With the recent announcement of Linux container in Chrome OS, which begins to bring Android Studio to Chrome OS, I can’t stop to wonder what could a Android developer friendly Chromebook could be. So here it is, my spit take on what I would like to have in a Chromebook for Android dev by Android dev:

Basic specs:

  • Intel Core 8th Gen 45W TDP CPUs (i5–8400H, i7–8850H, i9–8950HK)
  • 16GB+ RAM
  • 256GB+ Samsung NVMe SSD
  • 15(-ish)" 3840 * 2560 3:2 4k+ IPS Touch LCD
  • 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports (for charging as well)
  • 1 USB A port
  • 1 HDMI port
  • Headphone jack
  • SD Card slot
  • 99Wh Battery

And these are the reason why I choose those components

  • 45W TDP quad/hex core CPU to keep the sustain performance up + make sure everything runs smoothly concurrently + a clearer separation from Pixelbook
  • 15(-ish)” because more screen real estate just feels good + bazzles are getting smaller, now even 15" can be considered somewhat portable
  • 4k+ because non-retina screen in 2018 is just bad. Also 4k on laptop is getting more and more popular.
  • 3:2 display aspect ratio for the productivity
  • USB-C port for charging, 1 port + 1 standard (USB-PD)to rule them all!
  • USB-A for the occasional debug with real devices (e.g. try it out on low end phone)
  • Touch screen so that you can get the more authentic sense of using your app on a touch screen
  • HDMI is still probably one of the more common display connection in every office
  • 99Wh battery because otherwise this laptop will die in just a few hours

TL;DR: I want the new Razer Blade 15 but with no discrete graphics, slightly bigger battery, and a 3:2 display.

A Chromebook design for Android dev would be nice…

With the recent announcement of Linux container in Chrome OS, which begins to bring Android Studio to Chrome OS, I can’t stop to wonder…