What you need to know
- An interview with Google's vice president of product management for ChromeOS, John Maletis, cleared the air regarding ChromeOS new Android-based stack.
- According to Google, this move for ChromeOS is seen as an "evolution," as the company seeks to keep its software support commitments and the software itself around.
- Google announced that ChromeOS would move to this new stack in November, called AluminumOS, which is seemingly primed for heaps of AI.
Google made a ChromeOS announcement late last year that had people buzzing, but now the company's vice president is clearing the air.
Those at ChromeUnboxed had the opportunity to sit down with Google's vice president of product management for ChromeOS, John Maletis. Their purpose was to discuss the company's shift, moving ChromeOS to a new Android-based stack called AluminumOS in November. Major speculation wondered if ChromeOS was done for, but Maletis informs the publication that those worries can be put to rest. Maletis states, "I’ve seen speculation in the press around us giving up on Chromebooks and that is so far from the case."
The publication highlights the views of Maletis and Google on ChromeOS. Due to its scale, dropping the software isn't possible. Software support was another object of concern, to which Maletis confirms that the 10-year commitment isn't vanishing.
He states that this shift into an Android-based stack is more of an "evolution" for ChromeOS, rather than Google phasing it out.
Toward the discussion's end, Maletis told ChromeUnboxed that there might be some variation between devices utilizing AluminumOS and the standard ChromeOS we know. "Migration" from the old to the new could be possible, but it seems as though the details surrounding that will be hashed out when/if that happens.
ChromeOS Evolved
We can take things back even further, to around June 2025, when Google's president of Android Ecosystem, Sameer Samat, teased that ChromeOS and Android could be one. An interview with Samat highlighted the future of Android and the company's interest in increased cross-platform data transfers. However, a key talking point was Google's plans to merge ChromeOS with Android to help users better manage content between laptops and phones.
Fast-forward to November, and we finally have the official announcement that ChromeOS has moved into a new Android-based stack. What's not certain is whether or not AluminumOS will be the name every sees on paper or if that's just a working internal name. Either way, Google is preparing heaps of AI for this new OS, really pushing that "evolution" mentality Maletis stated was headed for ChromeOS.
As far as the "migration" plans go, there were supposed signs that AluminumOS and ChromeOS might co-exist for a time. There were different AI levels discovered, such as AL Entry, AL Mass Premium, and AL Premium, alongside “Chromebook” and “Chromebook Plus” categories.
