Chromebooks will reportedly start to receive some Android O features before Android smartphones do. The reason for this is that the powers-that-be in the Chrome OS division of Google reportedly want to speed up the release cycle for Chrome OS devices. Technically, not speed up the Chrome OS release cycle per se, but instead ensure that the latest release cycle for Chrome OS comes with the newest features possible, even if those features are Android O-based.
The comments on this were reportedly provided by Chrome OS’ Senior Director of Product Management, Kan Liu, to The Verge. As part of those comments, Liu notes that the Chrome OS team wants to ‘decouple themselves’ from the traditional “dessert releases” for Android. So instead of waiting for Android O features to become available as part of the wider Android O release, it seems Liu wants Chrome OS devices to get the features that are specifically beneficial to Chrome OS, as soon as they are realistically available.
Of course, that does not mean that all Android O features will become available to Chrome OS users before Android O is properly released, as the emphasis here is on features that are usable and make sense for Chrome OS. So it will likely be a pick and choose type of decision on which features migrate to Chrome OS before making their general Android mobile debut, A decision likely based on how well those features are suited to the Chrome OS platform in general. Likewise, while Android apps are now compatible with Chrome OS, they are, and reportedly will remain, in beta for some time still. So while these new features might first become available on Chrome OS, they will be working in tandem with beta versions of Android apps. Essentially, those features will be beta themselves. On a related note, the wider conversation was to do with Samsung’s Chromebook Pro, which is largely considered to be long overdue in arriving. Although Liu expects the Chromebook Pro is about ready to hit the market with a suggested release day of May 28 provided. A device which is likely an ideal candidate to test run some of those Android O features.