The fact that Google is starting to roll out the ability for Android apps to run as Chrome apps suggests that they are aware of the limitations of being "web only". It also stands to reason that if they're going to soon allow Android apps to run under ChromeOS, you should be able to develop them too, no?
To boot, the Pixel's relatively decent hardware, high-res display, and touchscreen just seem like it would be ideal for testing Android apps if it could be done natively.
I doubt it will ever be as simple as I would like. But I can dream.
There are no limitations of what you can do via a web browser. My company personally developed and delivered projects otherwise thought not possible in browser environments. With the help of extensions and solid JS and HTML, everything is possible. Of course super low level stuff are out of the picture but this is not normal users will be concerned about.
If they're going this roundabout way about bringing native apps to a browser-OS platform, I wonder they they couldn't just use the already native Android platform, which...already had the Chrome browser.
To boot, the Pixel's relatively decent hardware, high-res display, and touchscreen just seem like it would be ideal for testing Android apps if it could be done natively.
I doubt it will ever be as simple as I would like. But I can dream.