Google is putting the kibosh on any rumors that Chrome OS will be replaced by Android.
The company officially stated in a blog post that Chrome OS is here to stay, clearing up some confusion about the future of Chromebooks, too. Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome OS and Chromecast Hiroshi Lockheimer wrote that there are no plans to phase out Chromebooks.
"We have plans to release even more features for Chrome OS, such as a new media player, a visual refresh based on Material Design, improved performance, and of course, a continued focus on security," Lockheimer said.
Furthermore, the statement promises Google will continue its six-week software cycles while reminding Chrome OS users of five years of guaranteed auto-updates from the time they bought their devices. The statement ends on a note for users to stay on the lookout for dozens of new Chromebooks in 2016.
While the main aim of this statement is to dispel the rumors of the demise of Chromebooks, Google admits it has been "working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems."
The Wall Street Journal report that originally documented Chrome OS' future merger could happen in 2017, so there's the possibility the web search company is telling a veiled truth.
In either case, Chromebooks will be around for still a big part of the computing world in 2016. Of course, Google would want to stamp out any rumors of the dissolution of Chromebooks, especially when it's poisonous to its plans to develop the Chrome OS as platform for enterprises with the Dell Chromebook 13 and miniature PCs like the Asus Chromebit.
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Via The Verge
