Android PC (Aluminium OS) for ARM coming in 2026

[Tigerick]

Android PC = Android 16 + Desktop Mode with AI Integration

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💻 Android Desktop Mode (System Standard)​

Android's built-in Desktop Mode has been available in a basic form since Android 10, but is being significantly enhanced in Android 16.

• Trigger: Connecting an Android phone to an external monitor via USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode) or casting.
• Functionality:
  • Dual-Screen Independence: The phone's screen continues to run the standard phone UI, while the external monitor runs a completely separate desktop-style environment.
  • Desktop UI: This mode provides a proper taskbar, a dedicated launcher, and the ability to run apps in resizable, freeform windows (especially in newer Android versions).
  • Input: Optimized for mouse and keyboard input connected to the dock/hub.
• Goal: To turn your phone into a portable, PC-like computing experience when you are at a desk. Samsung's DeX is the most advanced, polished version of this concept.

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Expected PC Form Factors​

The new hardware is aimed at delivering a flexible and modern computing experience:

Feature	Implication
Thin & Light Laptops	Excellent battery life and performance in slim, portable devices, directly competing with Chromebooks and high-end Windows ultrabooks.
2-in-1s/Convertibles	Seamless transition between a productivity laptop (keyboard and mouse) and a tablet (touch-first experience), leveraging the OS's combined Android and ChromeOS heritage.
All-in-One Desktops	Potential for highly efficient desktop computers, especially for office and educational settings, running Android's large app library.

⚖️ Android OS for PC vs Windows on ARM PC​

Feature	Android OS for PC (Google)	Windows on ARM PC (Microsoft)
Core App Ecosystem	Android Apps (Native): Millions of apps run natively, optimized for ARM. The challenge is getting developers to adapt them for a desktop UI.	Traditional Windows Apps (Emulated): Runs millions of legacy x86/x64 Windows apps through a powerful emulation layer (e.g., Photoshop?, AAA Games).
Desktop Experience	Mobile-First/Converged: Focuses on a simple, fast, secure, and modern UI, designed to be touch-friendly first. Potential for limited desktop features initially.	True Desktop OS: The full, familiar, feature-rich Windows 11 desktop experience, designed for power users and complex multitasking.
Performance Advantage	Pure Native Speed: Android apps run natively without an emulation layer, offering superior performance and energy efficiency for the mobile-first tasks they are designed for.	Hardware Acceleration: Native performance for modern Windows apps (Office, Edge). Emulation runs older apps, which can involve a performance penalty, though it's much improved.
Battery Life	Best-in-Class: Likely to offer the best battery life due to the Linux/Android core being inherently lightweight and designed to be optimized for ARM power consumption.	Excellent: Provides significantly better battery life than equivalent Intel/AMD PCs, but still manages the overhead of a large, complex OS.
Target User	Casual users, students, education, and users who prioritize simplicity, battery life, and the Android ecosystem.	Power users, business, IT professionals, and users who require legacy Windows software and peripherals.

 

[Tigerick]

Will Android PC support x86 platform?

The new Android PC OS (Aluminium OS) is being developed with a primary and heavily emphasized focus on the ARM architecture...

However, the complete elimination of x86 support is unlikely, as Google still has a significant legacy to manage. Here is a breakdown of the expected support levels:

1. Primary Focus: ARM Architecture​

The core development for the new, converged OS is centered entirely on ARM for several key reasons:

• Efficiency: ARM chips offer the superior power efficiency and integrated AI capabilities (NPUs) that Google is prioritizing for modern laptops and all-in-ones.
• Android Native: Android's native and optimal runtime is on ARM. Building the new OS on this base ensures the vast Android app ecosystem runs natively and quickly without the performance penalties of translation/emulation.
• Strategic Partnership: Google's public announcements highlight the collaboration with Qualcomm, making it clear that the future of this platform is tied to the ARM chip ecosystem.
  

2. Secondary/Legacy Support: x86 (Intel/AMD)​

Support for the traditional x86 platform (Intel and AMD chips) will likely fall into two categories:

Category	Expected Scenario
Current ChromeOS Devices	ChromeOS already runs on millions of x86-based Chromebooks. The new Aluminium OS will need to support these existing devices through the operating system's evolution, likely maintaining an x86 branch for backward compatibility and updates.
Android App Compatibility	Android, at its core, is compiled for both ARM and x86 architectures. Apps uploaded to the Google Play Store typically include both ARM and x86 binaries. Therefore, the new x86 version of the OS will run Android apps natively that contain the x86 binary.
Long-Term Focus	While support will exist, new features and the highest levels of performance (especially with advanced, low-power AI tasks) are expected to be optimized for and exclusive to the ARM platform. This mimics Apple's strategy of moving from Intel (x86) to its own ARM-based M-series chips.

Conclusion​

While community projects like Android-x86 have long existed to run Android on x86 hardware, Google's official new OS will treat ARM as the future and x86 as the legacy platform.

You will almost certainly be able to run the new OS on x86 hardware, but the most innovative devices and the fully optimized experience will be on ARM.

 

[Tigerick]

Above articles are derived from Gemini with minor modifications by me. Both operating systems will be coming in 2026. The release timings seem coincidence, but I don't think so. Just like AMD has signed agreement with Samsung in 2019 (six years ago); the ending of exclusivity deal between Microsoft and Qualcomm has opened up ARM PC market. Almost all ARM vendors are going to enter PC market with WoA; this directly are affecting the sales of Android tablet. Therefore, Google has to scale up the Android OS to compete with Microsoft in PC market.

Both Android OS and WoA will be starting new race with ARM PC platforms. All OEMs are going to use whatever APU being made by Qualcomm, NV, AMD, Mediatek and Samsung?. What we are seeing right now are just the first wave of ARM APUs. Do you all still think Soundwave is just one-off project from AMD?

 

[marees]

Do you all still think Soundwave is just one-off project from AMD?

Yes.

No laptop or tablet oem buys AMD APUs

They are primarily a desktop company

They also make apus for handhelds & halo devices. But not the device classes that you have mentioned above

 

[Tigerick]

My next Android notebook PC

MacBook Pro 16-inch	LG gram 17 2025	Lecoo Air 16		Features Required
$2499	$1,029	CNY4999 ~ $700		< $999
2.14 kg	1.38 kg	1 kg		~ 1 kg	Lightweight 16-inch is my dream
16.2-inch 3456 x 2234 120Hz	17-inch 2560 x 1600 60Hz Touch	16-inch 2560 x 1600 120Hz		>= 16-inch 2.5K
M4 Pro 14-core CPU	Intel Ultra 7 258V 8-core Lunar Lake	Intel Ultra 5 125H 14-core Meteor Lake		N2 ARM SoC	As tech geek, N2-node ARM SoC should be min
20-core GPU	8-core Arc 140V	7-core Arc		> 5 TF
16-core Neural Engine	47 TOPS	11 TOPS		>= 80 TOPS	Should use 3rd gen AIE
24GB unified memory	32GB 128-bit LPDDR5x-8533	32GB 128-bit LPDDR5-6400		96-bit LPDDR6
273GB/s Memory BW
512GB SSD	2TB SSD	1 TB SSD		> 1TB SSD
Touch-ID	Touch-ID	Biometric
100 WHr	77 WHr	60 WHr		> 60 WHr
140W USB-C Power Adapter	65W Power Adapter	65W Power Adapter