With Chromebook Plus, a new Pixelbook Go makes sense

Abner Li | Oct 3 2023 - 1:30 pm PT

Google announced its last Chromebook in 2019. The lack of a new Pixelbook since then has frankly made sense. The ChromeOS hardware space has greatly matured over the past several years with many premium and quality mid-range devices available. Simply put, there was no need for Google to build a halo device.

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It also wasn’t obvious to me what would make a new Pixelbook worthy of the “Pixel” brand. I wasn’t sure what combination of hardware and exclusive software made sense, considering everything was so commoditized.

However, if Google were to try again, I now think there’s a clearer path centered around Chromebook Plus and its starting price of $399. This current era of generative AI dovetails perfectly with the productivity focus at the heart of Chromebooks.

Video calling enhancements like background blurring, improved lighting, noise cancellation, Live Captions, and dedicated controls in the Shelf appeal to people and how they get work (and school) done today.

The productivity focus continues, with File Sync making sure relevant Google Drive files are available offline, and will soon be supercharged with AI features like generative text in any field and reading assistance that summarizes articles. On the video front, there will be image generation for custom backgrounds. That extends to wallpapers, which, along with Material You, should aid personalization. Having access to Magic Eraser in Google Photos will also be a fan favorite.

A Pixelbook would need all these AI/software features, and probably a few more exclusive ones – namely, the Recorder app – but the real contribution the Pixel team would make is on hardware design.

The hardware specs needed to run these features are not very expensive: 8+ GB of RAM, 128+ GB of storage, 1080p+ webcam, full HD IPS display, and Intel Core i3 12th Gen or AMD Ryzen 3 7000. Where Google should splurge is a premium chassis/case and great keyboard, with Hush Keys being quite nice. From the Chromebook Plus devices I’ve used, the hardware betrays the price.

Other areas in which Google could differentiate a Pixelbook include bringing over a phone-quality front-facing camera, premium speakers aimed at lean-back entertainment, and a fingerprint sensor for device unlock.

At launch, the most expensive Chromebook Plus hardware (from HP) is $699. I think $499 to $599 — $549, especially — would be the sweet spot for something more premium than a baseline Chromebook Plus.

Given the existence of the Pixel Tablet, Google should not waste money on including a touchscreen or designing a convertible that requires a 360-degree hinge. The focus should be making the best possible clamshell that’s meaningfully cheaper than a MacBook Air while matching that build quality.