Google’s Pixelbook appears to be the latest victim of Google’s cost-saving measures, with the next release reportedly canceled and the team disbanded.
Google’s Pixelbook was a high-end Chromebook that helped showcase the company’s Chrome OS. Despite its popularity, the company appears to have killed off the next generation — expected next year — and disbanded the team, according to The Verge.
Like many companies, Google has been looking for ways to cut costs as the economy slows. CEO Sundar Pichai made it clear in mid-July that the company would be looking for areas to streamline its investments and would be pausing some projects. Despite the Pixelbook apparently being one of those projects, Google is not confirming the reports yet.
“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,” Laura Breen, a communications manager at Google, told The Verge. “In regards to our people, in times where we do shift priorities we work to transition team members across devices and services.”
It’s also possible that Google doesn’t see the need to be in the Chromebook market like it once did. As more manufacturers have begun manufacturing quality models, Google’s presence is not really necessary to help the category succeed.
“What’s nice about the category is that it has matured,” Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh told the outlet. “You can expect them to last a long time.”