Google is bringing back its line of Chrome OS-running laptops, the Chromebook Pixel, but is giving it a slightly different branding. Named Pixelbook, the new laptop is expected to be officially unveiled at the company's Oct. 4 event along with the Pixel smartphones.
The first details regarding the Pixelbook was uncovered by Droid Life, who revealed that the upcoming laptop will come in silver and will have the following storage options: 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB.
One of the most notable features of the new Pixelbook is its form factor. The laptop can be folded into a tablet, like many other Windows-based 2-in-1 laptops.
The new laptop also comes with a Pixelbook Pen, which will cost an additional $99. The pen provides users with new ways to interact with the Chromebook. It will come with features like, pressure sensitivity and tilt support.
Like the previous Chromebook Pixel laptops, the Pixelbook will be priced much higher compared to other Chromebooks manufactured by other brands. The 128 GB unit will start at $1,199, the 256 GB version will be $1,399, and the 512 GB model will be priced $1,749.
As The Verge notes, the pricing of Google's new laptop is puzzling, since consumers can purchase a very good Chromebook from other manufacturers for half the price of the Pixelbook. Also, with the hefty price tag of the Pixelbook, users may just opt to buy a Mac, which is priced at about the same range.
With the upcoming arrival of the second generation of Pixel smartphones, it looks like Google is intent on sticking with the Pixel branding for its hardware. Time will tell if the technology giant will be investing more on its laptops to jump into fray of laptop competition, which has been dominated by Windows-based brands and Apple's Macbook.
