Once again there are stories that Google wants to completely replace ChromeOS, the system software for Chromebooks, with Android. Google had previously indicated that ChromeOS will become “more like Android”, but did not provide details at the time.
According to Android Authority Google is working on ‘a multi-year project to completely transform ChromeOS into Android’. ChromeOS is already largely Android, so Chromebooks can also run Android apps, although not all of them are optimized for the large screen.
The tech giant would like to equip ‘future Chromebooks’ with the new software, although it is not clear whether that name will be retained. Earlier this week, rumors swirled that Google is working on a Pixel laptop.
It wouldn’t be the first time that these types of plans have surfaced. For years, Google has been working on the Fuchsia operating system that would replace Android and Chrome OS on both desktop and mobile. Fuchsia was first shown on Google’s Pixelbook hardware. Ultimately, it only ran on Nest Hub smart displays.
This week Google released the Android 16 Developer Preview 1 released, an early version of the operating system that should be released in the second quarter of 2025.
As with the previous version, it appears to be minor changes, such as the addition of ‘Audio sharing’, which allows you to share the music you play on your smartphone with someone else. Android 16 also shows better which apps have used privacy-sensitive functions such as the microphone, your location and the camera. With ‘Health Connect’ you can create a profile with information about your health and fitness data.
Google is also adding an ‘experimental color mode’ to Android 16. The precise purpose of this is not yet entirely clear.
Source: www.emerce.nl
