Chrome OS may jump straight to eating Android Pie rather than munching on Oreo

By Kevin Parrish Published March 26, 2018

A recent comment posted on the Chromium board indicates that Chrome OS may completely skip Android “Oreo” (v8.x) and support Android “P” (v9.x) when it arrives later this year. Right now, compatible Chromebooks support Android “Nougat” (v7.x) while smartphone manufacturers are still working on rolling Oreo out to customers before the end of 2018.

The developer preview of Android “P” is already available for the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. The company isn’t expected to officially reveal this next version of Android until the Google I/O developer conference in May, followed by an initial public release possibly in August. As with Android “Oreo,” the rollout across millions of devices will be a long update process well into late 2019.

Recommended Videos

Despite the web-centric nature of Chrome OS, Google introduced support for Google Play and Android apps in 2016 providing many Chromebook owners with the best of both worlds. Currently, Chromebooks supporting Android apps are still upgrading to Android 7.1.1, but comments posted on the Chromium project don’t mention Android “O” whatsoever. Instead, the version jumps from “N” to “P” and here’s the latest example:

Please enable Javascript to view this content

arcnext: Hook up _P tests to android–container–pi builds.

The comment follows another one posted in early March, stating:

arcnext: Hook up _P tests.

Split tests into N and _P to bootstrap CQ/PFQs.

As for the dessert that will be associated with Android 9.0, Google may stick with Android Pie as seen in the comment listed above. “Parfait” would be a more fitting choice given Google used cold deserts with three other Android builds: v2.0 “Éclair,” v2.2 “Froyo,” and v4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich.” But given that Google cycles through an assortment of deserts, Android Pie works just as well.

With the possible upcoming support for Android “P,” is Google planning to merge Chrome OS and Android into one operating system? Perhaps not. The company still stands behind its opinion that the two serve different users. On the Chrome OS front, the platform was originally designed for laptops and desktops used by students. It supports apps that mostly depend on the internet and cloud services. Even more, software updates are specifically managed by Google.

Meanwhile, Android started on phones but moved into cars, tablets, Internet of Things devices, TVs, and so on. The platform supports downloadable apps that mostly work offline save for email clients, cloud storage services, and so on. Updates are managed by device manufacturers (Samsung, Huawei) and mobile networks (AT&T, Verizon).

“I think we’re very fortunate as a company to have two very successful platforms each in their own way and in their own segments,” Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome OS, and Play Hiroshi Lockheimer said in late 2016. “For us, there’s no point in merging them. They’re both successful. We just want to make sure both sides benefit from each other, so that’s why we brought Google Play from Android over to Chrome OS.”

You will see a lot of “cross-pollinating” between the two platforms, but not an official merge, he added.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…

Computing

AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Go disappoints in early benchmark

The Lenovo Legion Go S sitting on a window.

A recent YouTube video has showcased the gaming capabilities of AMD's upcoming Ryzen Z2 Go chipset, designed for budget gaming handhelds. As part of the new Ryzen Z2 lineup, the Z2 Go’s capabilities were tested on a Lenovo Legion Go S and compared to last year’s Z1 Extreme powering the Asus ROG Ally X.

According to gaming performance data shared by FPS VN, the Z2 Go shows some limitations compared to the Z1 Extreme. In Black Myth: Wukong, it achieved 36 fps versus 40 fps at 15W, 30 fps versus 32 fps at 20W, and 60 fps versus 64 fps at 30W. In Cyberpunk 2077, the Z2 Go delivered 50 fps compared to 54 fps at 15W, 45 fps versus 47 fps at 20W, and 61 fps compared to 66 fps at 30W. Similarly, in Ghost of Tsushima, the Z2 Go hits 62 fps versus 66 fps at 15W, 48 fps versus 52 fps at 20W, and 62 fps versus 66 fps at 30W. Although the performance gap is minor, it remains consistent at around 7–10% across all tested games.

Computing

When you sign up for two years of Surfshark you’ll get 10GB of roaming data for free!

Surfshark displayed on multiple devices including a smartphone, tablet, and laptop screen.

Investing in a VPN for your Wi-Fi network is one of the best ways to mask your IP address from those looking to gain control of your personal data, device logins, and other sensitive info. Fortunately, there’s a new VPN-masking service born every day, but not all of these services offer are worth your hard-earned cash. Instead, you should focus on vetted and reliable platforms like Surfshark.

As luck would have it, Surfshark is even offering a promo for new customers: For a limited time, when you sign up for two years of Surfshark One or Surfshark One+, you’ll get 10GB of Saily eSIM roaming data for free. We tested Surfshark not long ago, and reviewer Alan Truly said: “Surfshark is a fast streaming VPN that let me connect an unlimited number of devices, making it a great choice to protect privacy and unblock worldwide streaming for the whole family.” We've also reviewed Surfshark's anti-virus protection suite.

Computing

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s is normally $2,699 — today it’s $1,484

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 opened up on a table.

Often the home of great laptop deals, Lenovo continues to provide some highlights. One laptop to consider is the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s. Usually $2,699, it’s down to $1,484 for a limited time at Lenovo. As always, it’s good to be a little cynical of that original price. Lenovo likes to use an estimated value system, which can lead to some inflated original prices. However, regardless of the true saving, we do know that $1,484 for this spec of laptop is pretty great. Perfect for business users, here’s some insight into what it has to offer before you decide to buy.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s
Lenovo manages to be one of the best laptop brands for business as well as gaming. With the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s, you get a well-designed laptop for all your working needs. It has a Snapdragon X Elite CPU paired up with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, so it’s ideal for being productive on the move.