Yesterday, a report from the Wall Street Journal started circulating across the Internet, which claimed that Google is planning to fold Chrome OS into Android sometime in 2017, with a later report claiming that this move will allow Google to start bringing Android to computers as well. Both reports made a lot of sense, and it was easy to believe that Google had such plans, but it looks like at least the first report was false. Hiroshi Lockheimer, the man head of both Android and Chrome OS, has confirmed that Google is still very committed to Chrome OS, and that it’ll remain an independent operating system for the foreseeable future.
Google has denied the veracity of a report that states the company will fold its Chrome OS for laptops and desktop computers into its Android mobile operating. The Wall Street Journal reported that Google plans to merge the two operating systems into one single system in 2017, used across smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers. A later report suggested that Google will make Android available for computers. Google’s smartphones and tablets run Android, while its Chromebooks run Chrome OS, a cut-down version of Linux that runs the company’s Chrome browser relying on web apps and a few select Android apps. Hiroshi Lockheimer, head of Android, Chrome OS and Chromecast at Google said: “There’s a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork.” The company has made moves to make the two operating systems more integrated, providing more desktop Chrome features for the Android version of Google’s Chrome browser, while adding features such as Google Now and support for a select number of Android apps on Chrome OS. Google’s Chromecast streaming media adapters also run a version of Android, further blurring the lines between Chrome and Android.
