4K Chromebook Codenamed 'Atlas' Possibly In The Works

Chromebooks are typically more affordable than standard laptops due to their minimal specs, but it looks like one of them is getting a 4K screen. Newly discovered evidence suggests that a 4K Chromebook is in the works.

The Chromium OS source code was given an update recently and it included a reference to a mysterious device that’s codenamed “atlas,” according to XDA Developers. The codename can be spotted inside a file called “boards.yaml” and it specifically listed the device as having a 3840 x 2160 screen resolution.

The file also lists different hardware configurations that Chromium IS supports, including Google’s Pixelbook, which is codenamed “eve,” and Samsung’s Chromebook Plus 2-in-1, codenamed “kevin,” as pointed out by The Verge.

The mysterious “atlas” 4K Chromebook doesn’t have an SD card slot for expandable storage. This is a hardware configuration that’s also similar to the high-end Pixelbook. A Redditor was able to spot a code suggesting that the “atlas” Chromebook will have a keyboard, touchpad and a touchscreen. Unfortunately, that’s all there is to know about this 4K Chromebook.

A Chromebook with a 4K display doesn’t really make much sense since Chromebooks are typically aimed towards students. A laptop with a 4K display seems like something gamers and professionals would want and Chromebooks, although quite useful, aren’t really meant for such demanding performance.

That being said, it’s possible that there’s a market for a 4K Chromebook. Take Google’s Pixelbook for example. It’s a high-end premium Chromebook that starts at $999. It can also be configured to come with a Core i7 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. That may seem to be an overkill for a Chrome OS machine, but there are those who like buying devices with the best specs possible.

Having a 4K display on a Chromebook could also be great for watching content. The screen resolution listed in the file also suggests that it will have a 16:9 aspect ratio display. This would make it an ideal machine for watching 4K content from Netflix or even Youtube. A 16:9 aspect ratio 4K display could also be great for side-by-side multitasking. Chrome Unboxed speculates that the 4K Chromebook might have a 15-inch display. This makes sense given that a 12-inch or 13-inch 4K display seems quite meager for that amount of pixels.

So when will this new mystery 4K Chromebook be unveiled? No one really knows. Google could surprise fans during its I/O conference on May 8, or perhaps a different manufacturer has big plans to release brand new high-end Chromebooks later this year.