Since its 2019 launch, the Google Pixelbook Go has been on our best Chromebooks page. Why? Its 11:30 battery life wowed us (the average Chromebook lasts about 9 hours and 30 minutes). Ultra-slim design, vivid display, and good performance also impressed us.
We questioned as 2020 and 2021 passed, “Why? Why hasn’t Google updated Pixelbooks?” According to The Verge (using “a person familiar with the subject”), Google planned to release a redesigned Pixelbook in 2023 but scrapped the project to minimize costs.
Pixelbook 2 Reportedly Cancelled
Google Pixelbook 2 fans, cheers! The Verge reports that preparations for a successor have been cancelled, making the rumoured Chromebook unlikely. The rumour says Google has scrapped the Pixelbook and is done developing laptops for the foreseeable future.
The Verge, citing an unnamed source, reports Google scrapped the Pixelbook over cost-cutting. The laptop’s team has apparently been moved to other projects. Google “doesn’t reveal future product intentions,” The Verge was told.
Pixelbook pedigree dates back to 2013’s Chromebook Pixel (as the first Google hardware to bear the Pixel name). It had a Core i5 CPU, 4GB RAM, and 32GB storage. 2017 saw the first Pixelbook, a compact convertible. While it had its fans, its high price and mediocre tablet experience hurt it. The next year, the tablet-first Pixel Slate was widely panned.
The $649 Pixelbook Go, Google’s effort at a traditional laptop, launched in the fall of 2019 and was considered as a gorgeous but impractical option to comparably equipped laptops at the time. That laptop was Google’s last.
Chrys Tsolaki, Google’s Retail Partner Manager for Chromebooks, said last year there would be no new Pixelbook hardware in 2022.
With changing form factors and a focus on form over function, it’s not surprise the Pixelbook line was discontinued. Still, this doesn’t mean Chromebooks are doomed forever. Moreover three years after the Pixel Slate’s demise, Google has officially confirmed a Pixel-branded tablet with a Tensor CPU.
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