Mark your calendars if you're anything of a Chromebook fan. Even better if you're a fan of both Chrome OS and Android. Samsung has formally confirmed what has been leaked by Amazon. The Chromebook Pro, perhaps the Chromebook flagship of 2017, is finally landing in stores on Sunday. And if the latest round of rumors do come to pass, it's going to be the Chromebook to beat this year. Or a huge letdown.
Today we're having our first look at the project code-named Google Fuchsia - a mobile OS that departs from Android and Chrome. While Google's Chrome OS and Android OS were both based on Linux, Fuchsia is not. Fuchsia OS is based on Google's own "Magenta" microkernel, not to be confused with the Google AI music project of the same name. Fuchsia is all about speed, performance, and beauty.
It is nearly a year since Google promised the invasion of Android apps on Chromebooks. It is also nearly half a year since Samsung and Google flaunted the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1, promised to have full Android app support. Neither have yet come to fruition in any substantial, let alone final way. Although is lesser sibling, the Chomebook Plus, has long launched in the market, the Samsung Chromebook Pro remains unlisted. And, according to The Verge, it could very well be due to that Android app support.
Android apps on Chrome OS is a long time coming. Probably too long. It has been months since Google officially announced the arrival of Google Play Store on Chrome devices but it has yet to make any significant headway into that promise. Performance has not been rated well and its rollout is still pretty dismal. To better reflect that disappointing state of affair, Google has updated its list of Chrome OS devices eligible for Play Store support. And it's not all good news.
The rather innovative and daring Lenovo Yoga Book was somewhat great as a Windows 2-in-1 tablet and OK as an Android slate. It seemed, however, perfect for that other hybrid operating system, Chrome OS. Part desktop OS and soon part Android desktop, there have been signs that this other Google OS might be coming to the Lenovo Yoga Book soon. All those hopes, however, may have been dashed by a source code change that hints, but doesn't confirm, that a Chromebook Yoga Book is, for all intents and purposes, dead.
Earlier this week saw Google's senior VP of hardware clear up some remarks about the future of first-party Chromebooks. Fortunately, if you're a fan non-Google-made devices, the future continues to be bright with plenty of Chromebook options. The latest laptop comes from HP, Google has revealed, and is aimed at students in the classroom: the Chromebook x360 11 G1 Education Edition.
Google and some of its partners have revealed a few things that should have Chromebook fans gushing, and maybe Android users a bit anxious. Perhaps to emphasize that its Chrome OS platform and Chromebook device line is far from dead, Google has revealed two new Chromebooks with a more creative bent. That ties in well with Adobe's announcement of its Android apps being optimized for Chromebooks, heralding the day when Android apps on Chromebooks will be as normal as Android apps on Android devices.
Android Nougat could probably be nicknamed "The Juggler" because of how it brought the gift of powerful multi-tasking to Android. Apparently, however, it might not just be Android that will benefit from that. According to Chrome Unboxed, even Chrome OS gets a taste of that multi-tasking if and when Nougat comes to Chrome OS. Apparently that might really be soon now, at least for those in the development channel, as screenshot reveal Chrome OS running not just Android 7.0 but Android 7.1.1 even.
Released earlier this year, Lenovo's new Yoga Book is an interesting take on the 2-in-1 tablet form factor. The device drops a traditional physical keyboard for a touch surface that can be used for both typing and stylus input, and it comes in both Android and Windows models. But now the Yoga Book is about to get a lot more appealing, especially for those users who prefer Chrome OS.
After a brief period of hype brought about by official Android apps support, it seems that discussions around Chrome OS and Chromebooks have once again been reduced to murmurs. Things, however, might pick up again if the speculation presented by Chrome Unboxed turns comes to pass. Some code sleuthing revealed that at least one upcoming Chromebook could get an always-listening “OK Google” feature, just like on smartphones. But more than just the feature itself, it is hinted that it could be paving the way for the arrival of Google Assistant on Chrome OS.
Chromebooks are back! Or at least hardware makers are showing interest in them again. Whether the trend remains for good this time remains to be seen, depending on whether Chrome OS even exists in a year or so. That uncertainty, however, isn’t stopping manufacturers like Samsung or ASUS from betting on the platform. In fact, ASUS is expected to soon announce the Chromebook C302CA, which gives the Chromebook yet another version of the Yoga-like 360-degree folding form factor. Unlike most Chromebooks, however, this ASUS slate seems to be really designed for maximum productivity.
There's been word for several months now that Samsung has been working on a new Chromebook model under the codename "Kevin," and today we got an early look at the real thing thanks to a slip-up involving pre-order pages briefly going up early. This is the Samsung Chromebook Pro, and while it hasn't officially been announced just yet, a number of its specs and features were detailed, and it's clear that this is not the typical budget-friendly Chromebook, but a premium, high-end Chrome OS device.
