Chrome OS has landed on all-in-ones, desktops, laptops, tablets, and a slew of other form factors. If recently surfaced evidence is anything to go by, it looks like Google is gearing up to bring Chrome OS to dual-touchscreen Chromebooks.
Leading manufacturers have been experimenting with dual-screen tablets and laptops in the last few years. ASUS has already made its dual-screen Windows laptop dubbed the ZenBook Duo Pro to the public, while Microsoft is hard at works on Windows 10X, which was originally intended for dual-screen devices such as the company’s own Surface Neo tablet.
It is hardly surprising to see that Google has been developing a Chrome OS device, codenamed “Palkia.” According to its internal listing, the device will come with two touchscreens and a trackpad. This is evident in the code change description, where a developer points to the location of the chips that control each screen.
One explanation of this description suggests Palkia has an inner touchscreen like we usually see on a clamshell Chromebook, along with an outer one which will be visible when closed. The code implies that Palkia comes with a tablet mode, and the useful hardware sensors are disabled.
This implies the new device is more likely to be a clamshell-only device, rather than a convertible or tablet. When combined, all the interpretations suggest this dual-touchscreen Chromebook could bear striking resemblance to the ASUS ZenBook Duo Pro but feature a second, smaller display located under the hinge.
If you are wondering when you will be able to get your hands on the device, you are in for a big disappointment. It looks like the dual-screen Chromebook codenamed Palkia is a prototype/experiment, rather than a product you can buy one day soon. It looks like the tech giant is preparing for the future of Chromebooks with more than one touchscreen, following in the footsteps of Windows laptops that offer a built-in second display. It will be interesting to see how the Chrome OS team handles the second display once the hardware support is fully functional.
