Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
It’s been a while since we did a new Chromebook roundup and suffice it to say, the list is getting a tad overwhelming. Just keeping track of all the new devices currently in the works is a full-time job in and of itself.
So, we’re going to do a quick rundown of most of the current Chromebooks in development and I will be refreshing our “big ole’ list” over the next few weeks in an attempt to make it as exhaustive as possible.
Atlas
We’re already seeing Cannon Lake Chromebooks in development and there are also the long-awaited AMD devices still making their way through the repositories so another Kaby Lake device may not seem that interesting at this point. However, the upcoming Chromebook ‘Atlas’ has piqued the interests of many a Chromie due to its detachable form-factor and the intriguing possibility of a 4K display.
Me, I have another reason to move to the edge of my seat for this device. I have a strong feeling that ‘Atlas’ will be the next device in the Pixelbook lineup and while it may not be superior to Google’s flagship, the detachable option would make a great addition to the company’s resume.
I wish I could give you some hard evidence that this will be a detachable Pixelbook but honestly, I’m just going with my gut on this one and my gut has served me well in the past. Seriously though, a device as sleek and beautiful as the Pixelbook and it’s detachable? Forget about it. Take my money.
Nautilus
We have so much information gathered on this device it’s ridiculous. At this point, if Samsung doesn’t launch the detachable soon, they will run the risk of being drowned out by every other OEM that will hit the market this year.
Still, Samsung knows how to make hardware and they are equally as good at selling it. With all the features this device will offer, it’s plausible that ‘Nautilus’ could be the death knell for Android tablets in general.
Octopus
Much like its Apollo Lake predecessor, the Gemini Lake-powered Octopus is not only a Chromebook but a baseboard for upcoming Intel Atom devices. Just as we saw with the Reef baseboard, Octopus will end up being the platform on which many an educational device will be built.
The really cool part is that current chipsets like Gemini Lake and Kaby Lake are now being used for new Chromebooks unlike in the past where Chrome OS was generally 6-12 months behind its Windows counterparts.
Nocturne
The recently added Kaby Lake detachable is following in the footsteps of devices like the HP Chromebook x2 and future Chromebooks like Nautilus but the high-res 2-in-1 has given us a glimmer of hope that we may finally see a Chromebook with a true-to-life fingerprint sensor.
Since the Pixelbook was launched last October sans the biometric interface, we are really hoping that fingerprint sensors aren’t a matter of if, but when.
Nami
Another Kaby Lake convertible in the same realm as the Pixelbook, we have since seen a number of other board names come alongside ‘Nami’ indicating that we will surely see a higher-end convertible from all the major manufacturers.
One variant, named ‘Vayne’, has been linked to Dell which would be great news as the company has been relatively silent on the Chrome OS front when it comes to flagship devices.
Another, ‘Sona’, is rumored to be in development by HP but it is unclear as to what it may offer that the HP Chromebook x2 doesn’t already have. As with many of these boards, a new name could mean minor tweaks or customer specific devices that equip rugged designs or even higher specs. We’ll just have to wait and see.
In addition to these, two more Kaby Lake convertibles have surfaced under the code names ‘Pantheon’ and ‘Akali’. More details to come as we uncover them.
Kahlee
Ah yes, we did not forget the AMD Chromebooks. In development for more than a year, what should be the first-ever AMD-powered Chrome device has still yet to receive any type of official announcement.
That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. Recent commits have actually upgraded the board to the latest generation of AMD’s Ryzen chipset which is great news for those looking to leverage the recently announced addition of Linux apps to Chrome OS.
Only Google knows if and when the new Linux feature will come to non-Pixelbook devices but you can bet ‘Kahlee’ will make one heck of a developers machine when it does.
Along with ‘Kahlee’, we’re still tracking other AMD boards in the works. ‘Jadeite’ and ‘Grunt’ could very well arrive on the scene in 2018.
Cheza
In case you forgot, Qualcomm now has their hat in the Chromebook ring and ‘Cheza’ is the first “official” development device using a Snapdragon processor. Built on the Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm looks to widen their reach outside of the Windows ecosystem and honestly, Chrome OS couldn’t be a better fit.
With an already lightweight OS and new, exciting form-factors like tablets and detachables, Qualcomm and Chrome OS just kind of makes sense.
So, there you go. That’s a lot to be excited about and we’ve barely scratched the surface. I’ll be revamping our “upcoming device” list this week and adding any I may have missed here so check back often.
Which Chromebook are you most excited to see? Drop a comment below and don’t forget to check us out on Twitter for the latest news from the world of Chrome.
