Google has confirmed that it’s developing a new Android-based operating system called Aluminium OS for PCs, laptops, tablets, and desktops. The platform merges Android and ChromeOS into a single system that Google hopes will compete more directly with Windows and macOS in the desktop market.
A new Google job listing for “Senior Product Manager, Android, Laptop and Tablets” clearly mentions work on “a new Aluminium, Android-based, operating system.” This is enough to confirm the name, or at least the codename, for this unified platform, Android Authority reported Monday. The listing reveals that Google plans to bring Aluminium OS to multiple device types across different price tiers, from budget models to premium hardware.
ChromeOS isn’t going anywhere—at least not yet. The platform will coexist with Aluminium OS during a transition period, and the job listing tasks the product manager with creating a strategy that “transits Google from ChromeOS to Aluminium with business continuity in the future.” Current ChromeOS devices will continue receiving updates until their standard end-of-life dates, and Google will maintain the legacy ChromiumOS codebase for years.