Google is desperately trying to improve ChromeOS to make it a viable alternative to macOS and Windows. It is far from being a full-fledged modern operating system right now, but Google has started making major changes to ChromeOS' fundamentals. This, among other things, will improve the wireless audio quality of Chromebooks.
So, when you connect your Galaxy Buds to your Galaxy Chromebook in the future, you will get improved audio quality.
Galaxy Chromebooks to get new wireless audio codecs via ChromeOS update
Google has announced (via Mishaal Rahman) that it is bringing several parts of Android's tech stack to ChromeOS. This includes Android's Linux kernel fork and several frameworks. This will accelerate the pace at which Google can bring advanced features to ChromeOS and improve its integration with Android devices like smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. It will also massively improve compatibility with accessories, like wireless earbuds.
The first changes are already live with ChromeOS 122. It now uses Android's Fluoride stack for Linux (Floss) instead of the standard Linux BlueZ stack. This change has been under testing since 2021. This Bluetooth stack brings higher-quality wireless audio codecs, including AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC.
It also supports Bluetooth LE Audio, which offers better audio quality and reliability than SBC (the current default in ChromeOS). Along with higher-quality codecs, ChromeOS will also get faster pairing, a stronger Bluetooth connection, and an improved testing process.
So, you can expect your Galaxy Chromebook to work even better with devices like the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which supports AAC and Bluetooth LE Audio. You can watch our Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review in the video below.
In the future, Google wants to bring more AI capabilities to Chromebooks with future ChromeOS updates. However, these changes and improvements won't come soon. You can expect to see major improvements in the coming years as Google integrates the basic framework of Android and ChromeOS to strengthen its ecosystem.