Google Says 3 Intel Googlebooks Need Android App Tuning at $899 Launch
Updated
Updated · TNW · Oct 5
Google Says 3 Intel Googlebooks Need Android App Tuning at $899 Launch
3 articles · Updated · TNW · Oct 5
Summary
A small number of complex Android apps and games need developer tuning to run properly on three Intel-based Googlebook models that went on sale in Britain, Ireland, France and Germany.
Android was built for Arm chips, so the Intel laptops from Acer, ASUS and Lenovo run apps through a translation layer that Google says can cost performance and battery life.
Dell and HP Googlebooks use Arm chips and run Android natively, preserving the compatibility gains Google had touted over older Chromebooks’ container-based app support.
Google says the vast majority of apps work smoothly out of the box and that it is working with developers, Intel and Qualcomm to widen compatibility, but it has not identified the affected apps.
Starting at $899, the launch leaves European buyers choosing between Arm and Intel versions even though packaging does not clearly show which models run Android apps natively.