The Pixelbook Go could be a new high-end Chromebook that Google is planning on unveiling at its Made by Google event in October.
According to sources with knowledge of Google’s plans (and reported by 9to5Google), the Pixelbook Go will be a follow up to the Google Pixelbook Chromebook – though it won’t be called the Pixelbook 2.
While the original Pixelbook was a premium device designed to take on the likes of the MacBook and other expensive Ultrabooks, rather than a budget device like most of the best Chromebooks, it seems like the Pixelbook Go could be a more traditional – and therefore affordable – Chromebook.
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It looks like the Pixelbook Go will take elements from the original Pixelbook, such as the 2-in-1 convertible design and support for the Pixelbook Pen stylus. It appears that, rather than aiming for the high-end market, Google wants the PixelBook Go to be as portable and comfortable to use as possible.
According to 9to5Google’s sources, this will be achieved thanks to a “tactile feel” that makes it easier to hold, while the body will be made out of a “magnesium alloy” that will make the Pixelbook Go feel lighter than its predecessor.
Pixelbook Go specifications
9to5Google has also done a bit of sleuthing and found what it believes are the specifications, which were hidden in the Chromium source code (software that the Pixelbook Go will run on).
According to the website, the Pixelbook Go will have a 13.3-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio (standard widescreen), and will come with a choice of screens – a 1080p one and a 4K display, which will be termed “Molecular Display”, like the screen on the Pixel Slate.
And, as 9to5Google points out, this would make the Pixelbook Go only the second Chromebook to come with a 4K display, along with the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630.
There will apparently be a number of configuration options for the Pixelbook Go, with a choice of Intel Core m3, i5 and i7 processors, 8GB or 16GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage.
The speakers will also be more powerful than the Pixelbook, and they will be front-facing stereo affairs. They will be joined by two microphones and a 2MP webcam that can capture 1080p footage at 60 frames per second.
The Pixelbook Go will also apparently have the same amount of ports as the Pixelbook, so expect two USB-C ports, and a headphone jack.
Price remains a mystery, but it could be roughly in line with the Pixel Slate, so around $799 (around £700, AU$1,200).
So, while it will be cheaper than the Pixelbook, the Pixelbook Go will still be one of the more expensive Chromebooks on the market.
Hopefully we’ll find out more about the Pixelbook Go (if it does indeed exist) soon, with Google’s event kicking off on October 15 in New York.
