Is Chrome OS and Android’s merger just hot air or a new era of personal computing?

🗣️ This is an open thread.

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup.

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Google is set to merge two of its mobile computing platforms into one unified system. According to confirmation by Google’s president of Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, the company will combine Chrome OS and Android “into a single platform.” No timeline was given, but this nod confirms a report we published in November 2024.

This development could be a significant win for smartphone users looking for a more compact computing system, but this idea comes with awkward compromises. Want to use your smartphone as a laptop? You’ll need a screen to plug into. A mouse and keyboard would be next on the list. At this point, you may as well still use a macOS or Windows laptop, right? That’s something I’d love you to answer.

Do you think this development will genuinely change your personal computing habits in the future?

Here are some more questions:

• How do you think a combined Android and Chrome OS onslaught disrupts the computing industry?
• Would you be willing to ditch your existing Windows or macOS setup for Google’s unified mobile OS future?
• Do you think smartphones will ever replace laptops or desktops?
• Would a unified OS bring tablets back into vogue and diminish the importance of smartphones?
• Do you actually use Android’s current large-screen computing features? If you have a Samsung phone, do you use DeX?

Be sure to vote in the polls below, too!

What do you want most from Chrome OS built atop Android?

218 votes

Fast, frequent system updates

28%

Support for extensions in Chrome

15%

Minimal bloatware

28%

Multiple profiles in Chrome

5%

Relaxed requirements/fast performance

17%

Other (leave a comment)

6%

Do you think Android 16's Desktop Mode is a good ChromeOS replacement?

850 votes

Yes, Desktop Mode is already great.

65%

No, ChromeOS is and always will be better.

12%

I like Desktop Mode, but I wish ChromeOS could still be its own thing.

20%

Other (let us know in the comments).

3%

👇Sound off in the comments section below with your views.

source https://www.androidauthority.com/android-chrome-os-merger-open-thread-3577924/