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Admittedly, we weren’t really expecting much from the Chrome OS world during from keynote speakers at Google’s I/O event today. Last years announcement of the Play Store coming to Chromebooks was even reserved for a session later in the day. That’s okay, we know Chromebooks are cool and the rest of the world is slowly catching on.
The one mention of Chromebooks wasn’t all that surprising but the device itself was a sight to behold. VP of Android Engineering, David Burke took to the stage about an hour and a half in to discuss the upcoming Android O release and all the new goodies coming with it.
He opened by highlighting all the platforms that Android is being leveraged on so it was no surprise that Chromebooks were mentioned. However, the device right at the end of the list wasn’t a Google Pixel as you might expect. Nope, it was the much-anticipated Samsung Chrombook Pro that saw its soft release earlier this week.
The mention of Chromebooks was brief. Essentially spotlighting the massive growth in the education market and the potential growth with the addition of the Play Store. He did reference Android Apps in a manner that made it sound as if the project has been fully realized. We know that is not the case but it is a good indicator that we are on the cusp of the merger finally happening.
Presenting the Play Store on Chrome OS front and center reinstills our firm belief that Google is highly committed to making this venture happen for the long-term.
Not a word was breathed about the actual Samsung Pro but there really was no need. I have suspected for some time that the Pro was the “flagship” device Google had been collaborating on and this just solidifies that suspicion. Currently, from the recently pulled Amazon listing, we have a release date of May 28th for the Pro. Our sources at Samsung have declined to confirm that date stating the company is still officially saying late spring.
We are watching the listings across the web for any more movement on the Samsung Chromebook Pro and will let you know when it is available for order again. In the meantime, check back for more coverage of Google I/O 2017.
