Google will launch an all-new Pixel-branded Chromebook and a miniaturized version of its Google Home smart speaker alongside new Pixel smartphones at an event this fall, according to a source familiar with the company’s plans.
Details are scant on the new Pixel notebook, which will revive the Chromebook line after two years of inactivity, but AndroidPolice suggests it could be the fruition of Google’s secretive “Project Bison” first reported last year.
According to rumors, the Bison has a 12.3-inch display, 32 or 128GB of storage, 8 or 16GB of RAM, and a thickness of under 10mm, with the possibility of a “tablet” mode. Originally tipped for a Q3 2017 release and with prices said to start at $799, Bison was said to be considered internally as a serious competitor to Apple’s MacBook and Microsoft’s Surface Pro, but it’s unknown whether the new Pixel Chromebook will actually take this form.
Again, details are few and far between regarding the rumored Google Home “mini” that could debut at the company’s fall event, but it’s likely to be positioned similarly to Amazon’s Echo Dot as a smaller, cheaper version of the $129 flagship model, offering existing Google Home owners a more affordable way of extending smart speaker coverage to additional rooms of the house.
Google’s second-generation Pixel smartphones will come in two sizes and both models are expected to feature “squeezable” sides that enable them to perform different functions. The 4.97-inch device will by made by HTC and is said to have a 1080p display and stereo speakers, while the 6-inch XL handset made by LG will feature an AMOLED display with a 2:1 aspect ratio. Both devices are said to have no headphone jack.
There’s still no confirmation of the actual date of Google’s fall event, but the original Pixel smartphones were unveiled in October of last year, so expect it to be around then.
Tags: Google, Google Home
Discuss this article in our forums
