New Delhi: Google is starting to take pre-orders for the first Googlebook laptops in its most major step into high-spec PC hardware since the Pixelbook Go launched in 2019. The first round of Googlebooks will be from brands like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo and will open on September 21 at 9 a.m. ET, for pre-orders.
While the devices were teased at Google’s Android Show event in May, the products will not replace Chromebooks, but instead will represent a new laptop category. Google is creating Googlebook as a new class of high-end laptops. Gemini will be able to sense the user’s intent on the screen and respond accordingly.
Googlebook operates on a new version of Googlebook OS, a hybrid operating system that combines the desktop user experience of ChromeOS with the app ecosystem found in Android.Googlebook runs on ChromeOS 15, which integrates the AI capabilities from Gemini into the entire OS experience. The highlight comes with Magic Pointer, a feature that enables users to select a target on the screen and instruct Gemini to analyze, compare, or generate something with it without having to copy it into a separate chatbot. Create My Widget is a partner tool with which users can create custom desktop widgets by just stating what they want to see (e.g., Gmail messages, Calendar events) and the services will fill in the details.
Another key pillar is the integration with Android. The Cast My Apps application enables users to launch phone apps from the laptop without the need to install the application separately, and the Quick Access tab allows users to access files on their Android phone that need something running Android 17 or higher.
In terms of hardware, a few specs have been leaked in advance, providing early insights into the device’s capabilities. It’s unclear if this is a leaked model or not, but the one leaked version for Lenovo is said to have 8-core Core Ultra 5 processor, 120Hz 2.8K OLED display, a haptic trackpad, up to 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Each Googlebook will be illuminated with a unique lighting strip using glowbar to give the series a distinctive design theme. Google has yet to provide a specific date for the first laptops to arrive, so don’t take the pre-order date as the same as the day they will be available to consumers.
Google pricing reports Entry-laptop models at $899, the company is positioning Googlebook to of course compete directly with Apple’s MacBook Air as well as Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC line, where they are exploding with the hope of finding a new premium segment in an already crowded AI-laptop market.
