The Google Chromebook Pixel was recently removed from Google's lineup of Chromebook products, which leads others to assume that the Pixel series has halted its production.
Or so we thought.
Despite its clearly written "Not Available" status on the Google Store, its product page still exists on the web, which could mean that the company may be keeping it for an alleged future release.
But where are these rumors stemming from exactly?
Reports have recently discovered a job listing on Google Careers that's looking for a "Quality Engineer" under the "Manufacturing and Supply Chain" category, situated in Shanghai, China. While that heading alone does not spark any rumor, beside it are the words: "Chromebook Pixel."
And just to make sure, another line appears in the listing: "Important: The subject field of your email must include Quality Engineer, Chromebook Pixel - Shanghai," which further reiterates what the heading is looking for. This bears repeating because the heading could have been easily attributed to a typo and we have to be certain that we're getting this right.
Now that we've established that it's not a clerical error, it is important to note that the job listing specifically writes the word "Chromebook" beside "Pixel" as the absence of the former word would mean Google is just looking for a quality engineer that will foresee its current production line for Pixel tablets and not the laptop kind. As it is, it seems like the company may be starting a production chain for Chromebook Pixel products.
Through a further reading of the document, one sentence goes:
"As a Quality Engineer, you will be part of shaping Google's next game-changer."
Take note of the phrase, "next game-changer," as this entails that it will not be an assembly line of the recently defunct Chromebook Pixel 2015 series and instead be the supposed "next" game-changing Chromebook Pixel 3.
If we combine these speculations with the still available Chromebook Pixel product page on the Google Store, as well as its still accessible Chromebook Pixel main website — even taking into consideration the absence of any statement from the company itself to formally declare the Chromebook Pixel series extinct, as the company is usually on top of announcing its latest plans and releases — the Google Chromebook Pixel 3 may very well be a coming possibility in the future.
After all, the Chromebook Pixel's touchscreen features will work amazingly alongside the company's recent launch of Google Apps for Chrome OS.
What do you guys think? Share your insights with us in the comments below!
Photo: Maurizio Pesce | Flickr
