Amidst growing rumors and speculation based off of this statement a report from The Wall Street Journal, “Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to fold its Chrome operating system for personal computers into its Android mobile operating system, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Google took to its blog to inform us of its plans (or lack thereof) for the forseeable future. In the interview blog post, SVP of Android, Chrome OS, and Chromecast, Hiroshi Lockheimer, cleared the air regarding the future of Chrome OS.
While we’ve been working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems, there’s no plan to phase out Chrome OS.
The blog post further goes on to list the success of Chrome OS since its launch six years ago, from its wide adoption in US classrooms to its ease of management for IT administrators. There’s also the fact that Chromebooks continue to increase in popularity, with more and more manufacturers adopting this web-based solution. As a result, we are slated to see even more devices in 2016 on this OS.
The post also mentions the future plans for Chrome OS. In the works is a new media player and a visual refresh based on Material Design, along with the usual promise of under-the-hood improvements and security updates. Chromebooks are guaranteed auto-updates for five years, making their future look all but questionable.
With the ability to run Android apps on Chrome already existing, the report from WSJ held ample weight when it mentioned that Chrome OS could fold. The dream of running true Android in a desktop environment enticed many of us to hope that the merge would be for the best. After all, it seemed like a logical step, a natural progression, for Android to move forth from its mobile success to a much more challenging but comparatively resource-independent format.
