Yesterday, Chrome OS 54 hit the stable channel and was sent out to all viable Chrome OS devices. For some reason, though, three devices missed the boat on the update, and they’re fairly new and powerful. Those devices are the Lenovo ThinkPad Chromebook 13, HP Chromebook 13 G1, and the Acer Chromebook 14 For Work. While there could be a number of reasons for the three devices missing out on the update for now, ranging from hardware compatibility woes to manufacturer meddling, Robby Payne of Chrome Unboxed noticed a pattern. When Chrome OS 53 went stable, just like with 54, three devices missed the boat; the 2015 Chromebook Pixel, the Acer R11, and the ASUS Chromebook Flip. Those devices got Google Play support just a few weeks later, within close proximity to one another. That pattern may well repeat itself.
One of the biggest reasons to believe that what’s happening here is history repeating itself is a video put out on YouTube by Lenovo. It shows their ThinkPad 13 Chromebook and boasts Google Play support coming in the very near future. If not for that detail, this could be written off as mere coincidence, but it really seems that, in the ThinkPad’s case, at least, the delay is to properly implement support for Android apps and the Play Store. Given what happened last time and the fact that Play Store support for the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook is absolutely imminent, one can’t help but think that the other two devices that didn’t get Chrome OS 54 on day one are having their own Android app support tweaked while users wait for their update.
This is, of course, mere speculation; it’s somewhat likely to be true, given that it’s based on a pattern and a confirmation of Google Play support from the manufacturer of one of the three devices in question, but it should still be taken with a heavy grain of salt. Owners of the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook can take solace in the fact that Lenovo has confirmed that they will have Android app support soon, while the HP Chromebook 13 G1 and Acer Chromebook 14 For Work owners are advised to watch closely for any updates coming down the pipeline, and to not hold their breath.