Google has been working on a Pixelbook successor code-named Atlas for some time — but it’s possibile the device might not be made by Google after all. A leaked video showcases a purported version of the device, and it looks very different from anything the company currently offers under its branding.
Originally spotted by About Chromebooks, the videos have since been pulled from the original Chromium Bug tracker source, but 9to5Google managed to take a snippet of it before it went offline. As seen above, the Atlas device departs from Google’s Pixelbook design elements and features a possible 4K resolution screen with thick bezels and a new 16:9 aspect ratio. The device in the video also appears to be a clamshell laptop, rather than a convertible. On the inside, the device features a “Product Name” branding on its hinge, rather than the “G” branding and logo seen on other Google prototypes.
A separate video provides a peek at the device’s keyboard; it looks similar to the layout of the Pixelbook, with the exception of the hamburger key being replaced with a power key. Putting the scopes of the videos together — and the typically reliable original source code from Chromium — one can assume that Atlas is no longer a Google product. As About Chromebooks points out, it might instead be a project of Samsung or another Google partner.
Future plans for Google hardware were recently put into question, so it would make sense if Atlas is no longer a Google project. A report from Business Insider indicated that the company canceled laptops and tablets as part of cuts to its hardware team. Manufacturing roles, however, were not impacted.
Still, Google is fresh off the release of the Pixel Slate, a rival to the Microsoft Surface and Apple iPad lines. It received a mixed reception, with a high price and software issues often cited as drawbacks. This rumored Atlas device looks to be quite different, and it would make an interesting addition to the growing family of ChromeOS devices.
