This means that the apps that you were running on your phones and tablets will now run on Chromebooks as well. The Google Play access in Chrome OS will first be hitting the Asus Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R 11 and the Chromebook Pixel (2015). The increasing demand and popularity of Chromebooks is going to bring more exciting features, that will make users very happy.
Advertisement
The catch, there, is of course the word ‘compatible.’ In a support note on its website, the advertising giant has admitted that many older Chromebooks, Chrome Boxes, and other Chrome OS devices won’t be getting the ability to run Android apps – even when their specifications exceed those of newer, lower-cost alternatives, and when their version of Chrome OS is still receiving regular official updates.
Google announced at its annual Google I/O 2016 conference that Google Play store will make an appearance on the company’s Chrome OS.
I think what I like about Google Play coming to Chromebooks is that you will be able to install all of your favorite e-reading apps such as Kindle, Kobo, Nook or Google Play Books.
The only Android apps and features that won’t work are those that specifically require sensors (such as GPS) that a Chromebook doesn’t include, according to Kan Liu, Director of Product Management for Chrome OS.
The apps would run better on Chromebooks with higher-end specs. The incorporation of Android apps, one of the biggest library of programs available, shores up the Chromebook’s biggest weakness. It’s worth mentioning here that not every single Chromebook out in the wild will be able to run the Play Store. By the end of 2016, roughly half of all Chromebooks released in the past two years should have access to the Google Play Store, Liu said.
This means the likes of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Hearthstone, Minecraft and thousands of other popular Android games all playable on the Chromebook.
Advertisement
Google is finally merging Android and Chrome OS, well not literally but to some extent. This announcement brings the two operating systems closer than ever before.
