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Google has officially announced that Chromebooks released in 2017 and after will all be compatible with Android Apps in the “coming future.” No news on when the Play Store will be making its way to the Stable channel but we still anticipate seeing some, if not all devices on the list gaining access with the release of Chrome OS 56 around the end of this month.
This news isn’t a great surprise but it speaks a silent message that’s very encouraging. Here’s why.
First, the fact that any and all devices deployed from here out will have the Play Store means Google is truly all-in on Chrome OS. The commitment to continual advancement of the platform gives us a little warm and fuzzy. This announcement will be a leveraging tool for manufacturers to continue to push the limits of Chrome OS from a design standpoint. It will also entice developers to shift focus towards Chromebooks when creating apps that will now be native to Chrome OS.
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Second, this is a good indicator that we WILL see the release of the Play Store for Chromebooks in the very near future. The ASUS Chromebook Flip C302, released this month, has access to Android Apps in the Beta channel and we confirmed at CES that the Samsung Chromebook Plus is already running the Play Store in the Stable channel.
The release of Chrome OS 56 has been scheduled outside the normal 6 week update schedule and it is our hope that the extended development period has the Play Store primed and ready to make its debut on or around January 31st.
Next week we will be anxiously mashing the “check for updates” button so we can share with you what arrives with this much-anticipated update. Stay tuned.
Source: The Chromium Project
