Android and ChromeOS merged: what could it look like?
Under the codename Aluminium, Google has begun the project, with Chromebooks leading the way. For the moment, no preview has been released… except for what was briefly visible in a bug report that later slipped into public view. That glimpse was enough to extract two short video captures. They suggest an interface close to what Chrome OS looks like today, though with a few notable differences:
- Date and time positioned in the top-left corner (rather than the bottom-right)
- Status bar located in the top-right corner (and not at the bottom-right)
- Icons centered on the taskbar (default behavior in Android 16’s desktop mode, as opposed to left-aligned on ChromeOS)
- Wi‑Fi and battery icons from Android 16
- Mouse cursor appearance slightly modified
Another detail: Chrome updates would be delivered from the Play Store app, without closing the browser.
The build number includes the identifier ALOS, likely standing for “Aluminium OS.” A reference to Android 16 appears on the Chrome version page.
No Chromebook Plus, no salvation?
The device in question is a 2022 Chromebook that is no longer sold new: the HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5. This touchscreen convertible shipped with a selection of Intel Core processors from the 12th generation and at least 8 GB of RAM. In short, it exactly meets the hardware threshold required to earn the Chromebook Plus badge.
From there, one could speculate that Aluminium is reserved for Chromebook Plus devices—a leap many have already claimed, and the rumor has echoed that claim.
As for the hardware on the horizon, references Sapphire and Ruby have surfaced in the Chromium repositories. Sapphire could be a high-end tablet built on MediaTek Kompanio Ultra, featuring a LED strip, a stylus, and a fingerprint sensor. Ruby, another high-end laptop, would run on Panther Lake (the Core Ultra S3 platform).
For both, there are commits signed by addresses ending in @lcfc, attributed to personnel from a Lenovo subsidiary that manufactures portable computers. Notably, the logo of the Chinese company has been added to the startup-screen configurations of their respective devices (Sapphire on one, Ruby on the other).
AI at the heart of the system: Disco, a potential preview
The job listing that revealed the Aluminium codename last November did not close the door on entry- and mid-range devices. Nor did it exclude desktops, in addition to clamshells, detachables, and tablets. It also disclosed that AI would be central to the system. The Disco experiment, open to users 18 and older in the United States, could serve as an early look. It is a browser in which Gemini creates “GenTabs” apps anchored to the content of the open tabs.
Google has assured that it will not abandon ChromeOS. The support windows for existing devices will remain valid, at least for the time being. However, details about the exact level of ongoing support have not been provided.
The convergence between ChromeOS and Android began with the unification of Bluetooth stacks in 2024. The desktop mode integration in its current form progressed in parallel. By the end of 2024, desktop windowing had arrived on tablets. With Android 16, Google introduced further improvements for managing external displays. In the same spirit of convergence, work is underway on a version of Chrome for Android that supports extensions.
