Google (accidentally) shows a glimpse of Android for computers

The images show an interface that blends graphic elements of ChromeOS with the typical structure of Android 16. The application bar maintains the desktop setting but moves the start button to a central position, following an aesthetic closer to smartphones, while the upper part of the screen hosts a status bar with icons for battery and connectivity borrowed directly from mobile devices. The video sequences, despite their brevity, illustrate the functioning of the Play Store and the management of multitasking in split-screen mode, suggesting a user experience that aims for maximum convergence between the two ecosystems.

The explicit reference to the ALOS software version within the bug tracker validates the previous statements of Sameer Samat, head of Android, who had anticipated significant news for the sector during the current year. Despite the fragmentary nature of the leak, the experiment conducted on existing laptop hardware demonstrates how the transition towards a single operating system is now in an advanced testing phase, awaiting an official presentation that could clarify Google’s ambitions in the high-end laptop market.