After seemingly forgetting to mention it during the I/O keynote on Wednesday, Google has now confirmed it is bringing Android apps to the Chrome OS.
The news, which was leaked earlier today, will bring the million plus apps from the Google Play Store to the increasingly-popular Chromebook range.
In a blog post on Thursday, Google told developers, they’ll be able to ‘expand the reach’ of their apps later this year.
The company has explained some of the benefits for Chrome OS users, some of which include multitasking within a full desktop browser, easy file sharing between Chrome and Android and compatibility with keyboard and mouse accessories, as well as touch.
Chrome OS users will also receive Android notifications on their Chromebooks.
See also: Google Home will kick Amazon and Apple to the curb
Google is also promising a new breed of high-end Chromebooks, capable of taking advantage of the Android apps, will be available later this year. Samsung is among the manufacturers pledging support.
In other Chromebook news at I/O, Google brought the research firm IDC on stage to anoint Chrome OS as the world’s second most popular operating system.
According to IDC, Chromebook shipments outpaced Mac OS X devices for the first time ever during the last quarter. The firm estimates more than 2 million Chromebooks were sold, compared with 1.8 million Macs.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
