According to a statement from Google, Intel-based Googlebooks will apparently still struggle with some Android apps.
When Android apps made their debut on ChromeOS, one of the big downsides was that ARM-based machines ran those apps better than those using Intel chips. It was never a surprise given that Android apps are generally designed for devices running on an ARM architecture vs the x86 used on Intel chips.
Yet, the problem remains on Googlebook.
Despite the whole platform being Android-based this time around, Google confirmed in a statement to Android Authority that Intel-based Googlebook machines will still run into the occasional hiccup with “complex” Android apps and games, though the company emphasizes that “the vast majority” will work just fine.
The vast majority of Android apps run smoothly across both Intel and Qualcomm Googlebooks right out of the box.
Because many Android apps were originally designed for Arm chips, a small handful of complex apps or games need some developer tuning to run their best on Intel-based platforms. We’re working hand-in-hand with app developers, Intel, and Qualcomm to continuously optimize performance and expand compatibility across the entire portfolio.
Update 10/6: In an email to 9to5Google, Google further clarifies that “96.6% of the top 10k+ most-used applications” in Google Play work “flawlessly” on Intel-powered Googlebooks.
The company stresses that 32-bit x86 emulation is not to blame as Googlebooks use a “highly advanced binary translation layer that dynamically compiles modern 64-bit Arm (arm64-v8a) code directly into native 64-bit Intel (x86_64) instructions” and that apps not compatible with Googlebook are “primarily due to app incompatibility with large screens for all platforms (eg require gyroscope).”
Still, this is noteworthy as the first wave of Googlebook hardware includes mostly Intel-based machines. Laptops from Lenovo, Asus, and Acer all run on Panther Lake-generation Intel chips, while Dell and HP machines both use the Snapdragon X Elite (the 2024 chip, not the newer version).
Another chip used for Googlebook from MediaTek is also in the works, though no machines are using it just yet.
The first batch of Googlebook laptops are all available as of today.
More on Googlebook:
- The Googlebook marketing push starts with Henry Cavill and his mustache
- Lenovo’s first Googlebook actually costs $200 less than announced, and it’s not the only one
- Google says Chromebook updates end in 2034, ‘many’ models move to Googlebook OS
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