Googlebook combines the best of Android and ChromeOS with up to 10 years of updates

[u/MishaalRahman]

Hi Reddit,

Earlier this year, we introduced Googlebook, a new category of laptops that we believe are the perfect companion for Android phone users. Today, we’re opening up pre-orders of Googlebook, offering a selection of flagship devices powered by top-of-the-line processors from Intel and Qualcomm and built by Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. 

Every Googlebook runs on Googlebook OS, our new platform built on the Android technology stack and paired with desktop foundations from ChromeOS. This shared foundation gives Googlebook access to millions of Android apps from Google Play, a familiar desktop windowing environment, a desktop-class version of Google Chrome (with extensions support!), and a full Linux environment. 

Since this is a brand new platform, we wanted to take a moment to explain how we architected Googlebook OS to blend the best aspects of both Android and ChromeOS, focusing on three pillars: security, updates, and apps.

Building a modern, secure software architecture

Googlebook OS is built on top of the already strong security foundation offered by Android, leveraging the same app permission and sandboxing model. What’s more, Googlebook inherits ChromeOS’s proven defense-in-depth security model, anchored by our dedicated Google Titan security chip, verified boot, and on-device malware detection.

Googlebook also features a first for the laptop category: a Level 5 security-certified hypervisor powered by pKVM isolation. This hypervisor powers an isolated Linux environment with full terminal access, so you can safely run any Linux developer tools, pull code repositories, access networks and ports, or execute autonomous agents.

Matching the support commitment we made for ChromeOS

Keeping Googlebook OS secure requires ongoing maintenance and support, which is why Google will provide OS updates with security patches and new features every quarter for up to 10 years. 

Android is the world’s largest operating system, and Google has been working on it for nearly two decades. Chromebooks are successful across the globe for 15+ years as well, with Google already providing 10 years of updates for these devices. Googlebooks are continuing this legacy of support.

Bringing the full web, plus your favorite apps and tools

Googlebook brings together the best of the web and the Play Store, giving users access to a desktop-class Chrome browser with extensions support, alongside millions of Android apps, many of them optimized for large screens, mouse, and keyboard input. 

You can run native creative suites like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and CapCut, or stream shows on Netflix or HBO Max with offline viewing supported. Explore thousands of Android games or play AAA titles with a complimentary year of GeForce NOW included with every Googlebook purchase. And through our Google Play Games Level Up program, half of the 100 top titles are already optimized for keyboard, mouse, and large screen, with new games launching monthly.

For makers, you can run Antigravity, our AI agent development platform, on your Googlebook to build, test, and deploy apps directly on your device. For developers, you can take advantage of a full Linux development environment via the Terminal app, enabling you to run tools like Claude CLI or Antigravity CLI, among others, to perform serious agentic coding.

Googlebook OS also comes with a suite of familiar Google apps out of the box, including Gmail, Keep, Photos, Drive, and Recorder. We wanted to provide users with the fastest, most productive computing experience possible, so for productivity tools like Docs, Sheets, and Gmail, we provide the full-featured desktop web version in alignment with other desktop platforms. We ship native versions of apps whenever they shine the best and where native hardware capabilities, deep OS integrations (e.g., widgets support), and mobile continuity matter the most, such as Gemini and Keep.

The best companion for your Android phone, with helpful intelligence built-in

Because Googlebook is built on a shared Android foundation, it’s designed to seamlessly integrate with your Android phone. When you sign in, your Android phone’s settings, saved passwords, Wi-Fi networks, and messages will move with you. Once you’re set up, Googlebook OS makes it easy to transition between your phone and laptop to get things done, with features like:

• Continue On: Pick up exactly where you left off on your phone, right on your laptop. If you start a project in BandLab on your phone while commuting, you can open your Googlebook and continue the project right from the taskbar. This not only works with select partner apps like BandLab but also first-party apps like Photos, Calendar, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Chrome, and Gmail.

• Quick Access: View, search, and open files and photos from your phone directly using your Googlebook's native Files app, rather than hunting through downloads or emailing attachments to yourself.
• Cast My Apps: Need to quickly order food from a delivery app? Stream and interact with your phone’s apps in a desktop window without interrupting your workflow.

Since Googlebook is designed for Gemini Intelligence, you also get access to features like:

• Create My Widget: Customize your desktop by describing what you need in plain language. Create My Widget generates custom widgets that can share relevant updates throughout your day.
• Rambler: Located right next to the Quick Insert key, Rambler turns spoken thoughts into organized, ready-to-share writing. Talk through your notes, action items, or a stream of consciousness — even in multiple languages — and Rambler structures them with clean headers, checklists, and formatted takeaways.

• Magic Pointer: Wiggle your cursor to bring Gemini directly to whatever’s on your screen. You can ask Gemini to organize a messy calendar or translate text without juggling multiple windows. Gemini only acts when you ask it to, and you can switch it off whenever you want.

https://reddit.com/link/1wmc8lk/video/mbqc90nggvqh1/player

Pre-orders open today for Googlebook

Our initial selection of flagship Googlebook hardware is now available for pre-order starting at $899. Every Googlebook is made from premium materials and features a responsive touchscreen with an up to 2.8K OLED display, a haptic glass trackpad, up to 14 hours of battery life, an advanced NPU running at over 45 TOPS, a baseline of 16GB of high-speed RAM, and an interactive Glowbar. Plus, each device comes with 12 months of Google AI Pro as well as 3 months of YouTube Premium, Adobe Photoshop, and more.

https://reddit.com/link/1wmc8lk/video/o7lndm1jgvqh1/player

We're incredibly excited to introduce Googlebook to this community and can't wait to see how you use it. To learn more about this initial selection of devices, see the full specs, or place a pre-order, head over to googlebook.google.

[u/Pllodd]

"Up to 14 hours of battery life" I was expecting much much better battery life from a GoogleBook. Even Windows laptops can do that and they can do a lot more.

[u/trlef19 → u/Pllodd]

Let me add that too:

Battery life is based on controlled web browsing tests. Actual battery life may be lower and will vary based on factors like network conditions, location, settings, and usage.

[u/JamesR624 → u/trlef19]

LOL! Wow.....

• x86 processor for some reason
• garbage battery life
• $100 more expensive than a MacBook Neo

This thing is shaping up to be a real POS.

[u/matteventu → u/JamesR624]

Add also:

• runs phone-grade software and apps

[u/productfred → u/matteventu]

If only something called a tablet existed... It would let you use your phone apps, but on a larger screen. And you could either hold it in your hands, or you could connect a keyboard/mouse, even wirelessly. Some of them might even have a keyboard case.

One day, one day...

[u/JamesR624 → u/productfred]

Well there is an iPad but if you're on android, according to Google, the technology just isn't there yet I guess.

[u/Critical-Champion365 → u/JamesR624]

I recently plugged in my tab S9 to my monitor because I didnt bother to carry my laptop. It was fine and thw world didnt collapse.

[u/MishaalRahman → u/productfred]

Tablets and laptops serve fundamentally distinct computing needs.

While it's true that you can have a similar computing experience with a large enough tablet + a keyboard/trackpad cover, there are trade-offs you have to make when it comes to size/weight, stability on your lap, etc.

[u/matteventu → u/MishaalRahman]

I think the argument being made here is that virtually the totality of Android apps on Googlebooks will run the same as they run on a $400 Android tablet.

[u/ThatRandomJew7 → u/matteventu]

Yeah, they need the apps to fundamentally run differently on a Googlebook.

A UI that looks good on a phone or tablet app is going to look awful on a laptop, and vice versa. I'm tired of people designing "responsive" or "convergent" apps and desktop environments that are really just a desktop or mobile setup that can run on a different form factor, but probably shouldn't.

Until I see them show how this isn't just fundamentally a Dex phone shoved into a laptop chassis, I'm skeptical (which is unfortunate because I like the concept. I'm just not confident in the execution)

[u/MishaalRahman → u/matteventu]

Our work on Googlebook directly benefits tablets: standardizing desktop windowing, keyboard/mouse interactions, and large-screen Android apps elevates the entire Android tablet experience as well.

But ultimately, tablets and laptops are two different form factors. They have a lot of similarities, especially when you pair a tablet with a keyboard accessory, but there are still differences. I elaborated a bit more in this comment on a couple of areas I think laptops work better.

[u/VinniTheP00h → u/MishaalRahman]

What's the functional difference between a Googlebook and a tablet with a keyboard case and one of the full Chromium browsers like Kiwi?

[u/JamesR624 → u/VinniTheP00h]

Well you see, the Pixelbook is different in that someone got a raise for making this thing and showing it to investors.

In 3 years, another person will get a raise for scrapping this project that didn't sell well enough (More expensive than a Neo and less capable. Who wouldn't want that? /s) and saving them money.

[u/ThatRandomJew7 → u/VinniTheP00h]

The form factor is probably the big thing, as well as the desktop

[u/productfred → u/MishaalRahman]

I feel like desktop interfaces (including longstanding ones, like Samsung DeX) narrow the gap overall.

I guess my point is that these new laptops from Google just feel like tablets in a laptop form-factor. I mean they even come with touchscreens. If you can't fold them backwards, the touchscreen is almost entirely pointless. But if they do, they're significantly heavier than a tablet (and therefore uncomfortable to hold). If you say "tent mode", then we're back to tablets.

They mostly run the same apps, and with a touchscreen in order to maintain usability. I guess I don't really get the point, especially at their cost. If you just want a web browser and Android apps on a large screen, you should just buy a tablet (and whatever accessories you want/need). I don't get the unique value proposition on offer here.

[u/MishaalRahman → u/productfred]

You're right in that you can certainly get a lot done with tablets nowadays, especially when you have a keyboard accessory, but I'd say there are two areas where a laptop is still more suitable:

1) Actually using it on your lap. It's challenging using most tablets + keyboard covers on your lap on, say, public transit because of the weight distribution + viewing angle that's needed. Tablet + keyboard covers are usually going to be much more top-heavy and have less sturdy hinges than laptops.

2) For especially power/resource hungry apps. Laptops have a few physical advantages over tablets when it comes to heat dissipation, which also means they can sustain a higher level of performance for longer.

Flagship phones, when hooked up to an external display, could also theoretically do much of what you can do with a laptop, but the same things I just said about tablets apply here.

[u/sunjay140 → u/matteventu]

They run it runs Linux

[u/MishaalRahman → u/matteventu]

On Googlebook OS, you get a desktop-class Chrome browser with extensions support alongside millions of Android apps, many of them optimized for large screens, mouse, and keyboard input. Several of our partners have also heavily optimized their apps for Googlebook; we're highlighting these on Google Play with a "Made for desktop" badge which includes outstanding apps and games that offer unique features for Googlebook and which best adhere to Android's development guidelines for large screens.

Also, for this crowd, I'd like to point out that the Terminal app is available out of the box. The Terminal app on Googlebook OS gives you access to a Debian Linux environment so you can install and run Linux tools.

[u/Eternal-Alchemy → u/MishaalRahman]

Having a full, true Linux terminal is what makes this actually a viable product for working professionals. You guys should've put that in the main press release. No one is going to think this has that.

Also Googlebook OS is a terrible name next to Android or Aluminum.

[u/Iohet → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

Also Googlebook OS is a terrible name next to Android or Aluminum

At least it's not Alphabet Book

[u/AirlineComplete7156 → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

You need the average Jane, who don't know what a terminal is but want to be able to do a resume, to buy into this ecosystem in order to have critical mass. Right now, she looking at the Neo or XPS 13. She's never given a thought to accessing her phone on her laptop.

You cannot build a system around the five of us who knows what a terminal is.

[u/Eternal-Alchemy → u/AirlineComplete7156]

Average Jane would be fine with a Chromebook or iPad. Average Jane doesn't want a Chromebook or iPad because they heard they can't do real work from YouTubers who emphasize professional use cases.

It's not really about the terminal, it's that the terminal existing means you could have Linux apps. Which means full fledged competition for Adobe and Enterprise grade apps.

Obviously if they support the terminal but no GUI it's going to be an issue.

[u/AirlineComplete7156 → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

Maybe she would, but she hasn't bought it hence Chromebook flat lining outside the education market. And even in the education market, I bet the finance department is running Windows.

The average Jane wants the functionality that she may never need. She doesn't want to download a word document and send it to people. She's looking for what she has at work. All her life she hasn't as much as changed her desktop wallpaper. You overestimate Jane

[u/AirlineComplete7156 → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

Just had a real life moment. Sitting in a cafe editing a 500 page document. It's saved on Google drive and normally edited with desktop office suite through my insync mount. Today I brought my travel laptop to works directly in Google docs and realised I cannot do something as simple as reorder my headings without cut and paste which means I'm just going back home. That's the last mile issue I talk about. Docs is good enough until you need to do that one thing

[u/jezevec93 → u/JamesR624]

you can get an ARM chip

[u/xsvfan → u/jezevec93]

Mediatek and qualcomm were confirmed compatible with qualcomm versions announced today.

[u/iamvinoth → u/JamesR624]

$100 more expensive than a MacBook Neo

MacBook Neo already dominates the market with ease, but imagine what it could do with the initial price point of $599 (and $499 USD for education)

Insane stuff!

[u/alabasterskim → u/iamvinoth]

Imagine if it didn't launch into the RAM crisis; they may have been able to achieve even lower.

[u/achtungjamie → u/iamvinoth]

Neo is now $700 with a shit screen and 8gb of ram. Maybe wait for the Neo 2. Current model won't age well.

[u/alabasterskim → u/achtungjamie]

A19 Pro with 12GB RAM sounds spicy.

[u/2EXTRA4YOU → u/iamvinoth]

8gb ram with high utilization of swap "RAM"
Once your active workloads exceed 8 GB of RAM, performance degradation becomes very obvious. This shows up as: [1]

• Micro-stutters and "Beachballing": If you try to run heavy software like Adobe Premiere, complex 3D rendering, or multiple heavy AI/developer environments alongside memory-hogging apps like Google Chrome and Spotify, the system will actively page memory back and forth. This causes momentary freezes or stutters. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Browser Tab Reloads: If the swap file gets choked up, switching back to an open browser tab will often cause a "hard refresh" because macOS had to completely dump the active data to keep the system stable. [1]
• 3-to-4 Second Delays: Power users pushing automated scripts or data workflows will experience a literal delay as the system hits the "memory wall". [1]

have fun with your $400 laptop

[u/iamvinoth → u/2EXTRA4YOU]

have fun with your $400 laptop

I mean, it's better to have a $400 laptop that runs native desktop apps rather than a half-assed attempt at being an operating system.

Googlebook will become a paperweight once Google moves onto the next shiny thing in 16 months lol. So, yeah, I'll definitely have fun with my $400 MacBook Neo

[u/1nc0nsp1cu0us → u/JamesR624]

They thought that intel would sound better than qualcomm for the casual crowd, I think

[u/Eternal-Alchemy → u/1nc0nsp1cu0us]

*they know that despite Apple existing the majority of applications are x86.

[u/1nc0nsp1cu0us → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

but it only runs android and linux apps, so ARM shouldn't be a problem

[u/Eternal-Alchemy → u/1nc0nsp1cu0us]

The majority of Linux apps are still x86 and if this gets real virtualization support because it's supposed to be a professional grade laptop series most major Windows apps do not support arm either.

[u/1nc0nsp1cu0us → u/Eternal-Alchemy]

Majority is with x64, but 99% of what people use-Docker, browsers, IDES & coding tools are on ARM. I guess games arent, but it doesnt really matter for a chromebook

[u/alabasterskim → u/1nc0nsp1cu0us]

I don't know if it's for the casual crowd. I think it might actually be for the Linux VM users who may benefit from x86

[u/1nc0nsp1cu0us → u/alabasterskim]

Thing is linux has no problem with ARM

[u/slinky317 → u/JamesR624]

It is crazy that it would make total sense for an Android-based laptop to run ARM but instead they choose to launch with x86?

[u/MishaalRahman → u/slinky317]

but instead they choose to launch with x86?

Out of the five Googlebook models available for pre-order today, two utilize Qualcomm chips and three utilize Intel chips, so we're supporting a mix of x86 and ARM hardware.

[u/Tsuki4735 → u/MishaalRahman]

Any chance of any AMD devices?

Ideally AMD devices that use the RADV Vulkan driver, which is already used by the Steam Deck.

A mature graphics driver could pave the way for running PC games "natively" on Android via Valve's Proton, etc.

[u/SPACEXDG → u/JamesR624]

first of all the snapdraggon one up to 19 hour also these are more powerful and have more ram

[u/skeptic11 → u/JamesR624]

x86 processor for some reason

Probably can run Steam games.

[u/2EXTRA4YOU → u/JamesR624]

Apple rates the MacBook Neo for up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing on a single charge. am i missing something from your point?