Google announced a new Pixelbook Chromebook with a new Pixelbook pen at its event in San Francisco.
The lightweight 12.3-inch convertible (meaning it can be used as a tablet) will be available in three configurations with pricing starting at $999 or £999. The Pixelbook Pen, sold separately, costs $99 or £99. It'll be available in US, UK and Canada. Preorders start today and it's expected in stores on Oct. 31.
Weighing 2.2 pounds (1kg) and at 10mm thin, the Pixelbook is super portable. It fully supports the Google Play app store, and it's the first laptop with Google Assistant built in. The base model features a 7th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Pixel phone users can additionally set it to automatically tether data.
The Pixelbook pen works just like a stylus, but with a special extra feature. It has a button that can be used to circle a photo or text on the screen that'll automatically trigger Google Assistant to search Google for more information the selected item.
In person, the Pixelbook is handsome. Even "stunning" might not be too strong a word.
It screams quality the moment you open the smooth hinged lid, place your palms on the silicone palmrests, or brush your finger across the touchpad's velvety (so much as glass can be velvety) surface. The keyboard feels extremely capable as well, if a little shallow, with comfortably spaced keys that actuate near instantly, and CNET's Stephen Shankland also appreciated the stylus in a brief test:
The Google Pixelbook pen latency of 10 milliseconds (delay before pen stroke appears on screen) felt pretty responsive to me. #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/84RdZV76qJ
— Stephen Shankland (@stshank) October 4, 2017
It also feels *far* less cumbersome than Microsoft's Surface Book -- an important comparison even if the Book's discrete graphics options can put it in a different weight class. Other touches, like a magnet that holds the Pixelbook in tablet mode, and the ability to charge it with either of its USB-C ports seem pretty convenient.
Tech specs
- Chrome OS
- 12.3-inch LCD screen
- 2,400x1,600-pixel resolution
- 7th-gen Intel Core processor
- 8GB or 16GB of RAM
- Up to 10 hours battery life
- 2 USB-C ports (either can charge it)
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Google also announced new smart speakers and Pixel 2 phones. Stay tuned for more information as we follow along.
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