3 weeks ago
After aggregate years of rumors, Google coming confirmed a caller laptop-focused inaugural called Googlebooks. ChromeOS, which launched much than 15 years ago, was built pinch nan thought that astir group do everything online now; Google says this caller class of laptops is built for a Gemini-first world. The institution only gave america a very little preview of what makes up a Googlebook, pinch plans to much formally denote much specifications including hardware later this year.
Here's what we cognize truthful far. The OS moving connected Googlebooks has its origins successful Android, thing we've been proceeding astir for respective years now. Of course, Chromebooks person supported app streaming from Android phones since 2023, but Google says that building nan OS from nan crushed up connected Android will let for a batch person integration betwixt Googlebooks and Android phones. It'll besides alteration nan institution to create and instrumentality Android features connected laptops overmuch easier than it tin presently do pinch ChromeOS. Since ChromeOS was fundamentally conscionable a browser to commencement with, Google has had to graft a batch of features for illustration Quick Share and Phone Hub to make nan strategy activity amended pinch Android — that won't beryllium nan lawsuit pinch Googlebooks.
As such, Google is pushing much robust Android integration pinch Googlebooks. There's a caller Quick Access characteristic that'll show your compatible Android telephone successful nan sidebar of nan record browser, giving you contiguous entree to everything stored connected it that you mightiness want to stock connected your laptop. The caller "Create Your Widget" characteristic coming to Android 17 is coming here, arsenic well. This lets you build a dashboard of related files and accusation from Gmail, Calendar and different Google apps to support a task aliases arena each successful 1 easy accessible place.
Googlebooks will besides connection a streamlined measurement to position apps from your Android telephone connected your laptop. Like I said, ChromeOS has offered app streaming for a while already, but this implementation seems a batch simpler. There's a telephone fastener successful nan dock astatine nan bottommost of nan screen, and clicking that will conscionable bring up a grid of apps that you tin instantly motorboat connected your Googlebook. It remains to beryllium seen really precisely this differs from nan existent app streaming implementation, but it feels for illustration these updates are meant to do thing akin to nan iPhone mirroring feature connected nan Mac that Apple introduced a fewer years ago.
The existent prima of nan show, to perceive Google show it, is improved Gemini integration. But speech from nan Create Your Widget feature, Google has only showed disconnected 1 different caller Gemini feature: nan Magic Pointer. This is an AI-powered upgrade to nan modular cursor that each machine uses arsenic a pointing and clicking interface. Wiggling nan cursor transforms it into nan Magic Pointer, which Google says will springiness you "quick, contextual suggestions" from immoderate you constituent astatine connected your screen. For example, nan Magic Cursor offered to return a photograph of a set and nan bands logo and harvester them for a makeshift poster. Another illustration progressive taking a photograph of your surviving room and 1 of a sofa to person them mixed truthful you tin spot really they'll look together. As pinch everything, we'll request to spot this successful personification to find if it's useful. I do for illustration nan thought of giving nan cursor much powers — but arsenic pinch each AI features, this could beryllium a boondoggle.
As for nan hardware, Google made it clear to maine that erstwhile Googlebooks rotation retired this fall, it won't impact immoderate first-party laptops. As usual, Google will beryllium moving pinch a assortment of manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Dell and HP. All of these companies person made Chromebooks successful nan past, truthful it's nary large astonishment to perceive they're each involved. Google did opportunity that it's starting pinch a attraction connected "premium craftsmanship and materials," truthful we're not looking astatine low-end Chromebook hardware here. Indeed, Google has added a spot of bling present — there's a "glowbar" connected nan lid that is simply a nonstop motion to nan Chromebook Pixel that nan institution released measurement backmost successful 2013. On that computer, you could pat nan lid and nan barroom would bespeak really overmuch artillery life you had left, but we're not judge what instrumentality nan glowbar will perform, if any, successful 2026.
At this early stage, it's not terribly clear what actual advantages Googlebooks will connection complete Chromebooks. Most of nan features that Google talked astir are coming to immoderate grade already successful ChromeOS, including beautiful heavy Gemini integration. However, 1 of nan main tenets of Googlebooks is person and easier integration pinch Android phones — arsenic such, it does make a grade of consciousness to commencement moving Google's laptop package complete to Android. Google besides says it'll proceed supporting Chromebooks for nan entirety of their life aft purchase, which intends years of package and information updates. My conjecture is that we're looking astatine a slow phase-out of disposable Chromebooks, pinch Googlebooks slow taking their spot arsenic Google's laptop. But we're apt years distant from that constituent — first, Google and its partners request to get Googlebooks retired to nan market. Google says we'll perceive much astir that scheme this fall.
