Android on My Asus Flip!

by Tony Thomas

The Google Play Store is now available for the Asus Flip Chromebook!  It is the very first Chromebook to get this feature.  (Sorry, Pixel!)  And as you may know, I purchased a Flip a few weeks ago in anticipation of this event.

When I heard the news yesterday, I came home, did a power wash, and switched from the stable to the dev channel (Version 53.0.2768.0 dev) and was immediately rewarded by the familiar Google Play Store icon on the right hand of the shelf. 

I installed some of my favorite apps and most seemed to work perfectly, but for some reason, the audio does not work on apps like Google Music. I immediately opened a ticket with Google and am hoping they fix it soon. Also, "flipping" from horizontal to vertical in tablet mode seems to be problematic for some apps.

As this is an alpha build, there is obviously still a lot of work to do by both the Google developers and app coders. On the positive side, Android apps look and behave just like standalone Chrome apps.  They appear and can be launched in the "All Apps" menu and can be pinned to the shelf. Very nice integration!

In any case, I am having fun with Android apps and it looks like the future of ChromeOS is suddenly much brighter!

My review of the Asus Flip: http://tonythomastechtrends.blogspot.com/2016/05/asus-chromebook-flip.html

The Google Play Megathread on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/4ohqyt/chrome_os_m53_google_play_mega_thread/


Update 6/24: After loading alpha again (after about 5 days on the stable channel), I found that sound and video does work on the apps that I tested as long as you reboot the machine after installation. This is a good practice for any app that isn't behaving right.


Update 6/25: The latest alpha update broke Android and wiped everything out. I am heading back to the stable channel until they get it sorted out.


Update 6/26: After doing some reading on the megathread, back to alpha: Version 53.0.2773.3 dev. There is now a symbol on icons that are websites and not apps.


Update 7/7: I noticed on my 2GB Flip that memory usage is low when I first turn it on and then all the ARC (Android) system stuff loads up. It takes up 151.5 MB of memory before running any Android apps according to Task Manager. I then went to Crosh and entered a "free" command and it appeared that all of the memory was being used by the system. I then opened up 17 tabs in three windows and the memory figures did not change that much. None of the tabs forced closed either. That demonstrates to me that ChromeOS is very good with memory management and that you can do more on a 2GB system than you might think.


Update 7/9: V53 alpha just updated to 53.0.2785.4. Android apps I pinned to the bar disappeared but they were still installed.

Another view of the Play Store




The About page of the new build




The Weather Channel Android app running on the Flip

Asus Chromebook Flip

 by Tony Thomas

Since it has been announced that Android apps are coming to the Chromebook this fall, I thought I would celebrate by picking up a Chromebook Flip 2GB.  Although this machine is very similar to my Rockchip-based Asus Chromebook C201, the Flip offers a a lot of additional functionality.  

First of all, the Flip will be one of the first devices to support Android during the alpha and beta test phases which should be launching soon.  So, that will give me the ability to test Android on ChromeOS as soon as it is launched.

Secondly, it is a very light and compact device with a 10.1" touchscreen is capable of double-duty as a small notebook and a capable tablet.  Additionally, you can flip the keyboard under and use it to watch You Tube, videos, movies or even use it for tabletop presentations.  The addition of the touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom and the 360 degree hinge is really a game-changer.

It has a great (although smallish) keyboard, two USB 2 ports, a micro-SD card slot, a micro-HDMI jack and a combo mic/heaphone jack.  Power is supplied by an Asus power brick with the same custom connector used on the C201.  Battery life is excellent at around 9 hours.

Using the Flip

The Flip has a very similar feel to my C201 and it uses the same chip and memory. The Rockchip Quad-Core ARM Cortex A17 (RK3288C) processor with Mali graphics core is up to the task and the Flip runs very fast despite only having 2GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD.   (There is also a 4GB version for those who need more memory for multitasking.)  The keyboard has a decent amount of travel, making it a joy to type on.  The trackpad is smooth and responsive.  The Octane score at circa 7000 is slow compared to most Intel-equipped Chromebooks but is adequate for this kind of hybrid.  A faster CPU usually requires more cooling and battery power (adding weight) and reduces the operating time. 

The touchscreen is very useful on this device as it allows for pinch-and-zoom and when it is flipped to tablet mode, an onscreen keyboard is automatically enabled.  Very slick!  When using it in tablet mode, you need to hold it do that your fingers are not in contact with the keyboard.  Even though the keyboard is inactive in tablet mode, it makes for a strange experience if you press the keys while in that mode.   The fit and feel of the all-aluminum body is superb making it look and feel like a much more expensive device.   The MacBook Air comes to mind.

The audio quality of the speakers is decent and the screen is very sharp when used at the recommended 1280 x 800 resolution.  The front HD camera is adequate for web chats but not much else.  There is no rear camera.

Triple Threat

I installed Ubuntu on the Flip using Crouton and can easily switch between ChromeOS and Ubuntu in real time using a key command.  Having a Linux distro available provides enhanced offline functionality and the ability to run powerful programs like Libre Office,  Gimp, Inkscape, Filezilla, etc.  As soon as this machine has the ability to run all of the Android apps on the Google Play store, it will be a real triple threat!

I believe that devices like the Asus Flip will become much more common as the Chrome/Android marriage comes to fruition.  I expect to see devices with more memory, more storage and even longer battery life.   If you want to get into the game early, the Asus Flip may be a good option.

Asus Flip Web Page

The Flip has a great keyboard and trackpad

Flip in video viewing/presentation mode

Flip in tablet mode (vertical)

Flip running Ubuntu via Crouton