Googlebooks finally make the Android ecosystem dream a reality

The Googlebook is finally here. Or, rather, Googlebooks, plural, as there are five of them.

Separately and collectively, they represent the promise of an Android ecosystem, with an uninterrupted flow when moving between phone and laptop.

At an event to introduce the Googlebook, Sameer Samat, president of the Android ecosystem at Google, said that focus on the Android community and the seamless flow between devices formed the primary motivation in creating what he called “a new category of laptops built for how people work today.”

The Android ecosystem expands

Android fans who do feel a twinge of envy when seeing their Apple-oriented friends transition between their iPhones and MacBooks without missing a beat now have an alternative.

Three features unite Android phones and Googlebooks.

Continue On connects phones and Googlebooks so that a project started on the go on a phone can be picked up as soon as the laptop opens.

And Googlebooks have a Files app that allows for viewing, searching, and opening files and photos that live on Android phones.

Finally, Cast My Apps puts a phone’s apps right in a desktop window so that users can split tasks without dividing their attention.

Samat said that aside from creating this environment for Android users, Google had two other goals: integrating AI features that are actually helpful and architecture to support work that people need to get done.

AI first, but not always

What the Chromebook is to the cloud, the Googlebook is to Gemini.

Gemini can be summoned with the Magic Pointer. It appears with the wiggle of the mouse cursor and brings up Gemini to take action on anything on the screen.

Also present on Googlebooks is Rambler, Google’s voice dictation feature that reacts to real-time changes in dictation, like switching languages, and cleans up all of those filler umms and ahhs.

For desktop customization, there’s Create My Widget, a way that users can describe the widgets of their dreams in plain language to Gemini which will turn them out.

Despite the AI focus, Google said that Gemini and other AI features like the Magic Pointer do not act on Googlebooks without permission.

To support the AI-centric approach, a full year of Google AI Pro with 5TB of cloud storage and Gemini Advanced tools is included with all Googlebooks.

The five types of Googlebooks

At launch, there are five Googlebooks, one each from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

They’re more premium builds overall than Chromebooks, and are made of aluminum, magnesium alloy, and carbon fiber. The entire line has haptic glass trackpads, backlit keyboards, Dolby Atmos speakers, and responsive touchscreens with up to 2.8K OLED displays.

Their price point matches the materials, with a range from $899 to $1299.

The Asus Googlebook 14, at 15.9 millimeters thick and 2.2 pounds, is the most portable of the Googlebooks. It’s driven by Intel Core Ultra 5 and 7 Series 3 processors, and pairs 16 to 32 gigabytes of RAM with up to 512 gigabytes of internal storage. It has a 14-inch 2.8K OLED and fingerprint authentication. The price starts at $1299.

The Lenovo Googlebook 15 is the workhorse of the group. It’s powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 5 and 7 Series 3 processors, and comes configured with 16 gigabytes of RAM and up to 512 gigabytes of storage. The Lenovo has a 15.3-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen display. It comes in at 2.84 pounds and is 15.9 millimeters thick. It has both face recognition and fingerprint biometric authentication. The price starts at $1299.

The Dell XPS Googlebook was described by Google as the “hipster” one, though there seems to be no clear reason why. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. It’s 12.7 millimeters thick and 2.2 pounds, with a 13.4-inch 2.5K LCD touchscreen. It comes with 512GB to 1TB of storage and fingerprint authentication. It starts at $1199.

The HP Googlebook 14 also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. It comes with 16GB to 32GB RAM, and 256GB to 1TB of storage. There’s a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen. The HP Googlebook is 14 millimeters thick and weighs 2.74 pounds. The price starts at $1299.

The Acer Googlebook 14 is the lone convertible in the portfolio. It’s powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 5 and 7 Series 3 processors. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB to 512GB of storage. It weighs 2.51 pounds and is 13.9 mm thick. There’s a 14-inch 2.8k OLED touchscreen and fingerprint authentication. The Acer Googlebook 14 starts at $899.

Samat told Android Police that he’s primarily been using the Dell XPS Googlebook and the Asus Googlebook 14, the latter for its ease of portability.

A light touch

Designwise, Googlebooks are recognizable by the Glowbar on every laptop lid in the lineup.

Google said that the Glowbar lights up at startup, sweeps to show battery charge level, “reacts with playful animations when you talk to Gemini,” and has Easter Eggs to discover.

However, in a hands-on with all five models, Android Police was only able to get the Glowbar to cycle through a rainbow of colors by opening and closing each device.

Apps and games

While there are apps built just for Googlebooks, Google said all apps will adapt to screen size from Android when moving between devices. And Googlebooks will have access to Play Store apps for both the phone and the desktop.

With powerful processors, Googlebooks are getting into gaming. There will be 20,000 gaming titles at launch that will support cross-device play.

Google is introducing a Level Up program for games, and Googlebooks come with a free year of Nvidia Gforce Now.

Preorders are open

Preorders start today, Sept. 21, on the Google Store and Best Buy, and the laptops will be on shelves Oct. 4.

Googlebooks come with 10 years of automatic updates at launch. Also included are three months of YouTube Premium and Adobe Photoshop.

Chromebooks: not gone, not forgotten

Samat spoke with Android Police about the fate of Chromebooks in the era of Googlebooks.

He said Chromebooks will continue to have a life in the education and enterprise markets. New Chromebooks are scheduled for launch within the coming months.