It’s Google hardware leak day!
Right alongside fresh leaks of the Pixel 2 XL and new Google Home Mini, we also have information on a brand new Pixel-branded Chromebook from Google called the Pixelbook. Droid-Life has a couple of images and some information, pointing to a true successor to the first two Chromebook Pixels with high-end hardware and a relatively traditional laptop-like form factor.
The core differentiation from previous Chromebook Pixels is that the Google Pixelbook folds over into a tablet and has an optional $99 “Pixelbook Pen” stylus for input, not unlike the Samsung Chromebook Pro that was made in tight coordination with Google. The Pixelbook, however, is a top-end laptop with a purported starting price of $1149 for 128GB of internal storage. Additional storage bumps to 256GB at $1,399 and 512GB at $1,749 will also be available.
The available Pixelbook render shows a svelte laptop with relatively typical proportions and what could be a large speaker above the keyboard before the screen hinge. At this price a metal unibody is a good bet, there’s a big trackpad, and the display looks to have the same sort of taller-than-most 3:2 aspect ratio. The now-conventional rotating screen points to the Pixelbook being a different hardware project from the previously rumored crazy 2-in-1 device Google is also apparently working on.
The early Chromebook Pixels were very clearly beloved by those who were willing to shell out the big dollars for an ultimate Chromebook experience, but with their high price they were hardly big sellers. It’s interesting to see Google going back to the well again with super-high-end hardware and pricing for a Chromebook — a product category so many people currently associate with a $200-400 budget laptop.
We should expect to hear all of the details and explanation from Google at its October 4 event, where we’ll also see the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones, Google Home Mini and maybe a few more treats as well.
