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Google confirms ChromeOS phase out in 2034 — 10-year support lifetime cut short for some devices, company says it will support transition to Googlebook OS
The announcement of Google's new Googlebook laptops raised questions: what happens to the Chromebooks that many, especially students, know well? Google says it will be phasing out ChromeOS updates in mid-2034. That date matches plans previously described in court records, but it is now official.
In a support document for Chrome IT administrators in the enterprise and education space, the company explained that "many of our newest Chromebook devices will be eligible to transition over to Googlebook OS," but it hasn't listed models or described how upgrades will take place.
Chromebooks have 10-year support lifecycles. If you have a Chromebook with a cycle that extends beyond 2034, Google is telling education and enterprise managers that "Google is committed to supporting your transition to Googlebook OS, with many devices offering direct migration paths."
Googlebooks will support the same 10-year update and security patch system as Chromebooks, though it starts from the launch of the CPU inside the system.
The document also reveals that management capabilities for Googlebooks will come in the back half of 2027, suggesting that it also may be a while until we see the first enterprise Googlebooks. Chrome Education and Enterprise upgrade licenses are different from Googlebooks. If IT admins update Chromebooks to Googlebook OS or buy new machines, they will be on new licenses. Google has not yet announced those terms.
Googlebook OS appears much more like Android than Chrome OS, though we're still waiting for time with a device. In the support document, Google says it is "commited" to web developers despite support for Android apps. "[W]e will continue to support the manageability of web apps for IT admins and a robust set of APIs for web developers," it says.
Googlebooks are available for pre-order now and will launch on October 4.
Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and BlueSky @andrewfreedman.net.You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01
"though it starts from the launch of the CPU inside the system."
What does that mean, exactly? 🤨
I think it means that it'll be very difficult to pull GooglebookOS out of the system. If you want Linux, you'll have to use the built-in Linux Terminal or dual-boot.
