All good things must come to an end, but for some things, the end seems to arrive sooner rather than later. Google’s Pixel Chromebook is a premium product that has been around for a mere two iterations, and it looks like Google is about to call time on it. Why so? Well, the Pixel brand name is currently being used for Google’s range of high end smartphones. In fact, the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have done pretty well for themselves ever since being released last year, despite the fact that production has had some glitches in keeping up with the overall demand. Perhaps Google would like to make use of the Pixel namesake just for products that are developed from scratch, before placing the “brains” aka software into their very own hardware, although laptops do seem to have fallen out of favor.
When approached as to whether Google would like to have new Pixel laptops roll out in the future, apparently Google has no plans to work on one at the moment. Of course, such an answer does not mean that the door has closed completely on a Google-branded laptop, but rather, there will be no such device in the foreseeable future. With the Google Pixel Chromebooks that are in the market having been sold out in many places, there are no more concrete plans to actually manufacture those to keep up with the demand. In fact, the Google Store does not even carry any more Pixel laptops for sale. Those who would want one would have to look around for pre-loved Chromebooks on other third party sites.
However, there does not seem to be an issue with Chrome OS, as Chrome OS has been cited to be “a huge initiative in the company” and “Google hasn’t backed away from laptops. We have the number two market share in the U.S. and U.K. — but we have no plans for Google-branded laptops.”
The Pixel was originally developed for Google to show the world what a premium Chromebook ought to be, as there are other third party Chromebook manufacturers like Acer and ASUS. After all, who would like to fork out a whopping $1,299 for a laptop which does nothing more than allow you to run the the Chrome browser back in 2013? We suppose that the Pixel was more or less a fashion statement in the world of technology, and also showcasing the potential of a Chromebook. After all, the Pixel carries the honor of being the first touchscreen-infused Chromebook.
The second generation Pixel Chromebook stood on the shoulders of its predecessor, being near identical in design. However, the newer model packed more punch underneath the hood, and had USB-C charging capability that made it stand out compared to even other laptop lines. The Pixel brand so far is not limited to just smartphones, as is also the Pixel C tablet that is in the market at the moment. Well, perhaps Google might change their minds one day and come up with a full fledged laptop that runs on Windows, resurrecting the Pixel name for it -- who knows? So much for the Pixel 3 Chromebook with Andromeda!
