GoKawiilTL;DR At The Android Show I/O Edition, Google said existing Chromebooks will continue receiving software support for up to 10 years, but stopped short of confirming whether new ChromeOS laptops will still launch.
Unlike Chromebooks, which became popular as affordable laptops for schools and casual users, the new Googlebooks are being positioned as premium Gemini-powered devices built on Android.
Googlebooks could eventually replace Chromebooks as Google’s main laptop strategy unless the company decides it still wants to compete in the budget laptop market.
A Google VP has confirmed that new Chromebooks will still launch this year and into next year.
Update: May 13, 2026 (5:02 AM ET): In an interview with Chrome Unboxed, Google’s VP for ChromeOS, John Maletis, has now confirmed that new Chromebooks and Chromebook Plus devices are still in the pipeline. That’s the clearest sign yet that ChromeOS laptops aren’t going away anytime soon, despite Google’s new focus on Android-powered Googlebooks. Original article: May 12, 2026 (1 PM ET): Google just announced Googlebooks, a new category of premium laptops built on the Android technology stack and baked with Gemini Intelligence. The first set of Googlebooks are expected to arrive this fall, but with Google’s focus on this new category, will Chromebooks take a back seat? There’s no short answer to this question. Let me explain what I mean.
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If you’re a Chromebook user, you’d be happy to know that Google is fully committed to supporting these devices until the end of their lifespan. Chromebooks released in 2021 and beyond promise 10 years of automatic software updates. Some older Chromebooks are also eligible for extended updates. You can visit this page to check if your Chromebook model makes the cut for Google’s automatic and extended updates.
That said, while speaking to journalists ahead of The Android Show I/O Edition, Google didn’t specify if it plans to launch new Chromebooks in the future. Of course, Google won’t launch them directly, but it’s unclear whether brand partners will continue using ChromeOS to launch new laptops going forward.
Are you excited about the new Googlebooks? 1230 votes Yes, finally! 30 % No, I am skeptical. 20 % Need to see more first. 36 % I'll stick with Windows/Mac. 15 %
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