Google Launches Android-Powered Googlebook Laptops Starting at $899

The first models are premium machines, not budget Chromebooks. Googlebook OS is built on the Android technology stack with foundations from ChromeOS and a Linux kernel, and supports both x86 and Arm chips. The software includes a desktop Chrome browser, Android apps from the Play Store, a full Linux terminal and the Titan security chip and malware protection found on Chromebooks. Google does not make any Googlebook laptops itself; at least not yet. It partnered with Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo for the first generation.

Pricing runs from $899 to $1,299. The Acer Googlebook 14 starts at $899 and is the only convertible in the launch lineup, with a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 processors and 16GB of RAM. The Dell XPS Googlebook starts at $1,199 with a 13.4-inch 2.5K display, Snapdragon X Elite chip and 16GB to 32GB of RAM. The HP Googlebook 14 and ASUS Googlebook 14 both start at $1,299; HP uses Snapdragon X Elite, while ASUS uses Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7. Lenovo's Googlebook 15 starts at $1,299 with a 15.3-inch 2.8K OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 5 and 16GB of RAM. ASUS says its model is the lightest at around 1kg.

All five laptops have at least 16GB of RAM, with some offering 32GB, and storage starting at 256GB on several models. Touchscreens and backlit keyboards are required, and displays can reach 2.8K OLED. The machines use aluminum, magnesium alloy and carbon fiber, and some include haptic trackpads, fingerprint sensors and face authentication. Google says the launch devices use Intel and Qualcomm processors with NPUs capable of more than 45 TOPS of on-device AI performance, and battery life is rated at up to 14 hours of video playback and 16 hours of web browsing.

Every Googlebook also has a Glowbar, an illuminated strip on the lid that lights up at boot, shows battery level and displays animations when interacting with Gemini. Google says it will release an API so developers can add their own interactive animations. The devices will receive regular updates for up to 10 years, and the $899 model includes 12 months of Google AI Pro, which offers 5TB of cloud storage, Gemini Advanced tools, three months of YouTube Premium, Adobe Photoshop and more, according to TechCrunch.

The central pitch is that a Googlebook works better with an Android phone. During setup, saved passwords, Wi-Fi networks, message history and other data can transfer from an Android phone to the laptop, protected by end-to-end encryption. A Continue On feature lets apps in use on a phone appear in the Googlebook dock and hand off to the laptop, keeping their state. Google demonstrated this with the music app BandLab and with Gmail, which opened its web interface on the laptop. Users can also cast Android apps from the phone to the Googlebook, run them with a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen, and access the phone's files directly in the desktop Files app through Quick Access. An iPhone user is limited to a Link to iOS app that does some message syncing and replying, Engadget reported.

AI is built into the experience through Gemini. The Magic Pointer, an AI-powered cursor, can be wiggled to summon Gemini; users can highlight content on a webpage, ask Gemini to check whether a hovered email is suspicious, or select images and ask Gemini to visualize them together. A feature called Rambler cleans up messy dictation into readable text, and Google is also offering vibe-coded widgets, Gemini Spark and Gemini Live. TechCrunch noted that some of these features, including Magic Cursor and Rambler, may be nice extras rather than reasons to buy a new laptop, since similar capabilities can be accessed through software.

Google has framed the launch as part of a broader strategy around Android and AI. The Verge reported that Rick Osterloh, Google's head of hardware and devices, greenlit the project in part because he saw it as 'the ultimate focusing move' for Google. For years, Google maintained two operating systems: ChromeOS on laptops and Android across phones, tablets, TVs and cars. The company became convinced that AI could change how people use computers while high-end PCs remain useful for running AI models. 'I think laptops are one of those resonant form factors,' Osterloh said. The project began in earnest a couple of years ago, but rumors of a ChromeOS-Android merger have circulated for more than a decade. In early 2024, Google engineers asked what would happen if they brought the best of ChromeOS to Android instead of bringing Android apps to ChromeOS; Prajakta Gudadhe, Google's VP of engineering for laptops and tablets, said the key change was the rapid evolution of Android itself.

Google also sees the education market as important. TechCrunch reported that there are around 50 million Chromebooks in schools used by students and educators, and Google told TechCrunch that current Chromebooks would continue to be supported, though many would become eligible to transition to the new Googlebook experience in the future. Pre-orders are open on the Google Store, Best Buy and other retailers. Devices will hit shelves on October 4 in the U.S. and October 5 in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany and Australia.