The Chromebook Pixel is dead, but the future of the rumored Andromeda OS is still a mystery.
Google is focusing on hardware more than it has in the past with the Pixel smartphones, Google Wifi, and Google Home. One product Google doesn’t plan to continue making is laptops, according to Google’s SVP of hardware Rick Osterloh. If you head to the Google Store right now, the Chromebook Pixel isn’t available, and apparently it never will be again. This leaves the future of Google’s rumored Andromeda project even more murky than it was before.
Speaking at Mobile World Congress, Osterloh noted that Google is keeping the Pixel brand focused on smartphones right now. Importantly, he says Google has no further plans to make its own laptops (the Pixel C tablet continues to exist for now). It makes sense in the context of Google’s new hardware focus. The company is focusing more on hardware projects that can make money.
That doesn’t mean Google is uninterested in laptops, though. Chromebooks are a huge market, particularly in education. A new set of Chromebooks were announced recently that will all launch with Android app support and touchscreen displays.
