Just like that, Google on Thursday announced that its Pixel Slate tablet will not get an upgrade in 2019. Instead, the company’s hardware division will focus on making laptops now, that’ll most likely compete with Microsoft’s Surface Laptop, and Apple’s MacBook series.
It’s not like Google hasn’t made laptops before, the Chromebooks come to our mind, but using Chrome OS for a high-end laptop is a different gameplay altogether. Also, before the existing Pixel tablet owners start worrying, Google has promised that existing users of the tablet will get support (all kinds) for the long term.
This was mentioned by Rick Osterloh, the head of Google’s hardware division via his tweet few hours back.
He also pointed out while Google won’t be making tablets from now on, it will help partner OEMs to make devices for all segments; consumer, enterprise as well as education in countries where it sells.
Except for the Nexus series, the Pixel tablets never made it to the Indian market, including the Pixel Slate series which was announced by the company along with the Pixel 3 phones in 2018.
For Google, a laptop is recognised as a device which supports a built-in keyboard, and not like the attachable ones you get with Surface Pro or the Surface Book.
Making high-end laptop can be a challenging decision, especially when you’ve got plenty of brands already offering products in this segment, mostly running on Windows. As for the Pixel Slate, it was deemed to be a work in progress, but a pricey comparison to both, the Chromebook as well as other competing tablets.
According to a Computerworld report, affected employees from the tablet division in Google have been reassigned from developing tablets to laptops. For Google-made hardware, the company is now focusing its roadmap on the Pixelbook family of laptops which will be running on Chrome OS.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)