Talk about a roller coaster ride. Just a few months ago, hidden from view, Robby stumbled across evidence that Google had desperate plans to make a new Pixelbook. After spending the last two years tirelessly combing the Chromium repository for any sign of a new Made by Google Chromebook (with little reward), the realization that Rick Osterloh himself has been flat out confirming a new device has made our dreams come true breathed new life by a new Pixelbook.
Despite the veiled nature of Mr. Osterloh’s testimony, that spark was all it took to reignite the flame of hope that Google was working on the first-ever Tensor-powered Pixelbook. We’ve discussed this at length on numerous podcasts, and given Apple’s monumental success in making the move to ARM-powered macOS devices, introducing a next-gen Pixelbook with Tensor was really no stretch too far. In fact, the idea of a new Google Chromebook with the in-house SoC is a rumor that has been doing the rounds in the rumor mill for over a year.
While some of these “leaks” may seem entirely unfounded, Rick Osterloh’s statement above leads me to believe that they were not entirely based on fantasy. After all, most rumors arise from a fragment of truth. Whatever Google had up its sleeve, we loved it, because honestly, there’s just something about the Pixelbooks. It’s almost impossible to put into words, but Google’s Chromebooks, even the OG Pixels, were just “built differently.” The newer Pixelbook branded devices weren’t the most powerful Chromebooks out there. They also didn’t necessarily include features you couldn’t find on models from other OEMs. However, there’s an almost intangible feeling when you pick up a Made by Google Chromebook.
Pixelbook vs. PixelBook Go
A tablet in the gap
Google’s senior vice president Rick Osterloh hasn’t revealed yet when we’ll see a new Pixelbook, but he did make an appearance at Google I/O to announce more exciting hardware coming out of Mountain View soon. Along with the Pixel Watch Rick wore onstage, the senior vice president also threw in a curveball that in 2023 we’d be seeing a Tensor-powered Pixel Android tablet. Okay… Strange turn of events, but I’m following, Rick. Do not get me wrong. The thought of seeing a true successor to the Pixel C is exciting. The Android tablet space is absolutely one dimensional as Samsung is the only OEM making anything close to the top.
Perhaps Google’s temporary shift in focus to the Android tablet market would give them time to iterate and perfect the fledgling Tensor SoC in preparation for the monumental launch of the world’s first Tensor-powered Pixelbook. In the meantime, we can all enjoy driving a premium, powerful Google-y Android tablet that doesn’t wear a Samsung badge. Count me in. One hundred percent. take my money
Unfortunately, this is not the case. The teased Pixel tablet that appeared on screen just behind Rick looked more like an e-reader or Fire tablet for kids. That’s not to say it didn’t look like a Google device. In fact, my first thought was that the new Pixel tablet looked like a pedestal-less Next Hub smart display. As it turned out, that wasn’t a coincidence. See, earlier this year it was spotted that Google was working on a Nest Hub-style detachable device. At the time, I theorized that the Pixel tablet and this unannounced smart display could very well be one and the same. All signs point to that being the case, and we’ll eventually have a Pixel tablet that does double duty as a mounted smart display.
So, not exactly what I was hoping for, but I get it. Google has had a big focus on the smart home market, and combining an Android tablet with the versatility of a Nest smart display makes perfect sense. You can play with it, read the news, watch Netflix and when you’re ready to go hands-free, just snap it onto the base and you’ve got a smart display/speaker perfect for reading recipes or making video calls. Cool. i can dig it Now let’s move on and talk about the future Pixelbook. Should we?
Say it’s not like that…
Up to this point, this story plays out like a dream come true. Even though it’s been three years since the last Pixelbook was announced, we’re quite willing to wait a little longer to see a new Google Chromebook powered by in-house silicon that continues the Pixelbook legacy. Unfortunately, our story has now taken a turn worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan film, and I’m sad to report that a new Pixelbook is no longer part of Google’s future hardware roadmap. I know. I didn’t mean to tell you, but you deserve to hear it from a friend. We’ll get through this together. I promise.
The news came earlier today. As The Verge reports, the demise of the next Pixelbook follows a company memo from CEO Sundar Pichai, in which Google’s head said hiring would be slowed and certain areas of development would be suspended. This would not necessarily lead to cuts, but to “reallocation of resources to higher priority areas”. According to The Verge’s unnamed source, one of the areas of development was the team responsible for the Pixelbook.
Google has canceled the next version of its Pixelbook laptop and disbanded the team responsible for building it. The device was well advanced in development and is due for launch next year, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the project was shelved amid recent cost-cutting moves within Google. Members of the team have been relocated to another location within the company.
The edge
If the source is correct and this information is correct, it looks like Google has plans to release its next Pixelbook next year. With the new Pixel tablet likely launching in the first half of the year, I’d bet the goal was a fall Pixelbook release at Google’s 2023 hardware event. That’s just my two cents. I have no idea what the company had in the works. Anyway, that doesn’t matter now. The next Pixelbook isn’t around and the team will likely be dispersed to work with OEM partners to develop the next generation of ChromeOS devices but that can’t be bad…
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” That’s a great saying, and I believe it’s at the heart of much of Google’s hardware strategy. Dating back to the original Google Pixel Chromebook and the Nexus family of Android phones, Google’s hardware has often taken the form of Halo devices intended as a guide for other manufacturers. That mantra has changed a bit since the debut of the all-new Tensor-powered Pixel phones, but it’s still part of the fabric Google is woven from. As the saying above goes, Google often “shows up” when the Android or ChromeOS ecosystem needs a little nudge. To understand one possible reason why Google is exiting the Chromebook market right now, we need to look at the rest of this saying. The part most of us forget.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. If the student is really ready… The teacher will disappear.
ChromeOS has grown up. You might not agree, and that’s okay, but like it or not, Chromebooks are everywhere. Google has succeeded in bringing ChromeOS to the masses and making the relatively young operating system a staple in schools, homes and perhaps most importantly the corporate sector. We can discuss that more at a later date, but the fact remains, Chromebooks are here to stay. Google knows this. PC manufacturers know it. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t have full-featured $2,000 ChromeOS devices like the HP Elite Dragonfly that rivaled some of the nicest Windows machines out there. Don’t be fooled, giant OEMs don’t back a device and let it carry the name of the leading device lines unless they think there’s a market for it.
All that said, I think Google knows that Chromebook makers are totally onboard when it comes to creating cutting-edge ChromeOS devices that can keep up with anything on the market. Maybe Google decided the world didn’t need another Pixelbook. At least not now. Let’s not forget that it wasn’t that long ago that Rick Osterloh himself announced that Google was exiting the tablet game. It took less than three years to make that 180 years, and soon we’ll have a brand new Made by Google tablet to enjoy.
Maybe, just maybe, the time is right for Google to eclipse the Pixelbook again. Perhaps a Google Chromebook will reappear when used like a mysterious superhero. Personally, I’ve been dying to see a new Pixelbook powered by Google’s Tensor SoC, and I know I’m not alone. The ChromeOS world should have a herald, and that herald longs to be a Pixelbook, but other OEMs have come alongside Google and are making ultra-premium Halo devices that can pick up the torch. As much as we want a new Pixelbook, this might be the best. To quote Jim Gordon, “The Pixelbook might be the Chromebook we deserve, but it’s not the one we need right now.”
Source: The Edge
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