Google plans to fold its Chrome operating system for personal computers into its Android mobile operating system, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. Google engineers have been working for roughly two years to combine the operating systems and have made progress recently, two of the people said. The company plans to unveil the single operating system in 2017 and preview an early version next year, one of the people said.
Chrome OS will remain as an open source operating system that other companies can use to make laptops, and Google engineers will continue maintaining it. However, Google’s focus will be on extending Android to run on laptops, according to one of the people. The move is an attempt by Google to get Android running on as many devices as possible. The operating system already runs phones, tablets, watches, TVs and car infotainment systems, and adding laptops could increase Android’s user base considerably.
The new version of Android will also give PC users access to Google’s Play store. Chromebooks will get a new, as yet undetermined, name, the report said, but Google plans to retain the Chrome name for its internet browser.
