Intel’s new seventh-generation Kaby Lake processors are just starting to find their way into a large number of mainstream high-end devices and gaming computers, but it seems that vendors are already working on putting them inside their highest-end Chromebook offerings. The high-end processors provide more punch, they’re more energy efficient, and they have an easier time with driver compatibility and other such complexities than their sixth-generation forerunners, the Skylake lineup. A mysterious Chrome OS device by the codename “Eve” is one such device, and it seems that Dell is about to open the floodgates on devices like it that also sport Kaby Lake silicon, according to a customer service interaction experienced by a source with ties to Chrome Unboxed.
The source, who remains anonymous, was reportedly shopping around for touchscreen models of Dell’s current Core i5-based Chromebook lineup, and when they could not find any on their website, they opened up a chat request with customer service. After a little bit of hesitation, the associate eventually let slip that the family of Chromebooks that the customer was looking for had been taken off of the website because they are in the middle of being overhauled with Intel’s newest silicon. The representative, when pressed, added in that the best estimate that they could provide for when the new Chromebooks packing Kaby Lake silicon would be available was some time in January, but would not give any more specific information than that.
This contact does not provide any specific information on which models are being overhauled or if any new Chromebooks will be popping up with Kaby Lake processors in them, but it’s easy to speculate that any of Dell’s current Chromebook lineup that includes Core i-series processors are probably on the list to get a Kaby Lake redux. Given Dell’s relatively short list of Chrome OS devices, of course, that probably means the Core i5-toting Chromebook 13 and the Core i3-packing Chromebox and Chromebook 11. There is always the possibility that the aforementioned “Eve” will end up being a Dell device, but there is nothing pointing to such a thing at this time. Even if Dell’s lineup doesn’t expand, a Kaby Lake sequel to the rather well-received Dell Chromebook 11 and 13 would probably be enough to garner a good number of sales.