ChromeOS on Android unlikely as Google says it was ‘just a tech demo’
What do you want to know Following an interview with Google’s Dave Burke, it appears that a previous demonstration of ChromeOS on Android was just a demo. It seems the company wanted to see if Android’s ability to run ChromeOS through its AVF could work – and it might. A previous demo was reportedly shown […]
What do you want to know
- Following an interview with Google’s Dave Burke, it appears that a previous demonstration of ChromeOS on Android was just a demo.
- It seems the company wanted to see if Android’s ability to run ChromeOS through its AVF could work – and it might.
- A previous demo was reportedly shown privately to partner companies using the display output capabilities of a Pixel 8.
Google is dashing any hopes of ChromeOS coming to Android, as an interview with a notable member suggests it was just a test.
According to Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority), an interview with Google’s Dave Burke, VP of Engineering for Android, detailed what’s happening with ChromeOS and Android. Burke said the company’s Project Ferrochrome “technology demonstration” was intended to see its virtualization technology in action.
Burke added that the software could only start thanks to the AVF (Android Virtualization Framework) introduced in Android 13. This framework provided a safe environment for “highly” sensitive code.
What Google was testing was the secure computing side of Android. As Burke said, most of the work would be done through TrustZone, which is not “as secure as virtual machines.” While TrustZone typically runs on ARM processors, virtual machines provide a “cleaner, more secure way to run compartmentalized secure code.”
The tech demo was done through Android 15, software that Google updated with a new AVF to run its graphics operating systems through a virtual machine. This feature also comes with GPU acceleration. However, the test was only a proof of concept to see if such capabilities could exist.
Google’s Sameer Samat weighed in, saying things “often start like that” at the company. Unfortunately, it seems all hopes of ChromeOS on Android are wasted as Google has no plans to continue – at least for now.
Google is rumored to be building its own Samsung DeX-style computing environment via ChromeOS. At a private event, users saw a Pixel 8 running the Chromium OS variant known as “Ferrochrome.” The demo showcased the latest Pixel flagship using its display output functionality through the operating system.
There wasn’t much else shown during the event other than the device’s (and software’s) ability to run computer software.
