Google has made good on their promise to raise the allowable size limit for Android apps. Today they have raised the traditional 50MB limit to a whopping 4GB! While the majority of apps fall well below the previous app limit, this expansion accommodates larger, more demanding apps such as 3D interactive games. All the files will now be hosted on the Android Market and eliminate the need for a separate download from a third party host and should save users some time and surprise as they’ll get to see exactly how large these apps are before downloading them.

Google goes on to clarify how the new limit works and how the downloads will be handled by various devices:

The size of your APK file will still be limited to 50MB to ensure secure on-device storage, but you can now attach expansion files to your APK.

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.
On most newer devices, when users download your app from Android Market, the expansion files will be downloaded automatically, and the refund period won’t start until the entire download completes. On older devices, your app will download the expansion files the first time it runs, via a downloader library which we’ve provided below.

If you’re a developer and want to know more about this change, head on over to the Android developers blog where you’ll find additional information and all the resources needed to get you on your way.

• SourceAndroid Developer Blog