Google’s Pixelbook 2 likely just passed through the FCC

Google has already confirmed that a Pixelbook 2 is on the way, and the hardware end of things might already be largely complete: a new FCC filing is very likely Google’s next laptop. The filing is confidential for 180 days, which is plenty of time to keep things secret until the company’s standard October hardware event.

But there are several factors that point to the Pixelbook. For one, the filing comes from Quanta, which manufactured the original Pixelbook. (Foxconn handles Pixel phones.) Second, the FCC label is written in the same font that’s appeared on Google’s other Pixel devices.

The one point of confusion, as noted by 9to5Google and Android Police, is the FCC ID (HFSG021A), which follows more closely to Pixel smartphones (i.e.: G020A for the Pixel 3A) than the Pixelbook (HFSC0A). But you know what’s absolutely meaningless from a consumer perspective? FCC IDs, so maybe Google is just switching things up.

We know very little about what changes Google has made with the Pixelbook 2 aside from some iffy leaks here and there. But after the bruising stumble that was the Pixel Slate, the company needs to put its absolute best engineering and design into this thing if it wants to reestablish Chrome OS as a premium laptop experience.