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Android on PCs? Google and Qualcomm Tease Big Shift at Snapdragon Summit

Future Chromebooks may run Android natively instead of relying on ChromeOS

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by Sagnik Das Gupta
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Android logo figure placed on a laptop with a phone by the side

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Summary

  • Google and Qualcomm are working to run Android on PCs, unifying their mobile and desktop platforms.
  • The move could see future laptops, including Chromebooks, run Android natively instead of relying on ChromeOS.
  • Neither Google nor Qualcomm have given any concrete details or date on the project at the time of writing.

At the Snapdragon Summit 2025, Google and Qualcomm dropped a major hint about the future of Android, suggesting that the mobile operating system could soon power full-fledged PCs.

Android-powered PCs incoming

On stage, SVP of Devices and Services at Google, Rick Osterloh, revealed that the company has "embarked on a project" to combine its work across smartphones and computers. Additionally, he explained that Google and Qualcomm are building a "common technical foundation" to unify Android on both phones and PCs to create an ecosystem of sorts.

Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon praised the effort, calling it "incredible" and "the vision of convergence of mobile and PC." While no product demo was shown, this was sort of a rare on-record acknowledgement that Android's future extends beyond just phones, tablets and Smart TVs.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit 2025 event
Image Credit: Snapdragon (via YouTube/ @snapdragon)
Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit 2025 event
Image Credit: Snapdragon (via YouTube/ @snapdragon)

This could be big for Qualcomm as a native Android PC environment would give it a stronger foothold in a market that's dominated by Intel, AMD and Apple Silicon. This falls in line with recent reports suggesting that ChromeOS is being rebuilt on top of Android, blurring the line between Google's two distinct platforms. That will allow Android to run natively without having to rely on a ChromeOS layer to execute it.

However, one could have a lot of questions about how Qualcomm executes it all. Will Android be able to adapt to desktop workflows well? Will legacy x86 software be supported through emulation? Most importantly, when can users expect to see Android-powered PCs become a reality?

Google or Qualcomm haven't offered a timeline yet, but one thing is for sure: Android PCs are happening and is just a matter of when. 

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Sagnik Das Gupta

News Editor

Expertise :

With a little over five years under his belt, Sagnik Das Gupta now spends his days fearlessly taming new smartphones that arrive at the Beebom office. If not that, you will find him aggressively editing news stories or having an existential crisis. When he's not busy editing content or judging a phone, he's found serenading himself with a guitar or rage-quitting video games.