Android apps not coming to older Chromebooks, including the original Pixel

You may have heard the news that Chrome OS is getting the Google Play Store, a fact that will immediately bring an incredibly diverse array of Android software to Chromebook users, and it might even give the platform the boost that it needs to truly compete with Microsoft in the low-cost laptop market. However, every silver lining has a cloud, and this one is that many older Chromebooks won’t be getting this boon.

Google released a comprehensive list of Chrome OS devices that will receive the Play Store once it goes live on the operating system in June. The store will first appear on the Acer Chromebook R11, the ASUS Chromebook Flip, and the Google Chromebook Pixel (2015). Over the course of the rest of the year, the Play Store will gradually roll out to an extensive list of other devices, but one thing you’ll notice right away is that the list doesn’t include many devices that are older than just a couple of years. This includes the original Pixel (2013), so a lot of Chrome OS fans look like they’re going to be left out in the cold.

Google says the reason for this is to ensure that all of these devices with the Play Store will be able to run essentially any app the user wants without them running into performance issues related to hardware restrictions. From here on out, however, any Chromebook that hits the market will have the benefit of being able to access the entire library of Android apps.

What are your thoughts regarding these restrictions on the Google Play Store rollout? It’s a bit strange that some older devices didn’t make the cut even though they are still more powerful than modern mid-to-low-end devices. Let us know your thoughts and theories in the comments below!

Next: Best Chromebooks