[tubemonkey]

Older Chromebooks won't get the Play Store, even if they're able to run Android apps

Google doesn't want older Chromebooks to run the Play Store, but the limitations don't appear to be technical.

But here’s the catch: The upcoming Android apps functionality will only work with future Chromebooks and select existing Chromebooks that rolled out in the last two years, as Ars Technica first noticed. Google recently posted a compatibility list for Chromebooks that will run Android apps, and the roster is sure to frustrate folks who jumped on the Chromebook bandwagon early.

Got a 2013 Chromebook Pixel with an Intel Core processor and 8GB of RAM? No Android apps for you. How about a 2015 Dell Chromebook 11 3120 with an Intel Celeron processor and 2GB of RAM? Use all the Android apps you want.

That suggests there are no technical limitations preventing at least some older Chromebooks from running Android apps. Google told Ars the decision to cut out devices older than two years was intentional. In other words, don’t expect to see a ton of other devices added to the list over time. If that’s the case, then the limitation may be a ploy by Google and its partners to sell more Chromebooks.

Now to be fair, Google only promises to support Chromebooks for five years from their release date. Early Chromebooks from 2010 and 2011, therefore, may simply be unsupported due to Google’s end-of-life policy. But that doesn’t explain the seemingly arbitrary decision to cut out Chromebooks from 2013 and early 2014.