Speculation about a Chrome OS-Android unification into a single OS was rampant following the departure of Andy Rubin as the head Android. Normally when someone steps down in a company who’s been around for several years and wants to move onto other things wouldn’t raise many eyebrows, but his replacement is Google’s current head of Chrome OS, Sundar Pichai, who will remain head of both divisions. I actually thought (and hoped) that a merger was the future of both OSes was obvious; apparently I was wrong.
Today, while speaking at Google’s Big Tent Event in India, current chairman and former CEO, Eric Schmidt put this speculation to rest. Schmidt stated that Chrome and Android will remain separate entities for the foreseeable future. Bummer I know, but it makes sense. Each OS still has a unique function. They’re both so far apart in many aspects that a sudden melding could shock users who have become accustomed to each respective OS. Android is doing just fine on its own and Chrome OS has entered the market slowly as more and more Chromebooks have been released. In the coming years, I see them inching closer to one another, making a unified OS more possible one day maybe, but until that happens we can look forward to more advancements, new features, and improvements from both ends.
Source: Â Reuters via Slash Gear