You also may not even have an Android device! If that’s the case, with a good emulator, you can still access Android apps.īeing primarily a developer tool, it’s not a surprise that the official Android emulator is so difficult to install. Your computer also has more powerful capture abilities, if you’re trying to record a tutorial, or if you’re trying to record gameplay. In most cases, your computer will be more powerful than your device, enabling you to run apps that you may not normally be able to run. With that power, however, they offer more functionality than an Android device. They’re easier to use, they’re more powerful, and they’re a little less finicky. Now, why would you want to do that, exactly? It’s a well-known fact that computers are better than mobile devices. When you use an Android emulator on your computer, your computer is imitating the Android interface and operating system. Your iPhone looks at a Nintendo system that is able to run Pokemon, and it imitates it. A while ago, we ran an article on playing Pokemon on your iPhone. When you emulate something on a computer, you’re replicating another experience, and putting it on the computer. To emulate something is to imitate it, or match it as closely as you can. To answer this question, first we need to know what emulation is.