HMD reported to be adding a Chromebook to its portfolio

HMD has made a name for itself as a smartphone manufacturer, but its portfolio also includes tablets, feature phones, and related accessories. Now, a leak has revealed the Finnish brand plans to expand its portfolio with the addition of a computer.

When HMD was a licensee for Nokia-branded smartphones, there were other licensing partners. One of them was Off Global, a French startup that manufactured and sold Nokia-branded laptops, including the Nokia Purebook X14 and the Nokia Purebook Pro 17. Earlier this year, the company was shut down.

While HMD has never shown interest in the laptop segment, as far as we know, X user, @smashx_60, says the Finnish company has its first laptop on the way.

According to the source, the device is called the HMD Chromebook CS-1 Flip. In another post, the source also referred to it as the HMD Book CS-1 Flip. Nevertheless, the laptop is most likely a 2-in-1 convertible like the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX1 (currently available on Amazon for $279.99), given the “flip” in its name. This also means it has a touch display, though the screen size is unknown.

A key detail mentioned by the source is whether the HMD Book CS-1 Flip will actually ship with ChromeOS or the new operating system, currently referred to as Aluminium OS, which is a result of the merger of ChromeOS and Android. 

Another important detail revealed by the source is that the HMD Book CS-1 Flip will use an Intel processor, not an ARM one like the MediaTek Kompanio 540. Unfortunately, the exact chipset wasn't revealed.

It isn't yet known if HMD plans to target a specific demographic with its first laptop. There's also the question of what specific features it intends to offer to stand out from rivals such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung, which are the leading brands in the Chromebook market. Hopefully, more details will surface as its arrival draws closer.