14 DAY TRIAL // GNU/Linux developer Arne Exton released a new version of his RaspAnd Pie operating system, which lets you run Android 9 Pie on your Raspberry Pi computer, to add a few much-needed improvements.
The RaspAnd Pie Build 190429 is here a month and a half after the first release that brought Google's latest Android 9 Pie mobile operating system to the tiny Raspberry Pi computers, which, unfortunately, did not ship with Google Play Store, though you could install Android apps via the Aptoide package manager.
The new release adds Yalp Store, a replacement for Google Play store that lets you install Android apps directly from Google Play Store in the APK file format. You don't even need to have a Google account to install Android apps, except if you want to install paid apps or access your owned apps or write reviews.
"Yalp Store lets you download apps directly from Google Play Store as apk files. It can search for updates of installed apps and lets you search for other apps," explains Arne Exton. "The point of Yalp Store is to be small and independent from Google Services Framework."
Now available for Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Model B+
Besides the Yalp Store, which is already a great addition to the RaspAnd Pie OS, the latest release adds Evie Launcher as a replacement for the Nova Launcher used in the previous version. Furthermore, RaspAnd Pie Build 190429 ships pre-installed with Aptoide App Manager, Google Chrome, ES File Explorer, AIDA64, Termux, and Rotation Control.
According to the developer, RaspAnd Pie runs very well on both Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ single-board computers. The system is very responsive, though it is recommended to use a good quality micro SD card. You can get RaspAnd Pie Build 190429 right now for $9 USD from the developer's website.
