Google’s trying to change that with Googlebooks, a new class of laptop. First teased in May, the company finally shared more details about the new OS at a media-only event in New York City last week. Like with Android, hardware manufacturers can make their own Googlebooks, provided they hit specific standards set by Google.
Today marks the launch of five new computers that comply with the Googlebooks standard, one each from HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus. These machines are powered by either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip or Intel’s Core Ultra 3 (MediaTek also supports the Googlebook platform with its new Dimensity CX C10 Max chip, but none of the new laptops use the chip yet). Preorders open today, and the machines hit store shelves on October 4, starting at $899.
Every purchase includes a full year of Google AI Pro service with 5 terabytes of storage. Here are the new laptops, all of which are clamshells except the Acer, which is a 2-in-1 machine: Acer Googlebook 14 ($899) Dell XPS Googlebook ($1,199) HP Googlebook 14 ($1,299) Lenovo Googlebook 15 ($1,299) Asus Googlebook 14 ($1,299) Some of the standards Google has set include using “premium materials,” like aluminum, magnesium, or carbon fiber, to make them lightweight. They need at least 16 GB of RAM, deliver more than 45 tera operations per second (TOPS), a touchscreen (LCD or OLED), a backlit keyboard, a haptic trackpad, Dolby Atmos speakers, studio-quality microphones with noise cancellation, and at least 14 hours of battery life.
Googlebooks will receive 10 years of software updates. They must feature the Glowbar—the signature LED strip on the laptop’s exterior that identifies the machine as a Googlebook. It’s a callback to the glowbar Google used on its original Chromebook Pixel. (Speaking of which, Google hasn’t shared whether it’s making its own Googlebook under its Made by Google Pixel hardware division.) Developers can access the Glowbar to customize the lights to specific actions in their apps, and there’s also an Easter egg app consumers can unlock to customize the light color and animation themselves.
Like HiLight introduced on the latest Pixel phones, the Glowbar will illuminate when you talk to Gemini. Our first step is to focus on the Android community because today there isn’t a laptop that is designed to seamlessly work with your Android phone.” Googlebook merges Android’s mobile-first operating system with ChromeOS, the OS powering Chromebooks. Google says Chromebooks aren’t going anywhere and will continue to serve schools and act as the budget-friendly option for consumers.
While the Googlebook interface feels like a blown-up version of Android, it’s not just an Android-powered desktop. Rather, it’s a distinct OS optimized for x86 and ARM chip architectures. What’s particularly interesting is how Android apps work on the device.
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