14 DAY TRIAL // Last week, Chromium, the open source project on which Chrome is based, got a logo update. The new simplified logo started showing up just before Chromium 12 was launched. It looked certain that Chrome would get a similarly revamped logo and some designers envisioned what it may look like. But there's no need to wonder any more, the official new Chrome logo has started showing up in Chrome OS builds.
Those lucky enough to have gotten their hands on a Cr-48 netbook or the few that are running Chrome OS on their own have already spotted the new logo which is part of the latest update.
In all likelihood, desktop users will be getting it soon enough, though maybe not in time for Chrome 11 stable.
Since changes, though propagating at a fast pace compared to other browsers, still take several weeks since landing in Chromium until being available in the stable Chrome version, the new logo may only be available to most people at least until Google Chrome 12.
That said, the new logo, now official, looks very much like you'd expect judging from the existing Chromium one. Only a small resolution image of the new logo has surfaced for now, no bigger than a standard icon file, so we'll still have to wait for the bigger version to see it in greater detail.
Interestingly enough the new logo was previewed to a degree by the Chrome Web Store logo. Since the current logo, with its 3D effects, has too many details to be displayed properly at the size of the Web Store icon, it was simplified and stylized.
The revamped Chrome logo actually takes quite a lot of cues from the Web Store icon. That said, the Web Store logo has also been refreshed to follow the style of new Chrome one.