Chrome OS junkies may have a reason to get giddy this year. Rumors of a Chromebook Pixel 2 were recently confirmed at Google's TeamWork 2015 conference.
The website OMG Chrome highlighted a session with Renee Niemi, who runs Google's Android and Chrome programs for education and work, in which she confirmed the existence of a Pixel successor:
"We do have a new Pixel coming out and it will be coming out soon. We will be selling it but I just have to set your expectations: this is a development platform. This is really a proof of concept. We don’t make very many of these — we really don’t. And […] our developers and our Googlers consume 85 percent of what we produce. But yes, we do have a new Pixel coming out."
MORE: Best Chromebooks You Can Buy
Aside from this nod, no other details about the Pixel 2 have been confirmed. Although it doesn't have a good track record with rumors, Digitimes has reported that the Pixel 2 could be a 2-in-1 device that runs Chrome OS while docked and Android when in slate mode.
The original Chromebook Pixel debuted over two years ago and was priced at $1,299. Rather than a consumer device, it was meant to show off Chrome OS with the best hardware imaginable, including a touchscreen and a high-resolution 2,560 x 1,700 display.
As Niemi points out, the Pixel line of Chromebooks is also meant for developers. It's possible that the new Pixel 2 will be a new platform that developers can use to test and create new programs and applications for Chrome OS, which is still limited in terms of apps and offline capabilities.
Most consumer Chromebooks are affordable laptops priced under $400, and they've made a big push into schools with companies like Acer and Dell announcing new models optimized for classrooms.
Valentina Palladino is a senior writer for Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide. Follow her at @valentinalucia.
