The new Pixel smartphones, Chromecast 4K Ultra, Google Home smart speaker, Google WiFi, and other suspected items are expected to be unveiled during Google’s major event on October 4th, but the rumoured Andromeda OS is what has us the most excited. If you’ve been following the news around Google’s next event, you may have heard some reliable speculations that the company may tease its brand-new Andromeda OS on October 4. You must thus be asking what the Andromeda OS actually is and what benefits it provides. So, this is what we currently know:
What is Andromeda OS?
In the past, there have been speculations that Google intended to merge Android and Chrome OS, and Andromeda OS is designed to accomplish just that. Google just began rolling out support for Android apps on Chromebooks, but that is very different from what Andromeda OS will provide.
According to sources, Andromeda OS is a brand-new operating system that is a combination of Android and Chrome OS. In essence, it is Android with built-in Chrome OS features. Additionally, it differs from Google’s Fuchsia OS, another alleged platform for IoT devices. So, in order to compete with Microsoft and Apple products, we may anticipate seeing Chrome OS cloud-centric capabilities in full-fledged Android intended for laptops, tablets, and convertibles.
Features we can expect
Even if we don’t know much about the features that Andromeda OS will provide, the following is what we may anticipate:
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Cloud-centric features
Because it was easy to use and partly because it was cloud-centric, Chrome OS was able to achieve some popularity. We may anticipate excellent Google Drive integration in the platform because Andromeda OS is expected to merge Chrome OS inside of Android. Everything is saved in the cloud on a Chromebook, so you never lose a file, and we can anticipate that Andromeda will do the same.
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Unified Apps
Google will try the same with Andromeda OS, just as Microsoft tried its hand at unified apps with Universal apps in Windows 10 to mixed success. The hybrid platform ought to have a variety of Google applications that function flawlessly on both desktops and cellphones.
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Continuity like feature
Given that Andromeda OS shares code with Android, we can anticipate that a laptop running Andromeda and a smartphone running Android will both have some Continuity-like capabilities. For those who are unaware, Continuity is a feature of Apple’s macOS and iOS that enables users to switch smoothly from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac without losing any work. You can make calls to your iPhone from your Mac, start an activity on iOS and continue it on Mac, and more.
When does Andromeda OS launch?
Although Hiroshi Lockheimer, the head of Android and Chrome OS, recently tweeted that Andromeda OS would certainly be unveiled at the event, we were sceptics about any Andromeda OS news during the October 4 event. Histweetreads, Today marks the eighth anniversary of our first Android announcement. I predict that in 8 years we’ll still be discussing October 4, 2016.
Andromeda OS should be officially announced at the event, however we can anticipate that developers and devices will start receiving the OS around the beginning of 2019. Although we don’t yet know whether Andromeda OS will be a free update for existing Chromebooks, we wouldn’t get our hopes up just yet.
When do Andromeda OS Devices arrive?
Along with Andromeda OS rumours, there have also been rumours indicating that Google intends to unveil the Pixel 3 device, codenamed Bison, in the third quarter of 2017. The device will reportedly have characteristics including a 12.3-inch display, Intel m5 or i5 processor, 8 or 16 GB RAM, 32 or 128 GB storage, USB Type-C, fingerprint reader, stylus support, and touchpad with haptic feedback. It will be an ultra-thin laptop to compete with Microsoft’s Surface Book. Additionally, the Chromebook brand will not be present on the Google Pixel 3 laptop, and the current iteration of Chromebooks is almost extinct. So there you have it, if you were wondering why Google did not release a new Chromebook Pixel this year.
Another rumour claims that Google will launch the hybrid OS on a Huawei Nexus tablet at the end of the year. This doesn’t seem likely given that Google is discontinuing the Nexus name, but Google has the capacity to shock us. Google should start by showcasing a number of Andromeda OS devices before the Pixel 3 is released. The Andromeda OS train is reportedly carrying a number of manufacturers in addition to the Pixel 3 in 2017.
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Andromeda OS: Google s plan to conquer the desktop
With its services and Android-powered smartphones, Google has completely taken over the web; the only thing still missing is desktop. Although Chrome OS was a respectable product, it lacked the capacity to compete with operating systems like Windows or macOS. But when you combine the maturity of the Android platform with the ease of use of Chrome OS, you end up with Andromeda OS, a rather complete desktop operating system. The Android-Chrome OS combination should be revealed shortly, but as these are still only rumours, we’d advise you to take everything with a grain of salt.
Are you looking forward to the Andromeda OS? What features do you anticipate the new Google platform will have? Comment here and share your thoughts. Additionally, if additional information about the Andromeda OS emerges, we’ll update this piece.
