ChromeOS And Android Are Set To Merge, Google Exec Confirms

Google has confirmed plans to unify its two major operating systems – Android and ChromeOS – as Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem, told TechRadar that they are “going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform.”

Merging ChromeOS And Android

The head of Android specifically stated this as part of a question to TechRadar’s journalist regarding how he manages several Apple devices via his laptop. Samat was “very interested in how people are using their laptops these days and what they’re getting done,” which greatly hints at Android’s expansion to the laptop scene.

As a matter of fact, the latest Android version, Android 16, has introduced more tablet-specific feature updates, including desktop mode, resizable windows, and more; these could very well extend into the realm of laptops, given the latest trend of tablet designs that often has laptop-like features. A merge of both operating systems into one would make more sense to improve UX consistency and compatibility, along with saving development time.

Late last year, Android Authority reported that Google intends to combine both operating systems in an effort to compete against Apple’s iPads – a market that Cupertino has long dominated. With Google already stating that ChromeOS is utilizing more portions of the Android stack in June last year, it is likely that the merge is already in progress.

Pokdepinion: ChromeOS hasn’t been that popular – maybe a unified OS can change that.