Tag: Chromebooks

Android App Support Expands to Several Chromebooks in Latest Chrome OS Builds

The Chromium team has updated the list of Chromebooks that can run Android apps either in the Chrome OS beta or stable channels.  In all, 10 devices are able to run Android apps now, bringing the total number up to 67 different Chromebooks and Chromeboxes that can run Android apps.

When it comes to pure new additions to the list, there are eight new devices that moved into the beta channel.  That includes the likes of the Toshiba Chromebook 2 (2015), the Haier Chromebook 11 C, and the Viglen Chromebook 360.  Two devices, the Acer Chromebook 11 (C740) and the Dell Chromebook 13 (7310) moved from the Beta channel to the Stable channel, meaning they are fully supported by those devices.

More Chromebooks Seeing New & Improved Android App Support

Android apps on Chromebooks continues its slow march but has started entering into a second phase of sorts.  While support in general continues to new Chrome OS devices, those that already have the support are starting to see an update to Android Nougat 7.1.1.

If you recall, when Android apps started rolling out to Chrome OS, it was based on Android Marshmallow.  It worked well but you didn’t have the benefits like split-screen natively as you do in Nougat.  Now devices which have had the ability to run Android apps are starting to see an update to Nougat.

In the Stable channel, there are three Chromebooks that are supporting Android Apps, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1:

  • Lenovo Chromebook Flex 11
  • Samsung Chromebook Pro
  • Acer Chromebook R 13

Keen followers of Chrome OS will know that these devices have had the ability to run Android apps for a while, in the case of the Samsung Chromebook Pro, since its release.  This update to their stable builds of Chrome OS will bring the Nougat update.

Chrome OS Could Soon Have Model Specific Wallpapers at Launch

An interesting tidbit of code has shown up in the Chromium change log for Chrome OS.  The change outlines that the default wallpaper on a device can be controlled by the master configuration.  In other words, manufactures like Acer, Dell and HP could have specific wallpapers for specific Chrome OS devices.

The ability for an OEM to set a default wallpaper has been in play for some time now.  Both Acer and HP have a custom wallpaper that they have all their Chromebooks show when you first power them on.  Google is incredibly strict with what OEMs can do to the Chrome experience.  To this point, the manufactures had one wallpaper they could add and it was the same on every Chromebook.

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