Will your Chromebook get the new ‘Aluminium’ update? Here is what Google says

Ever since the news dropped that ChromeOS is migrating to the Android stack (codenamed ‘Aluminium’), one of the biggest questions in our comments section has been simple: “What about the Chromebook I just bought?”

While we know Google is sticking to its 10-year support promise, users want to know if they are going to get the shiny new experience or be left on the “legacy ChromeOS” version. During our Chrome Unboxed Plus AMA with Google’s VP of ChromeOS, John Maletis, we finally got some information from a Google executive on how all this is going to work.

It comes down to specs

During the interview, Maletis was transparent about the technical hurdles involved in this migration. He confirmed that “in terms of devices being able to migrate over to the new stack, not all devices will be able to just because there are technical specifications.”

Basically, some older hardware simply won’t have the horsepower to run this new OS. If you are rocking a budget device from a few years ago, it is likely going to stay on the current ChromeOS architecture until it reaches its Auto Update Expiration (AUE).

‘Aluminium’ migrations for newer devices

However, it isn’t all bad news. Maletis noted that for “a lot of the newer devices, we will be working on an ability for customers to migrate over.” And he reiterated that their priority is to honor the 10-year support promise first, but “where possible, whenever we can with product truth, we will allow migrations.”

This suggests that recent flagship and mid-range devices—likely those with more RAM and modern processors—will be able to upgrade. While Google isn’t ready to release a specific list of supported models just yet, the confirmation that they are actively working on a migration path for existing customers is a big relief!

So, while there are still several unknowns here, it is reassuring to know that if you recently purchased a mid-to-high-end Chromebook or a Chromebook Plus model, you aren’t going to be left behind. And if you are thinking about buying one soon, you can do so knowing it likely won’t turn into a paperweight when the new OS is released. It seems like Google is committed to keeping Chromebooks functional and supported for the long haul, regardless of which software stack they end up running.