It’s all true. Google unveiled its latest high-end Chromebook at its Made by Google event on Wednesday, October 4, and it starts at just $1,000. The Pixelbook features a 2-in-1 build, so it pulls double duty as a laptop and a tablet, and it’s just full of surprises. Read our hands-on Pixelbook review for our impressions, or start here with all the facts — let’s get into it!
The theme of Google’s event was the seamless blending of artificial intelligence, hardware, and software, and the Pixelbook is a big leap in that direction. With Google Assistant integration, and seamless tethering to Pixel and Pixel 2 phones, the Pixelbook is engineered from the ground up to provide a unique user experience.
Just as unique as its software experience is its construction. The chassis borrows heavily from the Pixel phone’s design, using a glass inlay on the lid to improve wireless functionality. It offers a 12.3-inch Quad HD display with a super-sharp pixel density of 235 pixels per inch.
The Pixelbook will be available in three configurations starting at $1,000 and topping out at $1,650 with all the bells and whistles. Options will include an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 128, 256, or 512GB of SSD storage space.
It will also feature USB-C charging, and can even use the same charger for the Pixel and Pixel 2 phones. According to Google, the battery life should see you through a whole workday with time to spare, with 10 hours of battery life. The Pixelbook will feature fast-charging, which will allow you to get about two hours of battery life out of just 15 minutes of charge time.
The Pixelbook is also a shot across the bow for Microsoft’s Surface line, as the new Chromebook features support for Google’s new Pixelbook Pen, an active stylus which reportedly beats both the Surface Pen and the Apple Pencil in response time. The Pixel Pen offers just 10ms of latency, and it’ll be available for pre-order starting today, at $100.
The Pixelbook and all its configurations will be available for pre-order on Wednesday, October 4, and should start hitting store shelves on October 31.
The Google Pixelbook was just one of the products Google showed off during the October 4 event. Other devices slated for the show include new Pixel-branded smartphones, a much smaller Google Home Mini, and maybe one or two additional gadgets. Once revealed, Google is expected to list the Pixelbook here and the optional Pixelbook Pen accessory here.
Update: Revised to include the latest information about the Pixelbook and a link to our hands-on review.
