The Samsung Chromebook Pro made its debut at CES 2017 back in January and it became widely popular, as it offers good value for money and it’s a strong contender for its category. Despite the solid specifications it has to offer, however, the Chromebook Pro has one notable thing missing: a backlit keyboard. Consumers have been talking about this feature (or lack, thereof) and it now seems that Google and Samsung heard their feedback and took it into account. According to newly uncovered evidence, it seems that Samsung, which made the Chromebook Pro in collaboration with Google, is preparing to equip the Chromebook Pro with a backlit keyboard after all. It remains unclear for now whether Samsung will make a new batch of the Chromebook Pro and add a backlit keyboard, or launch a new variant altogether.
As a reminder, the Chromebook Pro has a 12.3-inch display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,600 pixels and a 3:2 aspect ratio, and it’s a convertible device that can be used as a laptop, in tent mode, or as a tablet. Under the hood, the Chromebook Pro packs an Intel Core M3 processor and 4GB of RAM. Users can’t add more RAM, but Chrome OS should make do with the 4GB included without any issues since it’s a lighter operating system. Other specs and features include 32GB of eMMC flash storage, an onboard stylus, and Android app support. The device raised plenty of interest thanks to its specs and price point, but a backlit keyboard would have likely boosted its success even further.
Samsung has yet to make any announcement regarding the addition of such a feature, but Chrome Unboxed found a clear mention of it on the Chromebook Pro device board. The board notes “Add EL lamp driver & control keyboard backlight,” which leaves little room for interpretation. This means that Samsung may soon tweak the device to include a backlit keyboard. Recent reports have also indicated that Samsung has a new Chromebook Pro in the works, with better specs than the current model. As such, there is a possibility that the backlit keyboard will be included in the upcoming version, and not the existing one, but it remains to be seen.