Google seemingly discontinues the original Pixelbook but won’t quite say
Since 2017, the Google Pixelbook has maintained a spot on our list of the very best Chromebooks you can buy, with tasteful design and processing headroom that keep it competitive three years later. Yet you can’t buy it from Google anymore — it’s out of stock, and the company is strongly suggesting it’s been discontinued for good.
Here’s Google’s full statement:
We are proud of the success of Pixelbook, which will continue to receive the latest versions of Chrome OS per our auto-update guidelines. While Pixelbook is out of stock on the Google Store, Pixelbook Go, which delivers similar high-performance elements in a familiar form factor, is available starting at $649.
While Google declined to outright say that the Pixelbook has been discontinued, it seems unlikely that it would de-list every model in the US and UK (as spotted by 9to5Google) or talk about end-of-life plans like how it’ll continue to receive updates, if Google was planning to bring it back.
Besides, last year’s Pixelbook Go has effectively replaced the original in many ways, including a similarly sized screen, albeit with a comparatively cramped 16:9 aspect ratio. We’ll miss the Pixelbook’s 3:2 display, and you should know that the $649 starting price of the Pixelbook Go is just that: a starting price with fairly low specs. If you want processing power, more storage, and a 4K display, it ranges up to $1,399.
Google said last June that it would refocus its Chrome OS hardware efforts on laptops instead of tablets like its ill-fated Pixel Slate. It’s been less than a year since the Pixelbook Go came out, so it’s possible more laptops are on the way. But we haven’t heard any rumors or leaks for a new Pixelbook ahead of the company’s September 30th event, where it’s expected to launch the Pixel 5, a new Chromecast, and a smart speaker.
Since 2017, the Google Pixelbook has maintained a spot on our list of the very best Chromebooks you can buy, with tasteful design and processing headroom that keep it competitive three years later. Yet you can’t buy it from Google anymore — it’s out of stock, and the company is…
