Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung are all offering Chromebooks, with screen sizes ranging from 11.6 to 14 inches. Some have hard drives while others have solid state disks. And some have x86 processors while others have ARM-based chips.

So what’s next for laptops running Chrome OS? According to a concept video (and hints from developer François Beaufort), next-gen Chromebooks could feature high resolution touchscreen displays.

Chromebook Pixel concept

Beaufort says he knows that Google is actually testing a device with a 2560 x 1700 pixel display and touch capabilities.

What we don’t know if the video from SlinkyMe that showed up on YouTube this week shows that product or just a concept that may or may not have anything to do with any real device.

The concept is called the Google Pixel, and according to the video it’s “designed” by Google, which would suggest that it’s either being designed and built in-house like the ill-fated Nexus Q (or the too-soon-to-tell Microsoft Surface tablets), or it could be the Chrome OS equivalent of an Android Nexus device. Google typically partners with companies such as Asus and Samsung to build phones and tablets under the Nexus brand, and could be partnering with a laptop maker to build a Chromebook Pixel.

Or maybe it’s just a concept meant to inspire the next generation of Chromebooks from companies such as Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung.

Update: Unsurprisingly, the video has been removed from YouTube… which may or may not lend any credence to the existence of a Chromebook Pixel project. The CEO of SlinkyMe says the company’s servers were hit by hackers, which is why the project was posted online.

You can check out some screenshots below (thanks Android Authority!)

 

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6 replies on “Chromebook Pixel: Will next-gen Chromebooks have higher-def, touchscreen displays?”

  1. I have a hard time imaging how a touchscreen would be useful on a 14-inch Chromebook. If I buy a Chromebook over, for example a tablet, it’s because I expect to spend a significant amount of time typing. I would prefer well-designed keyboard navigation over shifting my hands between the keyboard and the screen.

    A more interesting innovation may be the combination of voice recognition and hand gestures. (I look forward to playing with my Leap Motion controller.)

    1. You know, I was skeptical too — but after reviewing two touchscreen laptops (a 14 inch HP Envy ultrabook and the Asus Vivobook X202e) in recent months, touch on a Windows 8 laptop is actually kind of useful at times.

      It’s not something that’d replace a keyboard, but it supplements it — especially when the laptop is actually on your lap, and moving your hands to the screen is about as easy as moving them to a keyboard.

      After sending back each laptop, I found myself occasionally poking the screen on my non-touch notebook for a few days.

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