Project Aluminium: Google's Next-Gen OS Timeline Unveiled

Merging Android and ChromeOS

Google is actively developing an operating system dubbed Aluminium, which aims to unify its Android and ChromeOS platforms. Early reports hinted at a potential launch, citing upcoming Intel Panther Lake devices internally codenamed 'Ruby' and 'Sapphire' as potential early adopters.

Release Timeline and Hardware Compatibility

Recent court documents from the Google search antitrust case have shed light on the ambitious project's timeline.

A full release of Aluminium is not expected until 2028.

While Sameer Samat, Google's head of Android, had previously expressed hope for a 2026 launch, company filings present a more conservative "fastest path." This path includes engaging "commercial trusted testers" in late 2026, culminating in a full public release in 2028. Similarly, the rollout for the enterprise and education sectors is also projected for 2028, not 2026.

It has been confirmed that Aluminium will not offer compatibility with all existing Chromebook hardware. In response, Google has pledged a 10-year support window for current ChromeOS devices.

This means ChromeOS will be maintained at least through 2033 for incompatible hardware.

Further revelations from court documents indicate Google's strategy to phase out ChromeOS entirely by 2034, a decision influenced by specific jurisdictional support requirements.

Antitrust Rulings and Legal Implications

These details surfaced during the US v. Google antitrust case, where Google's lawyers successfully argued against divesting Chrome, asserting it would complicate support for ChromeOS on older devices.

Judge Amit Mehta's final judgment in the case permitted Google to retain Chrome and, crucially, exempted ChromeOS and its successor, Aluminium, from prohibitions on self-preferencing deals with carriers and manufacturers.

This ruling grants Google the ability to prioritize its proprietary applications on Aluminium OS devices. The judge's December 2025 opinion highlighted that "Chrome is a necessary component of a ChromeOS device," a finding that could potentially extend to Aluminium. This aspect raises pertinent questions regarding the potential design of Aluminium to intentionally centralize Google's browser and applications, which could, in turn, limit competition within the ecosystem.

Future of Competition and App Ecosystems

Additionally, an unnamed source has suggested that Google might be strategically structuring Aluminium to circumvent potential repercussions stemming from the Epic Games v. Google lawsuit. The proposed settlement in that particular case may be restricted to smartphones and and tablets operating on "the Android operating system," potentially creating an exclusion for Aluminium-based laptops and desktops.