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We’re currently working on gathering all the new goodies currently available in Chrome OS 70 in the Developer Channel. Since our last video on the subject, the developers have been VERY busy fixing issues and adding more features by the boatload.
One feature in particular that we’ve talked about already – fingerprint scanner integration – has received a much more specific update in the settings menu. Similar to what we spoke about last time around, you still need to enable a flag to get this working, but the entire setup is clearly undergoing a ton of work.
Along with that work, some interesting details may have emerged. A new, interesting animation has come along for the setup and what it implies is extremely exciting. Check it out.
Now, bear in mind this is simply a render. However, this is an oddly-specific render. We assume that they will change this particular part of the setup based on the device (from the language in this commit), but the first device we know of getting a fingerprint scanner is ‘Nocturne’, the assumed detachable set to launch a month or so from now.
If this is in fact ‘Nocturne’ being referenced here – again, this animation is pretty specific – then it could be revealing a few very particular things about Google’s intentions with the upcoming Chrome OS device.
What We Can Gather…Maybe
First up: those bezels! If this render is even close to the real thing, we are looking at a tablet with some of the thinnest bezels we’ve ever seen on a tablet. Sure, this is a render, but with the very specific placement of the fingerprint scanner being referenced, we are wondering if this is actually a decent rendering of what ‘Nocturne’ may in fact look like.
Which brings up the even bigger question: is ‘Nocturne’ going to be a tablet? Sure, the line between tablet and detachable is thin, but making a device that is a tablet first is an interesting move for sure. We’re tracking a few other things we’ll report on soon around this idea, but I’m leaning towards this being the intent. After all, all the upcoming changes to the OS outlined in the video below and in the accompanying article are all about making the tablet mode of Chrome OS more polished and pleasing for the user.
Add to this the fact that Chrome OS is going to be able to easily switch to desktop mode whenever any keyboard/mouse combo is detected – not just the bundled keyboard like in the HP Chromebook x2 – and we’re starting to see a situation that looks a lot like Google prepping the release of the first #madebyGoogle tablet.
Will this be in addition to another Pixelbook? It is hard to say at this point. The good news is we don’t have long to wait!
