Google plans to merge its mobile Android OS with its Chrome OS for computers, giving laptop users access to the Google Play store and increasing Android’s user base, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The merged OS is expected to be available in 2017, but an early version will be unveiled in 2016, the WSJ said.
The development would appeal to app developers who prefer to write an app once and have it run on many types of devices. That was the strategy adopted by Microsoft for its Windows 10 OS for computers, tablets and smartphones.
Few apps are available for Chrome OS-based Chromebook laptops because a small base of users hasn’t encouraged app developers to write apps for them, the WSJ reported.
Google will keep the Chrome name for its browser and keep the Chrome OS as an open-source OS that companies can continue to use for laptops, but Google will focus on extending Android to laptops, it.
See this report for details.
