This feature has been a long time coming, considering that Google had already brought several apps like Flipboard to the Chrome OS.
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Google on Wednesday at its I/O conference revealed upcoming improvements to Android N, many of which were included in Android N Developer Preview 3. “You will get hands-on help from our friendly engineers on how to optimize your Android app for Chromebooks”, said the company on May 19, on its Google I/O website. Starting today, all this changes; Google is bringing the full range of Android apps to Chromebook users via the Google Play store.
Google’s cut-off point appears to be around the 2014 mark; its original Chromebook Pixel, released in 2013, doesn’t make the grade, while its 2015 refresh does. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Google were slow in adding codec support and the video player was bare basic. Following the release of the software update for these devices in June, additional Chrome OS gadgets will be updated over the course of the year. Apple’s iOS 9 also supports split-screen multitasking but the iPad Pro hasn’t taken off as a productivity machine as many apps still don’t support the feature.
“Schools in the U.S. are now buying more Chromebooks than all other devices combined – and in Q1 of this year, Chromebooks topped Macs in overall shipments to become the #2 most popular PC operating system in the United States”, the company explained, citing the IDC’s latest statistics.
For phones that have the technological capabilities (re: relatively new phones), the next version of Android will have a feature called Android VR Mode, which includes a virtual environment that will allow users to access apps and other content while using the headset.
Like numerous other announcements Google made at its I/O developers conference this week, the Android apps integration feature won’t be available for users until this fall.
Chrome OS users will also receive Android notifications on their Chromebooks.
Chromebook Android apps: Are new Chromebooks on the way?
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The team has also promised to launch new devices specifically designed for the Play Store. It promised to announce more details on these upcoming machines over the next few months.
