Google opens pre-orders for $899 laptops built around Gemini AI

Google opens pre-orders for AI-powered Googlebook laptops

Washington: Alphabet's Google opened pre-orders on Monday for Googlebook, a new category of premium laptops designed for Android users and powered by artificial intelligence and the company’s Gemini technology. The first models, manufactured by Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo, start at $899 and are powered by processors from Intel or Qualcomm. Google said the devices offer up to 14 hours of video playback and combine premium laptop hardware with on-device AI capabilities. The launch comes as Apple strengthens its presence in the lower-priced laptop market with the MacBook Neo, which starts at $699 in the United States, intensifying competition in a segment where Chromebooks have traditionally targeted students and consumers seeking affordable, easy-to-use devices. Googlebook is built on the Android technology stack combined with desktop foundations from ChromeOS, providing closer integration between Android phones and laptops. The devices incorporate Gemini-powered tools designed to assist with tasks, understand on-screen content and enable users to continue work begun on an Android phone. The new category marks Google’s latest effort to showcase its vision for premium personal computing following the Pixelbook in 2017 and Pixelbook Go in 2019.