Updated May 16: Google has since confirmed to the original source of this report that this was simply a proof of concept and a bit of fun. Which is sad. Original post below.
What do you want to know
- Remember Windows Phone Continuum? A recent report suggests that Google is trying to do the same (finally) with Android.
- The report suggests that Google is experimenting with using ChromeOS to act as a desktop interface when connecting an Android device to an external display.
- Much like Continuum (RIP), this could be a huge step in the workplace or while traveling, even for Microsoft users.
Spoiler alert: I love Chromebooks. I also love Android, in fact, it was while working on our sister site, Android Central, that I got my first break into the industry. However, Windows Phone hung on, and the rest is history. So imagine how much I smiled when a recent report shows, Againhow far ahead of his time our fallen favorite was.
Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman detailed an internal experiment at Google that would leverage ChromeOS (of sorts) to act as a desktop environment when a Pixel phone is connected to a display.
Exclusive: Google is experimenting with running Chrome OS on Android. What if you could run CrOS from your Android phone? What if you could connect your phone to an external monitor to project it? This is exactly what Google is testing. More details👇https://t.co/UhhoRJ7z2ZMay 13, 2024
It’s not quite the same as Continuum, in the sense that when we docked a Windows phone, we were just using the phone and its apps natively. This report suggests that Google created a special version of Chromium OS (the open source version of ChromeOS) that runs within the Android virtualization framework. ChromeOS and Android are different platforms and Google has already stated that it will not merge them. So this seems to be the best alternative.
Android Authority also has a first look at what actually works, albeit on the phone screen only for now. But Google recently showed it to its partners during a private event.
The general idea is not new, however, but it seems very close to the Continuum. I also think it’s a much better idea for projecting from a phone to an external display than something like Samsung DeX. ChromeOS is much better suited for use on a larger screen, especially with web apps.
We’ve been here before
Yes, Windows Phone is dead, but we still like to talk about it at every opportunity. I’m actually surprised it took Google this long to do something like this. The emphasis on using PWAs in ChromeOS makes it a perfect and lightweight desktop operating system for less demanding needs. Our own Ben Wilson recently explored PWAs properly for the first time, and he was hooked. Just like me.
Continuum was truly ahead of its time. The idea was crazy, the execution flimsy, but ultimately, it headed to the Microsoft graveyard. The idea of ​​being able to just use your phone like a computer had many benefits, and if Google succeeds, so will it.
The entire Windows Central team knew how to use Continuum as much as possible. I remember setting a goal (and mostly succeeding, I might add) during a trip to Hong Kong and China to use my Lumia 950 XL connected to the TV in my hotel room instead of a laptop.
However, the world has moved on a lot since those days, and with PWAs as prevalent as they are today, a ChromeOS based solution with an Android phone would, I think, be better overall than Continuum ever was. Microsoft has its own list with the Office suite, and it is very good. The company even worked with Google to make setting up Office and OneDrive on ChromeOS easier and more integrated.
For traveling or connecting a monitor and keyboard in your office, for example, something like this would be a lightweight, user-friendly productivity tool. We may no longer have our Windows Phones, but its spirit will live on forever. For those, like me, who still miss the good old days, it looks like Google might offer us something to fill one more gap.
News Source : www.windowscentral.com
Gn tech
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