At least one more Chromebook is beginning to see an update to Nougat 7.1.1 for Chrome OS on the developer channel. The really exciting thing here is that to get the update, which has appeared specifically on an ASUS Chromebook Flip C302, there are no extra steps needed. That means it should be very easy for anybody willing to switch to the developer channel in order to get the latest update. It could also mean the update will be released to the much more commonly used stable channel sooner rather than later.
While the developer channel is not always stable, updates that have been seen so far have either been mostly on the much less stable canary channel or have required extra steps and methods to get. For example, command tools are often needed to manually turn on the Play Store for some Chromebooks in order to get the update. That apparently wasn’t the case this time around, but most users will probably want to wait for Nougat to be brought into the Chrome OS stable channel. For users with just a bit more technical knowledge or who are feeling moderately adventurous, the update should be there. However, as with most updates, it may take some time to hit your device if you do decide to switch channels. That’s because it will likely be rolled out over time. Moreover, while it isn’t ordinarily an issue for a cloud-based device like a Chromebook, users should be forewarned that switching to the developer channel will reset their Chromebook. That means it will wipe anything saved directly to the Chromebook and remove all accounts. That said, users should make sure they back up anything that isn’t already backed up.
Although this is a promising sign for anybody who happens to own the particular device this update was discovered for, there is no really solid information about an official stable channel update. Chromebooks are typically on a six-week update cycle, so that’s will almost certainly be the earliest timeframe for an update bearing Nougat to hit the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302. Keeping in mind that the timeframe is much more open past that, with no real “to be released by” date, it’s really impossible to say when a more user-friendly version will appear.