Google seems to be getting more serious about its Googlebook. Latest information suggests the company might expand the laptop beyond the premium market. A new development board, called Pelion, has been spotted in the Chrome repositories. It adds another device to the growing Ocelot hardware family.
Googlebook’s Pelion joins growing Ocelot hardware family
The new board, based on Intel’s Core Series 3 Wildcat Lake platform, was recently surfaced in Chromium Gerrit commits. It confirms that development on Pelion has begun. The product’s initial image and Depthcharge files are reportedly created using Matsu, which is another board in the Ocelot family.
Matsu’s existing development work also gives us an idea of what Pelion-based devices could offer. For reference, it supports both traditional clamshell laptops and convertible 2-in-1 designs, with a 14-inch display option with touchscreens. Manufacturers can choose between UFS and NVMe storage. Further, it supports USB Type-C and Type-A ports, 65W charging, Wi-Fi 7, fingerprint security, and a backlit keyboard.
The Ocelot family now has a total of nine boards. The list includes Ojal, Matsu, Kodkod, Ocicat, Helka, Coolum, Blanc, Libra, and the new Pelion. These projects are associated with five major laptop manufacturers: Acer, HP, ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell. It is not yet clear which company will build a device based on Pelion. However, since it shared a connection with Matsu, it could just be another design from an existing hardware partner.
Affordable laptops to play an important role for Google
The biggest twist with the new Pelion is the possibility of a new Googlebook. The first Googlebook, Acer Googlebook 14, starts at $899. For a project that aims to replace Chromebooks, the price is on the very high side. Using Intel’s Wildlake board could help companies make Googlebook more affordable. It opens doors for more affordable alternatives without much reliance on entry-level hardware.
Of course, adding more development boards does not guarantee that these laptops will reach stores anytime soon. Google also has work to do on its Android 17-based desktop operating system.
The post Googlebook Expansion Continues With a New Wildcat Lake Board Called Pelion appeared first on Android Headlines.
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