Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Finally, Google’s project to merge ChromeOS and Android into a next-gen PC platform has a name (or at least a codename) — Aluminium OS. I’m cautiously excited about the prospects of my favourite mobile OS on bigger screens, though we won’t see it in consumers’ hands until sometime in 2026, and there’s still a lot we don’t know.
Building a great modern laptop OS isn’t easy. Google will need to get the UI right, ensure excellent driver and peripheral support, make software easy to find and install (including tools outside its ecosystem), and work with reliable hardware partners. That’s a lengthy checklist — and we won’t know how well it’s been met until products hit the shelves.
Would you miss Chrome OS if Google sunsets it for 'Aluminium OS'? 3879 votes Yes; I use Chrome OS almost daily. 11 % Yes; I don't want to learn another Google OS. 3 % No, not if Aluminium OS includes everything Chrome OS has and more. 35 % No; Chrome OS is a failure. 15 % No; I don't use Chrome OS so it doesn't matter to me. 33 % My feelings are more complicated (elaborate in the comments). 3 %
But we do know a little bit about what the company has in mind for its next PC project — Google describes Aluminium OS as “built with artificial intelligence at the core.” Specifically, Google plans to bring its Gemini models, assistant capabilities, Android apps, and developer community into the PC domain. We’ve seen how well many Android apps work in a desktop environment, so many of the foundations are well underway, even if results vary with some apps.
If you like what Google has been doing with its latest Pixel smartphones, it sounds like you’ll be a fan of what’s in store for Aluminium OS. But the laptop market is already a well-established space; is there really any hope that Android for PCs can stand out? I think the timing is about as good as it’s ever going to get for Google to try to break out of its ChromeOS niche and into mainstream computing. Here’s why.
Taking the fight to Apple and Microsoft
Mahmoud Itani / Android Authority
Regardless of how you feel about the seemingly unstoppable AI hype train, this is the way the wind is currently blowing. But so far, no one has nailed the formula in a way that’s super compelling for the PC market. Apple Intelligence is slowly replicating Google’s earlier AI feature set with new tools like “visual intelligence,” but it’s undoubtedly not racing to be an AI-first OS.
Microsoft’s Windows is in the midst of a more meaningful transition to an “agentic OS” platform, combining chatbots with context-aware assistance and file integration. From my experience with Snapdragon X and Copilot PCs, the benefits are still underwhelming — yes, even with Recall reinstated. The latest and upcoming Windows 11 updates intend to offer even deeper integration, but that’s a longer-term project, putting it on a path roughly parallel to Aluminium OS, where Google’s AI lead could give it a leg up over the world’s most popular laptop operating systems.
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