One of the most important things announced at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in Maui wasn't just about Qualcomm, but how Google is finally merging Android and ChromeOS to create a new operating system for computers (Android for PC). Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amonrevealed that this is finally happening, while a Google executive revealed when it will happen.
Android for PC is coming in 2026
“ It’s something we’re extremely excited about for next year ,” said Sameer Samat , head of Google’s Android Ecosystem, at the end of Qualcomm ’s keynote .
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He said the company is very happy and extremely committed to the form factor laptop, as we know it with ChromeOS. However, he has noticed that these days Android tablets are also extremely successful and are increasingly becoming productivity machines. So Google sees a new opportunity: it wants to see how it can accelerate all the AI advances that are happening on Android and bring them to the laptop form factor as quickly as possible. Essentially, the company wants to offer a laptop and the rest of the Android ecosystem in a way that works seamlessly together.
“What we’re doing is we’re essentially taking the ChromeOS experience and redefining the technology underneath it into Android. So that combination is something that we’re extremely excited about for the next year, and we’re working with ourselves and others on that, and we can’t wait,” Samat concluded.
Google seems poised to open a new chapter in the history of personal computing, seeking to unite two separate worlds that it created: Android and ChromeOS. For years, the two platforms coexisted side by side, each with its own strengths and limitations. But now, the plan is to turn this dual path into a single user experience — something that could fundamentally change the dynamics of the PC market.
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This move is not only strategic but also symbolic. Google recognizes that the Android “family” has evolved into something much bigger than smartphones: tablets, wearables, smart devices and, now, laptops. The new operating system, if presented as described, promises to bring the flexibility of Android to environments where productivity requires greater stability and power.
Google and Qualcomm collaboration
Neither Qualcomm nor Google have said exactly how they're working on this combined operating system (Android for PC), but now Qualcomm isn't just making the most popular processor for flagship Android phones — the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that's likely to appear in the next Samsung Galaxy. It's now coming with PC chips, too.
At the conference, it announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme , claiming they are the most efficient chips available for Windows PCs. This announcement was made without any mention of Google or Android or Chrome, but it wouldn't be surprising if an Android integration is on the horizon.
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Qualcomm seems set to be more than just a technology supplier, but a critical partner. With its new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips aimed squarely at Windows PCs, the company is showing that it sees the PC of tomorrow as a device that doesn't just speak Microsoft's language. If Google can seamlessly integrate Android features onto ARM-based computing systems, the balance in the space could be turned upside down.
Beyond hardware, the big bet is artificial intelligence. Google wants to bring Android AI directly to laptops (AI Android for PC), creating a new way of interacting that may leave the traditional desktop model behind. 2026 is predicted to be the year when this vision will be put to the test in practice.
