Google Pixelbook 2: All the rumors (Update: Sept. 14)

Update, September 14, 2020 (4:49 p.m. ET): We updated the Pixelbook 2 Rumors Hub below with information on the confirmed Google hardware event later this month.

Original article, July 24, 2020 (4:00 p.m. ET): Chromebooks are more popular than ever in the badass laptop market. Given the growing success of Chrome OS, 2020 seems like the best time for a Google Pixelbook 2 to finally land.

When the original Google Pixelbook hit the market in 2017, it received critical acclaim – as did consumer contempt. While the new Google laptop was a great set of machinery, its $ 1,000 price tag and confidence in the then untested Chrome OS put many consumers off.

However, times have changed. The premium Chromebook market is solidifying, so a Pixelbook 2 may now do better than it did in 2017.

Below is everything we know about the alleged Pixelbook 2 so far. Bookmark this page so you will always be informed about the latest Pixelbook news!

Will there be a Pixelbook 2?

This is probably the most basic question you might have: will there be a Pixelbook 2 at all? We actually expected Google to bring out a sequel to Pixelbook last year, and it did: the Google Pixelbook Go. Of course, this wasn’t a true sequel to the 2017 Pixelbook.

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Google also previously launched the Google Pixel Slate, a Chrome OS tablet / hybrid that is similar to the Microsoft Surface. Obviously, that wasn’t a real sequel to the Pixelbook either. The Pixel Slate didn’t go down well with audiences, however, and Google has since abandoned tablets altogether.

With the end of the Pixel Slate line and the continuation of the Pixelbook name with the Pixelbook Go in 2019, it seems inevitable that there will be a Pixelbook 2 at some point in the future. In fact, we have a possible internal code name for the Pixelbook 2: “Halvor”. This is a male name of Norwegian origin. If you remember, the code name for the original Pixelbook was “Eve”, so it is possible that Google is alternately using female / male names for Pixelbooks.

Google Pixelbook 2 release date

If there’s a Pixelbook 2 out this year, it will almost certainly land at Google’s fall hardware event on September 30th. Then Google will launch the latest Pixel smartphones (Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4a 5G).

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As a reference, Google launched the original Pixelbook at this event in October 2017. Subsequently, the Pixel Slate was presented at the 2018 iteration and the Pixelbook Go at the 2019 event. So it stands to reason that we will see the upcoming Pixelbook 2020 at the same event.

As with anything else, however, the COVID-19 pandemic could thwart these plans. For example, Google has delayed the launch of Google Pixel 4a several times. Google could have been planning Coming up with a new entry to the Pixelbook range at the end of the month, but whether that will happen or not is currently up in the air.

Features, specifications and design

One of the most distinctive aspects of the original Pixelbook was the 3: 2 touchscreen display. Most laptops have 16: 9 displays, so the Pixelbook is immediately taken out of the package. Will the Pixelbook 2 also have this aspect ratio?

The jury isn’t sure yet, but we would advise against it. The reason we’re saying the Pixelbook Go – the latest Pixel branded laptop – has a 16: 9 display, and the Pixel Slate’s lukewarm response from consumers might have been a sign that 3: 2 isn’t that what people want. Additionally, no other major laptop line has adopted the 3: 2 design, so Google may be ditching the 3: 2 novelty just for the sake of competitiveness.

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However, the new Pixelbook will almost certainly be a high-end machine with quality building materials and a strong data sheet. Every Pixel laptop / tablet has Intel-based processors, so we’d assume this trend will continue too. Pen support is also a given, and it wouldn’t be surprising if some newer technologies came standard with the Pixelbook 2, such as: B. Wi-Fi 6 support, Thunderbolt 3 support etc. We even have rumors that USB 4.0 could debut with the next Pixelbook.

Finally, Google puts a lot of weight on Google Stadia, its new game streaming service. It wouldn’t be surprising if the next Pixelbook was designed to work well with Stadia, which could affect various aspects of the design and specs. This would also support our theory that the Pixelbook 2 could have a 16: 9 display, as that would be key for gaming.

Google Pixelbook 2 price

As we noted at the beginning of this article, the original Pixelbook was heavily criticized for its $ 1,000 price tag (as was the high price tag of the Pixel Slate). With this in mind, you might think that Google would try to lower the entry-level price for the Pixelbook 2.

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Unfortunately, Google doesn’t usually work that way. If the Pixelbook series is to be viewed as the premium flagship for Chrome OS, the Pixelbook 2 will almost certainly stick to the four-digit price range. This theory is supported by the existence of the Pixelbook Go, which can now be described as the “cheap” way to get a Pixelbook.

That being said, Google seems to have finally seen the light of day when it comes to the high prices for Pixel smartphones. All rumors so far suggest that the Google Pixel 5 will be available at a much lower starting price than the Pixel 4 and Pixel 3. Therefore, it is possible – however improbable it may be – that Google could lower the price of a future Pixelbook 2, but not bet on it.

Until we hear otherwise, we’re assuming the Pixelbook 2 will cost at least $ 1,000 at launch.

That’s all we know about the Pixelbook 2 so far! Make sure to bookmark this page so you can keep up to date with the latest updates.