Google may be working to merge Chrome OS into its Android operating system to strengthen the value proposition of the software for its best Android tablets. While rumors circulate about Google’s Pixel Tablet 2, experts speculate on how the brand can use future devices to compete with Apple’s stronghold in the tablet market with its iPad line.
Sources told Android Authority that Google may be closer to unifying its Android and ChromeOS operating systems for the benefit of bridging this gap. Not only would Android gain highlight features from ChromeOS but in the future, some of the best Chromebooks may also run under a reimagined Android OS, that is more attuned for entertainment as well as productivity. The source added this could be a project that takes several years to unfold.
If the project came to fruition, a blend of Android tablets and Chromebooks running Android could potentially push the software market share in Google’s favor. There is also a Pixel Laptop rumored to be released running an Android operating system.
Despite being a software and services titan in many different arenas, Google has been unable to truly challenge Apple when it comes to tablet market share. Many hardware brands, including Samsung, Amazon, Lenovo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi partner with Google to use the Android operating system on their tablets. Additionally, Google introduced its own Pixel Tablet in 2023. Even so, Apple still dominates the tablet market with a single tablet line, which takes up 55% of the global market share with iOS, 45% of the market goes to Android devices, and 0.11% goes to Linux in October 2024, according to StatCounter.
Pixel Tablet 2 rumors suggest the device could be released in 2025, which could make it ineligible for the long-standing project. However, subsequent Pixel Tablet models could potentially be released with the fused Android and ChromeOS system, according to Android Headlines.
Though Google has not shared any official details about plans to merge Chrome OS and Android, the brand did discuss in June, how it would implement parts of Android’s tech stack into ChromeOS. The publication noted that the stack included “Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks,” with apps, features, and extensions that could be a part of the project.
Android Headlines noted that Google isn’t the only brand that has blended operating systems on a single device. The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid notably works as an Android tablet but morphs into a Windows laptop when connected to a keyboard. Brands including HP and Dell have also previously released similar products to the market.
Affinity’s new all-in-one creative app is finally coming to the iPad, nearly a year after Canva launched the redesigned desktop version for Mac and Windows. Creatives have been asking for the iPad release ever since, especially because files created in the new Affinity app cannot be opened in the older V2 iPad apps.
Affinity already has Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps on iPad, but the new release combines those tools into the same unified app that Canva launched on desktop last year.
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Apple has just launched its latest iPad mini with a notable set of upgrades, including an OLED screen, improved speakers, and a more resilient build. It also gets a new chip, and the whole package costs $200 more than its predecessor. But if you look closely at Apple’s online store, you’ll realize that $699 isn’t enough to get you the most powerful version of the A20 Pro chip inside this tablet. In fact, even if you pay $800 for the 256GB model, you still won’t get the beefiest variant. Only when you jump to the 512GB trim, which costs an absurd $999, do you get the most powerful flavor of the A20 Pro.
The $999 model gets more than extra storage