Sameer Samat, responsible for Android ecosystems at Google, recently confirmed that Android and Chromeos will be merged into a single platform, reviving a host of questions about the future of operating systems. Combining them makes sense. It was logical back in 2013, and it was first supposed to occur in 2015, but until recently, this was equivalent to chromebooks able to execute Android applications. Last year, Google announced that Chromeos would be built on the Android technical batteryIncluding the Android core.
What is the point of merging Chromeos and Android?
Android has an enormous application ecosystem, but many of these applications still find it difficult for larger screens, such as tablets. And Android has no excellent multitasking or window management, which are both important on large screens. Chromeos, on the other hand, does stuff and window management very well, but does not really support non -web applications.
Chromebooks have been able to run Android applications for a long time, which helps to fill certain compatibility gaps. But these applications are often zero to use on a laptop with a mouse cursor. Some applications are too small and do not adapt to the race on a larger screen; The Android Slack application cannot display two threads side by side on a Chromebook as the desktop application can. And some are just bancals, as discord does not always respond to mouse clicks. Spotify works well, but its mobile application seems a little sparse on a large laptop screen, and you should remember to click and keep instead of using secondary clicks (which seems just unnatural on a trackpad or a mouse).
This convergence was already happening anyway: the Chrome browser on Android is Obtain extensions – A key advantage of office chrome. Android also obtains a dex -type office mode, and as part of this, Google is Make a big push for adaptive applications in Android 16. The creation of Android applications works well in desktop mode is Already optimizing them for Chromeos. When Android has an office mode and a chrome with extensions, and chromebooks can run Android applications, is there a reason to separate them?
A unified operating system accelerate development time for the phone and laptop Form factors and facilitate developers to more easily fill this common ground where the tablets live.
Why did it take so long?
Talking about a unified Android and Chromeos has been going on for over 10 years. This seems to be the next logical step for the two Google operating systems, but it has never made a lot of progress. There has been speculation for a while that the Google Fuchsia Open Source operating system could be this unified platform, but after years of rumors, teasing and job posts – it ended up on certain nest hubs.
Part of this is surely that the arm fleas are finally fast enough for laptops. Chromebooks based on the arms are not new (there was a Samsung one in 2012)But until very recently, good chromebooks are delivered with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. The Mediatek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip in the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (the new flagship product of Google) is powerful enough to outperform X86 fleas in other ChromeBooks, and with better battery life. Chromebooks with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors – Fleets supplying the resurgence of windows on the arm – are also expected soon.
With Android phones and chromebooks operating on ARM, focusing on a single architecture should allow much easier optimization in this new potential operating system. And if you already have a Chromebook based on X86, you should hope for the remaining years of software management that Google has promised – up to 10 years in some cases.
Unlike Microsoft or even Apple during their transitions to ARM, Google does not have a massive library of X86 compatible chromeos applications to be worried.
Will all chromebooks become giant Android tablets? Will all Android phones be pocket and dockable chromebooks?
As mentioned above, Google is already testing an office mode for Android phones. I have never used Samsung Dex, but the concept of mooring your phone and obtaining a full featyer experience is attractive. If this is the least of what we get this merger, it would be Nifty. But a better desktop mode for Android has other implications. Imagine a detachable 2 in 1 performing this combined operating system. Like a pixel C, but good.
Will Chromeos change his look to align with the equipment three expressive?
Chromeos has a fairly buttoned aesthetic based on the design of older materials from Google, while Android is reorganized with the younger and expressive three -colored material. Who wins this user interface battle?
I wouldn’t mind seeing Chromeos become a little more fun and happy. It would make an interesting contrast with Windows 11 and MacOS. Just give me customization options, please.
Will Android or Chromeos be renamed?
Chrome and Android are both big names. Unify them under a new name could risk confusing the average user. I would venture that the Android and Chromeos brands will remain intact. Maybe they will rather fall under a convoluted umbrella brand.
While my colleague Nathan Edwards joked me, “it will probably be something like” Chromebook, powered by Android “or” Android with Chromeos “.
Is that finally what makes Android tablets good? For real, this time?
Regarding Android tablets (which, let’s be honest, is not really that far), this future operating system can only improve them. But it will always take efforts and dedication of application developers. Google is Try to help fill this gapBut the developers still have to worry about enough and find it lucrative enough to do the work.
Correction, July 15: This article initially poorly appointed Sameer Samat and was corrected.
