We already have a vague idea of what aluminum might look like, thanks to a leak first seen by 9to5Google last week. Videos and screenshots published by the site hint that the next software built for Chromebooks will take a page straight from big-screen Android, albeit with a longer taskbar that will prove crucial for the larger screen. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about how this will affect app compatibility.
The main promise of combining Android and ChromeOS is the idea of running all your regular Android apps directly from your computer. Currently, ChromeOS is dependent on the Chrome browser, and that means relying on streaming and browser-based apps for practically all daily tasks. Given these leaks and court documents, this is unlikely to change in the future.
Google’s Chrome head, Sameer Samat, said as recently as last September that a new version of ChromeOS would arrive in 2026. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told an audience that he had seen the OS and called it “incredible”. These newly revealed court files submitted by Google in the outcome of the Epic antitrust case suggest that the release timing may be even more fluid. “We expect it to be released in 2026,” Samat told the court. Meanwhile, Google’s lawyers suggested the search giant could release Aluminum for testing in late 2026. This could be internal testing only, or perhaps a broader beta release to select testers.
Google’s ‘Aluminium’ OS will still force you to use Chrome
Lawyers suggested in those documents that a full release could come closer to 2028. Keep in mind, lawyers are trying to argue in favor of Google maintaining control over Chrome. Google is still dealing with the consequences of the landmark 2024 decision that painted it as a monopoly. The federal government has suggested that Google should be forced to sell Chrome. Google’s lawyers have every reason to see the divestiture of Chrome as harmful to the end user.
Google promised that all Chromebooks will receive software updates for a full 10 years. However, this does not mean that the old version of ChromeOS will remain in this world for long. These documents suggest that ChromeOS is planned to be completely obsolete by 2034. It’s unclear how many existing devices will have full support for aluminum when it finally arrives on the scene.
The “why” is missing in all this. This could be based on how the feds are trying to force Google to stop prioritizing Chrome or the Play Store on its devices. So why did Google suddenly decide that ChromeOS deserved a change to Android? US District Judge Amit Mehta effectively exempted ChromeOS from previous rulings. “Unlike those distributed on Android or Apple devices or third-party browsers, Chrome is an essential component of a ChromeOS device,” Mehta said in a ruling filed on December 5 last year. Essentially, Aluminum may be one of the last remnants of a Google-enforced ecosystem where its own browser and app store take priority.
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