Google has two operating systems – Android and Chrome – and soon the Internet firm will combine its Chrome OS with Android, says a report from The Wall Street Journal. The company might reveal the combined OS as early as next year, the report said.
Android the more powerful of the two
The Journal reported that Google decided to fold Chrome into Android because the latter has acquired a dominant position and is far ahead of Chrome. Android is presently the most widely used operating system in the world with more than a billion phones and other devices running on it. On the other hand, Chrome usually powers laptops called Chromebooks, and according to research firm IDC, it is a niche player accounting for less than 3% of PCs.
It would become mandatory to set up Android to run on laptops and desktop computers once the two operating systems are combined. This would require big changes, and at the same time the computers would need to support the Google Play Store.
Google will most likely demonstrate a preview of the combined Chrome OS and Android at Google I/O next year, according to The Verge. With such a move, Google aims to reduce the number of independent platforms it maintains. It is expected that the company will release the new operating system sometime in 2017.
How Google got this idea
If true, it is a big move but not a surprise. If the two operating systems are merged, then Chromebooks will reportedly get a new name. Though the Chromebooks are fairly successful and are a great option among low-cost computers, it can be guessed how Google got an idea to combine the two OS.
The company put current CEO Sundar Pichai in charge of both Chrome and Android about two years ago. He made some significant moves to bring the two operating systems closer, including adding support for Android apps inside of the Chrome OS. Though support is still limited for Android apps on Chromebook, some are up and running on it.
Though late, Google has now recognized that both Android and Chrome embody different computing approaches that do not have any relevance to it. Last month, Google came up with Pixel C, a convertible laptop. It is just an early sign of what we can expect in the future.
