At Cloud Next 2019, Google hosted a session focussed on “Google Hardware for Business.” After recapping the current Pixelbook and Pixel Slate lineup, the company laid out what’s coming next.
“The Premium, Versatile, & Secure: Introducing Google Hardware for Business” session started with a recap of the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate, with Google explaining what class of users they were targeting. With the Pixelbook in 2017, Google created a device for “leaders,” like busy executives and information workers. Use cases included “engagement and training.”
Last year, Pixel Slate was more for “customer-facing teams.” Namely, “sales teams in the field” and “front of house workers.” It is also for “creative teams” and “medical practitioners.”
Looking forward, Lead Product Manager Steve Jacobs for the Pixelbook Group described a future device that helps the workforce “be productive on-the-go.”
Help the employees that are constantly on the go that have a working paradigm where 60% of them — and this is all of our [Google] employees — are working outside of their desk. And 43% of them are working remotely at least part of the time.
The tools they have aren’t really conducive to the lifestyle and work style that makes them maximally productive and excited about going to work every day. And we think there’s some unique things we can do differently than the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate that are going to really help give them what they’re looking for when they’re working in this new modern cloud-first era.
In terms of a timeline for new launches, which for the past two years has been October, Google had no announcements “this week, but down the road.”
As for what devices could be coming next, we’ve been tracking an Atlas device since last year. Late last month, the potential Pixelbook successor reportedly leaked in two videos that showed off the design.
There was another report last month about Google reportedly scaling down future laptop and tablet projects amid “roadmap cutbacks.” That article did not rule out future devices, and it very much seems from today’s presentation that Google does have more hardware planned.
