Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
An update to the Chromium Project’s Android on Chrome OS page didn’t bring anything new Chromebooks to the party but it has offered up some clarity as to which devices have access to the Play Store on a given channel.
Until recently, the developer page listed the original 3 devices with access to Android Apps. The ASUS Flip, Acer Chromebook R11 and the Chromebook Pixel (2015) were the only ones listed “officially” even though the Samsung Chromebook Plus comes with the Play Store out-of-the-box.
Good News
Apart from the updated table that is a little cleaner and easier to navigate, developers have added the devices that have access to the Play Store in the Beta Channel. This is a bit of an unusual move as Google doesn’t generally promote or support devices not in Stable.
Along with the addition of the Samsung Chromebook Plus, the AOpen Chromebase Mini and Chromebox Mini have been confirmed for the Stable channel.
Chromebooks with access to Android Apps in Beta include the Acer R13 and Asus Flip C302.
Bad News
The let down here is that nothing has really changed when it comes to Chromebooks with official support.
With Google I/O quickly approaching, the one year mark of the announcement of Android Apps on Chrome OS has many exasperated and sorely let down that this promise has yet to become reality.
More Good News
The positive here is that the release of Chrome OS 58 is right around corner. We are still very much of the belief a wider roll-out will come with the next version of Chrome OS and the refreshed support page is a positive sign that loose ends are being tied up in preparation for the release. All this corresponds with the upcoming release of the Samsung Chromebook Pro which has been reported to be coming with the Play Store out of Beta testing.
I won’t patronize you with promises of “it’s coming, be patient.” I assure you, we are just as anxious as you are to see the Play Store finally come into itself for Chrome OS. Just know that we are along for the ride with you and will stay on top of changes as they develop.
Source: Chromium Project via Android Police
