Google Hardware Event Preview: Is Pixelbook Go Enough?

Google’s 2019 Hardware Event inches closer, and while rumors are flying about the Pixelbook Go, what what we are hearing about the product isn't the most exciting. So, will the Pixelbook Go really be enough?

Google invited press out to New York on Oct. 15, and while our sister-site Tom’s Guide is going to be covering the Pixel 4 and other devices that may be announced, we plan on cutting them in line to get our hands on the new laptop that Google has to show off.

Here’s what we expect to see from the Pixelbook Go at Google’s event.

Pixelbook Go

Initially rumored to be called the Pixelbook 2, the Pixelbook Go will be Google’s next flagship laptop, and we have a good feeling that the laptop will be there. Every other Chromebook that Google has made has launched within two years apart, and this year is the second year in a cycle. Not to mention that a recent FCC filing suggests it’s coming.

We’re not sure what the official pricing will be, but the new model will likely start around $1,000, like the previous Chromebooks that Google has made.

9to5Google claims to have gotten its hands on a prototype of the Pixelbook Go and released images as well as a full spec sheet. According to them, the the Pixelbook Go will have a 13.3-inch, 1080p or 4K display along with either a Core m3, Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The Pixelbook Go also supposedly has a 2MP front-facing camera, a Titan C chip, two front-firing speakers and two USB Type-C ports as well as a headphone jack.

Apparently, the Pixelbook Go will have a clamshell design, unlike the original Pixelbook, and if 9to5Google’s photos are to be believed, the system will have a silver lid, a pink ribbed underside and a seemingly white interior with pinkish keys. It supposedly comes in black as well.

Whether or not the model that 9to5Google has is the real thing, we still want to see quite a few things from Google at its event this Tuesday. For one, we want a laptop with at least 8 hours of battery life, some slimmer bezels on the display, some more power (ideally a U-series chip), an included stylus and a fingerprint sensor. Oh yeah, and all of that for a lower price point than $1,000. I mean, if this laptop comes with a Core m3 CPU, it’s just straight up disrespectful to start at a whole grand.

Even then, we want to see something unique, and going to a clamshell design isn’t exactly exciting. We want Google to make us want to get a Chromebook for ourselves.

Outlook

We’re hoping that whatever we see at Google’s Hardware Event, whether it be the Pixelbook 2 or Pixelbook Go, it’ll impress us. Stay tuned for further coverage as well as a full review and benchmarks of the upcoming product.

Credit: 9to5Google

Rami Tabari
Editor

Rami Tabari is an Editor for Laptop Mag. He reviews every shape and form of a laptop as well as all sorts of cool tech. You can find him sitting at his desk surrounded by a hoarder's dream of laptops, and when he navigates his way out to civilization, you can catch him watching really bad anime or playing some kind of painfully difficult game. He’s the best at every game and he just doesn’t lose. That’s why you’ll occasionally catch his byline attached to the latest Souls-like challenge.