Google's Aluminium OS could spell the end for Chromebooks

Google's plan to replace Chrome OS have stepped up a pace, with a job advert shared on LinkedIn fleshing out some of the details about how this new PC operating system will be positioned.

The job posting calls for a senior product manager to "drive ChromeOS and Aluminium (eg., Android) platforms and devices", while Google is working on "a new Aluminium, Android-based, operating system and a new focus on Premium devices and experiences". Aluminium is the codename for the platform that will replace Chrome OS, it seems.

Google has long been talking about shifting its platforms, moving to a PC experience that has Android at its core and being able to take advantage of all the technologies developed around Android – namely Gemini.

At Snapdragon Summit in September 2025, this came out on stage in a discussion between Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Google SVP of devices and services, Rick Osterloh, having previously mentioned by Sameer Samat.

That's also seen recent hints that Snapdragon Android PCs might be coming, putting some power behind the software shift – and might align with the call for Aluminium OS on premium devices in the job advert.

The details outline that the job will cover managing both Chrome OS and Aluminium devices – "laptops, detachables, tablets, and boxes" is specified – but it looks like both Chrome and Aluminium will exist moving forward – at least initially, with this new role managing the deployment of both.

That sort of transition is to be expected. We wouldn't expect Google to just cut the legs off Chrome OS and end Chromebooks. Indeed, we might be looking at a tiered approach for different users, one at the affordable and more casual end and the other more premium, at least in the short term.

Aluminium OS is referred to repeatedly – it's also appearing in bug reports (via Android Authority) – so we know that it's very much a thing. What we don't yet know is Google's strategy for shifting to a new platform (which it has already said is based on Android technologies) and what that means for Chrome.

Whether this comes along as the "new Chrome", "Android PC" or enters the market as "Aluminium OS" remains to be seen. It's expected that there will be some clarity in this direction in 2026 as Google looks to shore up its PC offering to better rival Windows and MacOS, and leverage its AI technologies and existing Google software offering.

The job advert says that this new manager will be working across "Chromebook, Chromebook Plus, AL Entry, AL Mass Premium, and AL Premium", suggesting that all these products are going to be available for the foreseeable future.