What you need to know
- Google reportedly shutters plans for a new Pixelbook and the team behind the laptop.
- The most recent laptop, the Pixelbook Go, was released in 2019.
- It's been speculated that Google would release a Pixelbook 2 powered by a Tensor chip sometime in 2023.
If you're holding out for a new Pixelbook from Google, you may be disappointed to learn that the company has reportedly canceled the device.
It's been years since the release of the latest Pixelbook, and now, according to The Verge, it looks like we shouldn't expect another one next year. Apparently, Google has reportedly shuttered its plans for a new Pixelbook and the team behind the laptop.
Leaks in late 2021 from a Google Executive suggested the company would not be releasing a Pixelbook 2 in 2022, although leaving the possibility for a later release. However, the company also stated it "didn't know" about the potential for another beyond that. Currently, it appears as though those old plans are now scrapped.
Android Central has reached out to Google for confirmation about the cancelation of both the Pixelbook and its development team but has not received word back in time for publication.
Meanwhile, a communications manager for Google addressed the rumor in a statement to The Verge:
"Google doesn't share future product plans or personnel information; however, we are committed to building and supporting a portfolio of Google products that are innovative and helpful for our users. In regards to our people, in times where we do shift priorities, we work to transition team members across devices and services."
The Pixelbook Go, Google's latest laptop release going back to 2019, was a well-built, clean product. It was a more affordable laptop with the option of a 4K display.
Since then, we've been waiting to see when Google would come through with a Pixelbook 2. We've even wondered about the chances of the laptop being powered with Google's Tensor chip. Some rumors suggested Google was working on a Tensor chip with its laptop specifically in mind.
Canceling plans for a new Pixelbook seems like a curious move considering Google's focus on building out the Pixel family to include more devices. A new laptop would fit perfectly with its plans, especially if it were powered by Tensor, although it remains to be seen how well it would compete against some of the best Chromebooks.
Now it seems Google is shifting its focus to other products, the Pixel Watch and the upcoming Pixel tablet among them. Google's first step into producing a smartwatch of its own will come alongside its new phone during the MadeByGoogle event in October. The Pixel tablet is most likely receiving a full reveal in 2023, although it would've been nice to see both that and a Tensor-powered laptop launched simultaneously.
