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ZDNET's key takeaways
- A leaked bug report gives more info on Google's new OS.
- Aluminium OS will be the merging of Android and ChromeOS.
- The new OS should be released sometime this year.
Google's plan to merge ChromeOS and Android was elevated above rumor status some time ago, and a recent bug report from Google (originally spotted by 9to5Google) provides the first leak of any information regarding the new platform.
On Telegram, a tipster named Frost Core shared a link to a bug report (no longer accessible without permission) focused on Chrome Incognito tabs, including two screenshots and a description. According to 9to5Google, the description let on that the device used was an HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 Chromebook with a board/codenme "Brya(Redrix)," which runs a 12th-generation Intel Core (AlderLake-U) processor.
Also in the description was the build number for ALOS (the codename for Aluminium OS, the merging of ChromeOS and Android), which is ZL1A.260119.001.A1, and the version of Android being used is 16.
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In the 9to5Google post, an accompanying video shows the new OS, which looks very similar to ChromeOS. There are some subtle differences, such as a taller status bar (optimized for larger screens) and a slightly modified mouse cursor. One other difference is found in the Chrome browser. In mobile mode, the extension button is unavailable.
I also ran across a YouTube video by Shane Craig that discusses Aluminium OS and the laptop leak. In that video, Craig compares Alumunium OS to what we see on some folding Android phones, where, when the device is unfolded, the UI slightly resembles a desktop.
According to Android Authority, Google states that Aluminium OS is "built with artificial intelligence (AI) at the core," suggesting significant integration with Gemini. In that same article, Android Authority quotes Rick Osterloh, Google's SVP of Devices and Services:
"This is another way we can leverage all of the great work we're doing together on our AI stack, our full stack, bringing Gemini models, bringing the assistant, bringing all of our applications and developer community into the PC domain. And I think this is another way in which Android is gonna be able to serve everyone in every computing category."
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For those who are anxiously awaiting the release of this new OS, it was rumored to arrive sometime this year (2026), and that time frame has been confirmed. There is currently no specific date available for the release.
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