Google’s Chromebook Pixel has been revamped, now a high-end convertible laptop that is set to rival Microsoft’s Surface Book and Apple’s MacBook. The Pixelbook is a thin and light laptop that runs Chrome OS and can be folded and used as a tablet. There’s an optional stylus available, too. Read our hands-on review of the Pixelbook.
When is the Google Pixelbook release date?
Google’s special event took place on 4 October, and began pre-orders that very day. It’ll begin shipping on 31 October. You can pre-order the Pixelbook now here.
How much will the Google Pixelbook cost in the UK?
Although it adds to Google’s Chromebook line-up, the Pixelbook isn’t a budget laptop. Google describes it as a ‘high-preformance Chromebook’, and it starts at £999/$999, while its Pixelbook Pen companion is $99/$99. For the 256GB model, you’ll pay £1,199/$1,199, and £1,699/$1,699 for the 512GB model with 16GB RAM and an i7 processor.
What are the specifications of the Pixelbook?
Design
The Pixelbook is made with aluminium for a light and thin laptop that is 10.3mm thick and weighs 1.1kg. It has a 12.3in screen at a 3:2 ratio, at 235ppi, which is an unusual choice for a laptop and makes the overall look and feel rather squared, but it is the same as its closest rival, the Microsoft Surface Book. There are soft touch, backlit keys and a large, edge-to-edge trackpad, too.
Google describes it as 4-in-1, but it’s technically a 2-in-1 laptop as we know it. By that, we mean it can be used as a laptop or a tablet, but Google’s reason for the 4-in-1 label is that it can also be used in Tent Mode and Entertainment Mode like the Surface Book and Lenovo Yoga.
Hardware
The Pixelbook runs on either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors depending on which you choose, with 8GB or 16GB RAM and 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage. It has two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but that’s all you’ll get a lot like Apple’s MacBook.
Battery life
Battery life is 10 hours on one charge, but you can get two hours of power from just 15 minutes of charging.
Software
It runs Chrome OS, and for the first time, Google has added Assistant to this laptop. For times when speaking out loud isn’t appropriate but you want to use Assistant’s features, there’s a dedicated button on the keyboard. The Pixelbook’s Google Assistant features work really well with the new Pixelbook Pen, too, which Google has developed with help from Wacom. Press the button on the Pen and circle a photo of a musician you don’t know, for example. Assistant will tell you who it is and everything you need to know about them. The pen offers angle and pressure sensitivity, and has just 10ms of latency which means you should experience no lag. The same goes for studying. If you see a word you don’t understand you can circle that for an explanation from Assistant. An interesting feature for Pixel owners is Instant Tethering. If the Pixelbook can’t find a WiFi network, it will tether to your Pixel and use the data available there. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
