Now, before you get too excited, Google has since gone on the record as saying that the system was only a tech demo and a proof of concept for the underlying virtualization technology introduced in Android 15. But the company’s Android ecosystem president also noted that “a lot of things in Google start like this.” And, if I may be so bold: Google would be well-advised to see this as more than just a mere experiment.
In fact, it’s a possibility certain Android- and ChromeOS-focused philosophers have calling on the company to consider for ages. To quote an analysis a lowly scribe who shall remain nameless penned in 2016, when rumors of Google somehow combining Android and ChromeOS into a single connected entity were gaining steam for the 7,000th time:
What if [this] were essentially just a way to give Android devices a “desktop mode” — a ChromeOS-like environment that appears when, say, a physical keyboard is present, with a more traditional Android interface remaining in place for touch-centric use? A ChromeOS-like environment wouldn’t be ideal as a core part of the regular touch-centric Android experience, after all, but it sure could be valuable as an option for scenarios involving more productivity-oriented and laptop-like use.
And what if this best-of-both-worlds, dual-purpose mentality applies not only to convertible systems but also to phones? Maybe even phones like, ahem, the new Pixel devices Google is expected to announce next week — you know, at the same event where all this [Android-ChromeOS merger] business is rumored to make its grand debut?
One could imagine that happening by way of a special dock-like accessory and/or via a less proprietary method of connection — say, a Bluetooth keyboard along with a Chromecast to beam the desktop to a display. (Of note, a new higher-end 4K-capable Chromecast is rumored to be on the docket for next week’s event.)
Such a setup could effectively turn any compatible Android device into a versatile all-purpose computer that packs the strengths of Google’s two platforms into a single superpowered package — kind of like what Microsoft is doing with Windows 10’s Continuum concept, only with the world’s most popular mobile operating system and all of its apps involved.
It’d be pretty darn monumental. And it could conceivably allow each platform to continue to exist independently as well as within the new combined form (something that’s particularly significant when you consider the strong demand for both inexpensive lower-end phones and cost-effective standalone Chromebooks).
And here we are.
