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As we previously reported, a new MediaTek-powered device is coming.
And it looks like it is coming very soon.
According to this recent commit, we can see that ‘Elm’ has made it to the PVT (Production Validation Test) phase. This phase is the final step before production can begin, answering the question:
Can we build tons of units that that function as expected, look great, and go together quickly and easily every time, meeting all functional requirements, cosmetic/appearance requirements, with great manufacturability metrics, i.e. process capabilities, first pass yield, rolling throughput yield?
– via Quora
In addition, you can also see that the device is being tested on Chrome OS R53, which makes complete sense as this looks to be a 360-degree 2-in-1 device that will take full advantage of the Play Store coming in September.
With that in mind, it is fair to deduce that the release of this device should coincide with the release of Chrome OS R53, likely to be hitting the stable channel in September.
As always, this is speculative. However, the device is clearly nearing production and, sooner than later, we should finally see ‘Elm’ in all it’s glory!

