What we’re hoping to see at Google’s Chromebook Showcase

Well, folks, the day is here and we’re in New York for the semi-annual Chromebook Showcase. If the past two events are anything to go by, there are quite a few things to expect at this event, including new Chromebook hardware and maybe some updates on new features on the way to ChromeOS as well.

The hardware

I’ve said it before, but there are quite a few Chromebooks I’m looking forward to this fall. Most of them are simply hopes – a new HP x360 14c, Lenovo Flex 5i, Lenovo Slim 3i, or maybe even a new ASUS CM34 Flip – but a couple are definitely a reality.

Chief among those we know are on the way are the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and the new Lenovo Chromebook Duet. Both of these devices have 100% been confirmed and I’d bet good money on the fact that they will be at the event for sure.

The other devices I listed above would be an awesome surprise, but I’m not holding my breath on those. For better or worse, I simply don’t have a lot of proof that any of those devices are actually on the way at this point, so I have very little confidence we’ll see any of them at this event. You never know, though, right?

New software updates

On the software side of things, I’m expecting a few updates to ChromeOS that we’ve been keeping eyes on over the past few months in the Beta and Developer channels. The first I’m expecting is a change to the Gemini app to make it even more a baked-in part of the OS.

With the Galaxy Chromebook Plus clearly having both an Assistant key and a Dictation key, it seems Google and Samsung are working towards a bit deeper of an integration with Gemini on ChromeOS. A few small updates to the Gemini PWA could easily make that happen in a seamless fashion.

I’m also hoping to see a bit more about the latest Google Photos update that specifically made the video editing a bit better. I’ve not yet received that update on my phone, but I know its on the way. With Chromebooks getting some of the initial video editor features first in past updates, I’m hopeful there are some special treats for Chromebook users who leverage the Google Photos app for a bit of simple video creation.

And finally, I’d expect to hear a bit about deeper Gemini integration throughout the OS. I’m not talking about calling up the chat app with Samsung’s Assistant key; I’m talking more about features akin to ‘Help me write’ that slip in a bit of AI smarts where you need it, when you need it.

With the move to the Android kernel, I’m sure we’ll eventually see a time where new AI tricks on Pixel phones hit Chromebooks immediately, but we’re not quite there yet. For now, I’d love to see Chromebooks continue to utilize AI tools right in the OS in helpful ways that many users may not even recognize. Oh, and I’d love to see some new Chromebook Plus wallpapers, too.

But we may have to wait just a bit to tell you all about what we see this afternoon. The embargoes for these events can be a bit different than others, so we’ll share what we can as soon as we can. Until then, just know that some hardware and software should get announced this afternoon that will light a bit of a spark in the Chromebook market as we move into Q4. Stay tuned.