Google has confirmed it is developing a unified version of its Android operating system that will run on both smartphones and PC-style devices. It's effectively a full-blown merger of two systems: the technology behind Android and the user experience of ChromeOS, as seen on Chromebooks.

The project was discussed at the Snapdragon Summit 2025, where Google's SVP of Platforms & Devices, Rick Osterloh, explained the new strategy: "We are building together a common technical foundation for our products on PCs and desktop computing systems." (Source: 9to5google.com)

Your Phone Becomes Your Desktop

This effort builds on Google's earlier work to make Android and ChromeOS work better together, but represents a much deeper integration. The goal is to create a seamless experience across devices, in turn opening up the PC audience to the existing market for Android developers.

This strategy mirrors a similar goal Microsoft pursued years ago with features like Continuum for Windows 10 Mobile, which attempted to let a smartphone power a desktop-like experience. It was ultimately unsuccessful because it didn't offer as many applications as the desktop Windows 10.

Google has itself experimented with running Android apps on both Chromebooks and Windows PCs, with mixed results.

Perhaps inevitably, AI tools such as Gemini may play a key role in the combined system, with a goal of making them dedicated apps on desktop rather than just websites.

Major Industry Backing

The project has received an enthusiastic endorsement from Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, who has seen the system in action and says he'll be working with Google to develop chips.

That could be a key part to the system succeeding as historically it's been difficult producing chips that have the power for operating a desktop PC but have the size and power use suitable for a handheld device. (Source: theverge.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Would you use your smartphone as your main desktop computer if it was easy to do? Do you think Google will succeed where Microsoft failed in merging phone and PC experiences? What are the biggest security concerns you would have with using your phone to power your desktop?