GoKawiilGoogle's official launch for its new Googlebook platform is still scheduled for later this year, but details on at least one of the new Android-based laptops that will be available at launch have come into focus. MacObserver reports that the Lenovo Googlebook 15 will feature more than its fair share of high-end components, including the latest Intel Core Ultra chips, and a high-resolution, high-refresh rate touchscreen display.
Lenovo is reportedly working on multiple new devices for Google: a tablet with a detachable trackpad and keyboard and a more traditional laptop. The Lenovo Googlebook 15 appears to be the latter. MacObserver writes that it'll feature a 15.3-inch 120Hz OLED display, with 2,880 x 1,800 resolution and the ability to reach 500 nits of peak brightness. The laptop is also reportedly powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip and can come with either 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
All together, that's a step up even from Google's Chromebook Plus initiative, which required partners to include at least 8GB RAM, 128GB of storage and either an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 700 series processor to unlock exclusive AI features. As promised, Googlebooks definitely seem more premium than their Chromebook predecessors.
Some of that extra processing power is likely necessary for the laptop's Gemini Intelligence features. Google detailed several when it announced the Googlebook initiative, but the most interesting was Magic Cursor, which turns a laptop's mouse cursor into a contextual prompting tool for Gemini. Googlebooks also feature exclusive hardware features like a multicolored strip of LEDs called a "glowbar," which is also on the Lenovo Googlebook 15, according to MacObserver.
What these possible specs communicate about the price range of this first wave of Googlebooks isn't definite, but it certainly seems like they'll be more expensive than most Chromebooks. We should know more soon: ChromeUnboxed reported in August that Google is hosting a media event on September 15 to preview the first wave of Googlebooks.