Why it matters to you
If you were searching for a high-end Chromebook, wait another month to see what Google produces during its press event in early October.
Although we have not seen anything official from Google, rumor of an upcoming Chromebook dubbed as “Pixelbook” surfaced on Tuesday, September 19. Sold exclusively through the Google Store, the device will reportedly make an official appearance on October 4 during a special event sporting special 360-degree hinges to create a tablet-style form factor. Alongside the convertible will be the new Google Pixelbook Pen optimized for the unannounced convertible.
While we know absolutely nothing about the Pixelbook’s internal components, we suspect it will be based on Intel’s recently released eighth-generation Core i5 or Core i7 “U” processors. Here’s a brief rundown of the processor options Google may be using next month, but there is a good chance the Pixel book will rely on the i7-8650U model. Have a peek:
i5-8250U
i5-8350U
i7-8550U
i7-8650U
Cores:
4
4
4
4
Threads:
8
8
8
8
Base speed:
1.60GHz
1.70GHz
1.80GHz
1.90GHz
Max turbo speed:
3.40GHz
3.60GHz
4.00GHz
4.20GHz
Cache:
6MB
6MB
8MB
8MB
Graphics:
UHD Graphics 620
UHD Graphics 620
UHD Graphics 620
UHD Graphics 620
GPU base speed:
300MHz
300MHz
300MHz
300MHz
GPU max speed:
1.10GHz
1.10GHz
1.15GHz
1.15GHz
Based on the information provided in the rumor, there won’t be any configuration options outside the internal storage capacity. Customers will have three options:
- 128GB at $1,200
- 256GB at $1,400
- 512GB at $1,750
The Google Pixelbook will follow the company’s Chromebook Pixel laptop, which was discontinued in March. You can still purchase models through Amazon and other online resellers, such as this model listed on Amazon packing a 12.85-inch screen with a 2,560 x 1,700 resolution, an Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, 4GB of system memory, 64GB of storage, and 4G LTE connectivity. They were considered to be high-end Chromebooks, surpassing the price tags seen with third-party solutions provided by Samsung, Acer, and more.
What will make the Pixelbook different than the Chromebook Pixel outside the obvious hardware upgrades will be its 360-degree hinges and support for a specific stylus. We don’t know any details about the Pixelbook Pen although rumors suggest a $100 price tag, tilt support, and pressure sensitivity. Product renders show the parent screen to be extremely thin and connected to the base with two white, thick hinges.
Unfortunately, the two product renders are all we have to go on visually. They depict a keyboard spanning the entire width of the Chromebook, huge key caps, and a palm rest that may/may not have a glassy smooth surface. The bottom half of the render is too white for reading the available ports although one side appears to sport a Type-C port and a headphone jack.
The Google Pixelbook is just one of the rumored products scheduled to strut their stuff during a special event on October 4. Other devices supposedly slated for the show include new Pixel-branded smartphones, 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.