Google takes on MacBook with Gemini AI-powered Googlebook, pre-orders now open

Google has finally taken the wraps off of its new laptop category called Googlebooks. Unlike Chromebooks, Googlebooks are designed to be premium devices that can be a companion to your Android phone while bringing all the functionality you expect from a PC.

In Short

• Googlebook OS blends Android technology with ChromeOS desktop foundations for laptops
• All models need premium builds, touch displays, 16GB RAM and fingerprint scanners
• Phone integration brings synced passwords, messages, files and task handoff

Google is taking a big step in the PC market with Googlebooks – its new category of laptops. For years, Google had focused on Chromebooks and ChromeOS laptops that saw reasonable success in the education market, but now the company is going a step further. Googlebooks, the company says, bring a premium experience catered to Android users who want a real PC companion for their smartphone.

Googlebooks run on Googlebook OS – which had the codename Aluminium OS. Google says that this operating system combines the Android technology stack with desktop foundations from ChromeOS.

As per the company, Gemini Intelligence plays a central role in your Googlebook experience. On top of that, the Googlebook devices can also work closely with Android phones, including running Android apps.

The specs needed for a Googlebook

The tech giant has listed a common set of specs that every laptop manufacturer must meet to design a Googlebook. Across the launch line-up, the laptops must be built using premium materials such as aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon fibre. This means that you will not see any Googlebook with a plastic build.

Coming to the display, Google says that all Googlebooks must come with touch support and can use up to 2.8K or 3K OLED panels. Though IPS panels can also work.

The more unique factor for the Googlebook is the Glowbar that we first saw during the Android Show in May this year. This Glowbar can be placed anywhere on the lid of a Googlebook and serves as a way to make others know that you have Google’s premium laptop.

All Googlebooks must also have backlit keyboards, haptic trackpads, and fingerprint scanners. Every laptop must also use at least 16GB of RAM, at least 256GB of SSD storage, and battery life of up to 14 hours of video playback or more than 14 hours of active use.

The Googlebooks launched so far – more on that in a while – use Intel Core Ultra Series 3 or Snapdragon X Elite processors, paired with NPUs delivering more than 40 TOPS or 45 TOPS of on-device AI performance.

What can a Googlebook do?

Googlebook’s main pitch is its integration with Android phones. Google says that when users set up the laptop, passwords, contacts, messages, Wi-Fi networks and other information from an Android phone are already available, backed by end-to-end encryption.

The Continue On feature will allow you to resume tasks from a phone on the laptop from the taskbar. You also get access to photos and files stored on the phone via a dedicated Files app. Google also says Cast My Apps can stream and run phone apps in a desktop window, allowing users to do things such as check a one-time code or use a delivery app without switching devices.

On the software side, Google has built Gemini AI features directly into the new platform. Magic Pointer appears when users wiggle the cursor and can work with text, images and context on screen. Google says it can help with tasks such as turning a training plan on a webpage into scheduled runs in Google Calendar, checking whether a suspicious email is spam, or combining selected images.

Rambler – a feature we saw on the Pixel 11 phones – is also here. It is a voice-based writing tool placed next to the Quick Insert key. Rambler can turn spoken notes into organised writing with headers, bullet points and action items, and can handle more than one language in the same flow. Another tool, Create My Widget, lets users describe a widget in plain language and generate it without coding.

Googlebook also supports the desktop Chrome browser with extensions, as well as Android apps from the Play Store, many of them optimised for larger screens, keyboard and mouse input. Google says users will be able to run apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and CapCut, stream shows with offline viewing, and play Android games.

The company also says every Googlebook includes Google Antigravity for building and deploying apps on the device, along with a Linux terminal environment for developer tools such as Claude Code and Antigravity CLI. On security, Google says the platform uses the same architecture as ChromeOS, including Google Titan hardware root of trust, on-device malware detection and a Level 5 security-certified pKVM hypervisor for an isolated Linux environment.

Googlebooks that you can buy

Google has announced five launch models with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo as partners. The Acer Googlebook 14 is the only convertible in the line-up and can switch from laptop to tablet form. It starts at $899 (roughly Rs 86,000) and brings a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen, Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 processor, 16GB RAM, at least 256GB storage and a 71Wh battery.

The Asus Googlebook 14 is the lightest of the lot, weighing 2.2 pounds or just about 1kg. This device starts at $1,299 (roughly Rs 1,24,000) and offers a 14-inch 3K OLED touchscreen with 500 nits of brightness, a haptic touchpad and Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 chips. The Dell XPS Googlebook is positioned as a compact machine with a 13-inch 2.5K display. It uses the Snapdragon X Elite processor, offers 16GB or 32GB RAM, and at least 512GB storage. The XPS Chromebook starts at $999 (roughly Rs 95,000).

The HP Googlebook 14 starts at $1,299 (roughly Rs 1,24,000) with a Snapdragon X Elite chip under the hood. It gets at least 16GB RAM, at least 256GB storage and a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen. The Lenovo Googlebook 15 comes with a soft-touch finish. It also starts at $1,299 (roughly Rs 1,24,000). The device features a 15.3-inch 2.8K OLED touch display, Dolby Atmos audio, an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage.

Every Googlebook comes with 12 months of Google AI Pro, including 5TB of cloud storage and Gemini Advanced tools, while bundle offers also include three months of YouTube Premium, Adobe Photoshop and other services. As per the company, buyers will get regular feature drops and updates for up to 10 years.

But you may have to wait to get your hands on a Googlebook in India. Currently, Googlebooks are available for pre-orders in selection regions. The devices will go on sale in the US on October 4, and on October 5 in Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Australia.

- Ends