Google may have more in store than some new Pixel phones at its upcoming hardware event Slater for October 4. According to a reports from Android Police and 9to5Google, the company might finally be ready to talk about its long rumored merger of Chrome OS and Android into one hybrid operating system, which is internally known as ‘Andromeda’.
The operating system could be showcased at the event but an official consumer launch could still be some ways off. Android Police claims Andromeda is a completely distinct effort from Google's current campaign to bring Android apps to Chromebooks — the initiative is being pursued via merging Chrome features into Android, not the other way around.
There are little details about what that will mean for the future of Android and Chrome OS and if all three operating systems will be maintained separately for different product categories.
Google is said to be testing its forthcoming Andromeda Android/Chrome OS hybrid OS on an upcoming Huawei tablet. However, the goal appears to be launching the new OS alongside a ‘Pixel 3’ laptop in Q3 2017 to rival similar devices from Apple and Microsoft. The laptop, codenamed Bison, is currently planned as an ultra-thin device with a 12.3" display, powered by an Intel m3 or i5 Core processor with 32 or 128GB of storage and 8 or 16GB of RAM.
Google has already found some success with Chrome OS devices and has been working towards enabling a more traditional windowed-app approach where it makes sense. Aside from bringing Android apps onto select Chromeblooks, Google also added freeform window mode to Android 7.0 Nougat, a feature we’ve yet to see on any production device that basically enables Android tablets to handle apps in individual windows.
With just over a week to go until Google’s event things are starting to get interesting.
