GoKawiil
Tech News
Google began selling its first Googlebook laptops on October 4th, and The Verge received review units of all five models about a day later. The devices resemble Chromebooks but add new ways to link an Android phone to the laptop, including casting apps, moving tasks between devices, and accessing phone files and notifications directly from the laptop.
As Googlebook laptops go on sale, Google has added new support documentation explaining features unique to the Android-based devices. The pages detail the RGB Glowbar strip's various lighting states—covering usage, charging, battery level, and Gemini interactions—as well as Game Controls, which lets users map physical keys to on-screen touchscreen controls for Android games.
Google is partnering with actor Henry Cavill to create a video game showcasing its new Googlebook laptops, which run Android rather than ChromeOS. The companies are targeting a November release, though Google has not disclosed the game's genre or other creative partners involved.
Google published a support page for Chrome Enterprise and Education customers stating that ChromeOS software support will continue through 'mid-2034.' The page frames the timeline as Google positions its new Android-based Googlebooks as the eventual successor to Chromebooks. The 2034 date had previously appeared in a court filing, but this marks its first public appearance on an official support document.
Best Buy is offering a free pair of Pixel Buds 2A in hazel to customers who preorder any qualifying Googlebook laptop through October 25th, 2026. Models from Acer, Lenovo, Asus, HP, and Dell are eligible, with some units shipping as early as October 5th, 2026. The cheapest option, the Acer Googlebook 14, starts at $899 with an Intel Core 5 Ultra chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.
Google's new Android-based Googlebook laptops are now available for preorder from multiple OEM partners, ahead of an October 4 launch. Five models will debut, priced starting at $899 with only one under $1,000, featuring OLED displays, metal chassis, large haptic trackpads, and an illuminated 'Glowbar' on the lid. The machines run either Snapdragon X Elite or Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips with NPUs delivering up to 45 TOPS.
Google announced an 'Opening Night' event in New York on October 5 to formally showcase its first Googlebook laptops, which run an Android-based version of ChromeOS. The event follows the September 21 pre-order launch and will feature interactive displays along with the debut of the first laptop built for Gemini Intelligence. Partners including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo are manufacturing the devices, which include a lid light called a 'glowbar.'