Native apps allow Google to collect much more information than they can via the browser. They also allow for a wider range of advertising opportunities.

Except for people who won't put up with advertising in native apps.

Adblocking on phones requires infinitely more hoops to jump through than using a browser adblocker does.

Google's services are incredibly convenient and well made, and you may be assuming people will give up those conveniences. That's a big assumption and I think it wont pan out that way.

Based on the number of Windows 10 users, that's a very small percentage of users indeed.

They don't need to show you ads in their apps. They just use them to collect your data, like where you are every moment of every day and use that data to better target ads.

Android and Google Search are completely different Google departments. They will fight for the audience as long as they won't directly compete with each other. Board can see this as a widening audience, cementing presence and reaching new markets. It's in the best interest of Google Search and Chrome to push browser apps ahead.

Apple makes more than $10 billion per year on advertising just from one deal with Google alone. Microsoft has $7 billion advertising revenue.

Well it would cut into revenue from the PlayStore. I suppose it's plausible that keeping people in the browser is a good enough trade-off for Google.

I can’t imagine that the Google Play Store is a huge revenue generator, relatively speaking of course.

$24.8 billion in 2018[1].

[1]https://www.statista.com/statistics/444476/google-play-annua...

That’s much higher than I’d have expected. I wonder how much of it comes from games and their in app purchases, a segment that is unlikely to take much of a hit from moving other apps to the web.