Google calls it quits on Pixelbook; team dissolved and transferred
Google is in saving mode. The company has canceled its next Pixelbook laptop as part of the recent cost-cutting measures, according to The Verge. The team responsible for the project has been dissolved and the members have been transferred elsewhere in the company. The new Pixelbook was set to be introduced in 2023. Its discontinuation comes as a surprise to many.
Why does this story matter?
Google has decided to give up on its Pixelbook laptop. Indeed, the company hasn't released a new Pixelbook since 2019, but it still is a surprise. This has a lot to do with Google's decision to cut costs considering the economic environment. Canceling Pixelbook makes sense from that standpoint, as it hasn't enjoyed the best of time against fellow Chromebooks from other companies.
Why did Google cancel 2023 Pixelbook?
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been saying for months that the company needs to slow down hiring and cut some projects. In a July memo, he proposed consolidating overlapping investments, streamlining processes, pausing development, and redeploying resources. It seems that the canning of Pixelbook and the dissolving of the team responsible for it is a result of the policies enlisted by Pichai.
Why is Google's decision to cancel Pixelbook surprising?
Google's decision to cancel next year's Pixelbook has caught many by surprise. Primarily because there haven't been any murmurs of such a decision in the making. In May, ahead of the company's annual I/O conference, Rick Osterloh, Google's hardware chief told The Verge, "We are going to do Pixelbooks in the future." However, he did acknowledge that market has changed since 2017.
Is Google's decision really a surprise though?
From the first Pixelbook in 2017 to the Pixelbook Go in 2019, Google tried to embody its computing vision in its laptops. However, except for the first Pixelbook in 2017, none of its other products made any waves in the market. Mainly because they were niche and expensive. The rising popularity of cheap Chromebooks from other companies certainly didn't help its case.
Is this the end for Pixelbook?
Now that Google has canceled the next Pixelbook, does it spells the end for the laptop? Maybe not. Google has a history of canceling products and then bringing them back. Its smartwatches and Google Glass are prime examples. We can't forget when it decided to get out of the tablet market to focus on laptops. Now, it's working on a Pixel tablet.
