Chrome Version 57 Beta Launched; New Features Hint At Project Andromeda

Google is committed to continuously updating its Chrome browser, so it is not surprising that a new beta build was launched just days after Chrome v56 was released for Android. However, as the Mountain View giant brings in more features to its famous browser, it is also giving away more hints at what its Andromeda project would be like.

Just this weekend, Android Police learned that Chrome v57 has entered the beta stage ahead of the next update’s official release. Beta testing of course entails an early preview of what the software update will bring to the table. According to the tech news site, new features like CSS Grid, Fullscreen Media Orientation and improved media notifications are part of the new beta build.

CSS Grid helps in web designing because it provides a grid layout where websites can be crafted. Fullscreen Media Orientation is a feature that allows users to change the orientation of the video without necessarily changing the orientation of the phone. This is very similar to how the YouTube app works. As for improved media notifications, it basically refers to the customization users can do with the notification icons they can view and use on the Chrome app. Chrome v57 has Media Session API support, so users can now modify the music notifications to their liking.

Among the new features, two others give users an idea of what the future holds for Google’s browser. One is WebAssembly, which gives web apps more freedom and control over low-level operations than JavaScript. The other one has to do with the improvements on PWA or Progressive Web Apps. Google has already confirmed that deeper integration of PWA with Android is in the works. Based on these two alone, it is clear Google is going for a future where the best of the web and the best of apps meet. If this is telling consumers something, it’s the fact that Google is moving forward with Andromeda — the merging of Chrome and Android.

Android Central also believes that Andromeda is already underway, especially now that Google is talking about PWA on its blog. The Android-centric news site pointed out that apart from the advancements in the Android OS, there really are a lot of amazing things happening at the Mountain View giant. This is because Google is not only planning for what’s next for its platforms, but also for what’s coming after what’s next. With PWA, users will soon find themselves having the web as the global app store and their smartphones as the tool they can use to access the web interface of almost anything.