requirement, although it would make sense to have an updated bundle indeed.

 

Of coarse also Delphi should be supporting this in the near future.

Lets see what their time schedule is.
Probably I have to check if the next Beta-Version is already available.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Rollo62

[Yaron 53]

I don't think the AppBundle will become mandatory, but I wouldn't put it past google to down-grade your position in search results based on it.

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

4 hours ago, Rollo62 said:

Of coarse also Delphi should be supporting this in the near future.

SHOULD being the figurative work here.  There has been NO announcement from Embarcadero since August 2018 about how they plan to address the Android 64bit issue.  There has been NO announcement of a new Delphi version in the works to include a 64bit Android compiler.

4 hours ago, Rollo62 said:

Probably I have to check if the next Beta-Version is already available.

AFAIK, there is no beta at this time.

[Rollo62 536]

1 hour ago, Remy Lebeau said:

AFAIK, there is no beta at this time.

Have you checked recently ?
I will do here too and let you know if anything moves, its about time to get closer to the next version issues.

If our apps would be cancelled from the PlayStore would be a big desaster.

[Dave Nottage 557]

1 hour ago, Rollo62 said:

If our apps would be cancelled from the PlayStore would be a big desaster.

Existing apps will not be not removed until 2021:

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2019/01/get-your-apps-ready-for-64-bit.html

The August 1, 2019 requirement is for updates and new apps.

[Rollo62 536]

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All new apps and app updates that include native code are required to provide 64-bit versions in addition to 32-bit versions when publishing to Google Play.

We have constantly updates in our apps, so that won't help a lot.

 

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Extension: Google Play will continue to accept 32-bit only updates to existing games that use Unity 5.6.6 or older until August 2021.

Any by the way: Delphi should be listed here too.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Rollo62

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

5 hours ago, Rollo62 said:

Have you checked recently ?

No, but as a TeamB member, I'm usually invited to betas for Delphi and C++Builder.  I haven't received any invitation for a new version yet.

Scratch that. I just received notification that invitations are now starting to be sent out to prospective testers.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Remy Lebeau

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

4 hours ago, Dave Nottage said:

The August 1, 2019 requirement is for updates and new apps.

Except for 32bit games that use Unity 5.6.6+.  32bit-only updates for those apps will continue to be accepted until August 2021.

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

4 hours ago, Rollo62 said:

Any by the way: Delphi should be listed here too.

Not sure what you are trying to say.  Delphi itself only runs on Windows, but it compiles Android apps as native code, using a small Java stub to load and run the native code.  So Android apps compiled with Delphi are affected by the August 1 2019 deadline.

[Rollo62 536]

7 hours ago, Remy Lebeau said:

Not sure what you are trying to say.  Delphi itself only runs on Windows, but it compiles Android apps as native code, using a small Java stub to load and run the native code.  So Android apps compiled with Delphi are affected by the August 1 2019 deadline.

I understand above line that Unity has a special permission to generate code in 32-Bit until 2021, or did I get that wrong ?
What I mean is Delphi should be listed for such permission too.

Why has Unity such permssion ? Maybe simply because somebody as Unity was earger to ask Google about it.

[RonaldK 18]

15 hours ago, Remy Lebeau said:

...  There has been NO announcement from Embarcadero since August 2018 about how they plan to address the Android 64bit issue.  There has been NO announcement of a new Delphi version in the works to include a 64bit Android compiler.

It's on the roadmap for 10.4.x (Mid 2019)
https://community.idera.com/developer-tools/b/blog/posts/rad-studio-august-2018-roadmap

 

But you're right. 

It's hard to believe that Emba will deliver on time.

 

[Markus Kinzler 174]

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It's hard to believe that Emba will deliver on time. 

Because the macOS 64-Bit version scheduled for 10.3 is still missing.

[Rollo62 536]

Although macOS 64 would be nice to have, but only very few seem to use it really.
I've started a poll here, but only few people were interested.
For Android I would assume there is much more interest, and failing this deadline would be a bigger problem for Embarcadero.

[Markus Kinzler 174]

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Although macOS 64 would be nice to have, but only very few seem to use it really.

But the next version of macOS doesn't support it anymore. macOS mojave juust warns when starting 32 bit apps.

 

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For Android I would assume there is much more interest, and failing this deadline would be a bigger problem for Embarcadero.

In this case "only" the distribution in the play store is affected. In macOS the apps will stop working!

[RonaldK 18]

15 minutes ago, Markus Kinzler said:

Because the macOS 64-Bit version scheduled for 10.3 is still missing.

It's re-scheduled to 10.3.x. 
I would assume it's included in the next Service Pack before the release of the 10.4.

[Markus Kinzler 174]

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It's re-scheduled to 10.3.x. 

I know. But there's is still no date for it. EMBT doesn't smash themself with glory. They should start to develop with availibilty and not with the discontinuation of the previous version.

Version 10 of macOS ( MacOS X, OSX, macOS) was 64 Bit from the beginning!

[Dalija Prasnikar 1396]

22 minutes ago, Markus Kinzler said:

Because the macOS 64-Bit version scheduled for 10.3 is still missing.

In latest roadmap it was newer scheduled for 10.3, but for some 10.3.x update

Android 64bit is scheduled for 10.4

 

AFAIK, this roadmap as far as those compilers are concerned is still valid.

 

When exactly any of those releases will actually hit the road, anyone's guess is as good as mine.

 

macOS 64-bit is needed not just for developing macOS apps, but also internally for iOS development toolchain and supporting iOS 11 and iOS 12 simulators.

 

Last year, there was public beta for Delphi developers on active subscription that allowed publishing Android applications built with beta on Google Play store. If nothing else similar scenario can be expected for Android 64 bit compiler. I know this is far from ideal... but...

 

To be on the safe side... anyone should prepare for the worst and release any major updates before August deadline...

[David Heffernan 2345]

Kinda galling to realise the effort Emba is putting in for 64 bit mobile and Mac desktop platform support (all minority user bases) and at the same time the Windows compilers (overwhelming majority user base) receive no attention at all.

 

What kind of business model is it to take money of your customers and then spend it on developing functionality that is not useful to the majority of your customers?

[Dalija Prasnikar 1396]

22 minutes ago, Rollo62 said:

I've started a poll here, but only few people were interested.

How is poll going to help? Whatever Embarcadero has planed, it is far too late to make any meaningful rescheduling.

[Dalija Prasnikar 1396]

1 hour ago, Rollo62 said:

Why has Unity such permssion ? Maybe simply because somebody as Unity was earger to ask Google about it.

Maybe somebody at Unity didn't have to ask because there is huge number of Unity Android games with large distributions out there.

Google knows what kinds of applications they host and how many don't support 64bit.

[Dalija Prasnikar 1396]

4 minutes ago, David Heffernan said:

Kinda galling to realise the effort Emba is putting in for 64 bit mobile and Mac desktop platform support (all minority user bases) and at the same time the Windows compilers (overwhelming majority user base) receive no attention at all.

 

What kind of business model is it to take money of your customers and then spend it on developing functionality that is not useful to the majority of your customers?

Lack of resources, maybe... they have to provide proper support for platforms they have expanded to, Apple and Google have their requirements and their own toolsets and don't care much about other people's problems - with notable exceptions - but again only when it is in their own interest.

 

In that light... Windows can wait for any improvements, regardless of how many customers would actually benefit from better Windows support.

[RonaldK 18]

20 minutes ago, David Heffernan said:

What kind of business model is it to take money of your customers and then spend it on developing functionality that is not useful to the majority of your customers?

The lonely wish that Delphi once again becomes a bright light in the forefront, not just chasing after the story.

This long running behind makes more and more the feeling that at some point the compiler will not come anymore

and the part for Android, iOS and macOS will end at some point.

 

I am of the opinion that if you go the way of the different platforms, then with full force ... or not at all.

This half-dead is not a business model.

Edited May 9, 2019 by RonaldK

[Markus Kinzler 174]

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In latest roadmap it was newer scheduled for 10.3, but for some 10.3.x update 

Prior to release of 10.3 it was scheduled for it.

 

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New Platform Support

Platform support is key with a multi-platform framework like FireMonkey. We know that Android 64-bit support will be mandatory by the summer of 2019, and are working on plans to ensure our customers can meet this requirement next summer. 

One roadmap change you may notice compared to the September 2017 roadmap is that we removed macOS 64-bit platform support from the initial 10.3 release.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t think macOS 64-bit is important. We removed it from the 10.3 release to focus on providing more quality and stability for the other key features that are in flight. With that said, our intent is to provide support for macOS 64-bit, including support for targeting the iOS 11 (and iOS 12) simulators, in a follow-on 10.3.x release. We know that developers looking to target the macOS App Store or leverage 64-bit APIs require macOS 64-bit support.

 

[David Heffernan 2345]

1 hour ago, Dalija Prasnikar said:

Lack of resources, maybe... they have to provide proper support for platforms they have expanded to, Apple and Google have their requirements and their own toolsets and don't care much about other people's problems - with notable exceptions - but again only when it is in their own interest.

 

In that light... Windows can wait for any improvements, regardless of how many customers would actually benefit from better Windows support.

Sure it's down to a lack of resources. But that's a consequence of expanding to new platforms. Each additional platform comes with a maintenance cost.  That cost is paid for out of revenue. The bulk of the revenue comes from customers that are using the legacy platforms.  

 

If Emba continue to neglect their core business (Windows development tools) then eventually customers will look elsewhere.