If you were looking forward to picking up Google’s next Pixelbook, we have some bad news for you. It looks like Google might not only shut the project down but might have also dissolved the team responsible for building it.
Despite missing Google’s hardware event in 2020 and 2021, there was still hope that we would eventually see the Pixelbook 2 at some point. However, now it appears that won’t be happening as The Verge has said that Google has canceled its next iteration of the Pixelbook and the team behind the Pixelbook are no more.
According to The Verge‘s source, the Pixelbook 2 and Pixelbook team were the victims of cost-cutting measures, with the team being transferred to other parts of the company.
This shift in focus isn’t new as Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been talking about the company’s new direction over the last few months. Back in July, Pichai shared a memo discussing the company’s strategy of slowing down hiring and cutting projects to focus on higher priority items:
In some cases, that means consolidating where investments overlap and streamlining processes. In other cases, that means pausing development and re-deploying resources to higher priority areas.
In regards to this latest measure to redistribute resources, Google’s Communications Manager, Laura Breen, told The Verge:
Google doesn’t share future product plans or personnel information; however, we are committed to building and supporting a portfolio of Google products that are innovative and helpful for our users. In regards to our people, in times where we do shift priorities we work to transition team members across devices and services.
It’s possible that the Pixelbook 2’s future was up in the air before this recent development, however. Not too long ago, a Google manager confirmed there were no plans for the Pixelbook 2 in 2022. Their direct quote stated, “Next year there won’t be anything coming. In the future, I don’t know.”
Although the Pixelbook 2 has been canceled and the team shut down, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Pixelbook series is dead. Google has come back to products before. However, at the moment, the company’s focus seems to be on other devices.
