Googlebook hands-on: Google's new Android laptop OS still feels unfinished

Google and its hardware partners officially launched Googlebook laptops this month. They run an Android-based operating system that will eventually fully replace ChromeOS, the system used on Chromebooks. Google promised close integration with Android phones, AI features and premium hardware. After several weeks of testing, Engadget's Nathan Ingraham concludes that the benefits for buyers are not yet convincing: the software feels unfinished while the devices are expensive.

Hardware and price

Most of the testing was done on the $1,299 ASUS Googlebook 14, which weighs 2.2 pounds. It has an OLED touchscreen with matte Gorilla glass, an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The reviewer also tried Acer and HP models; the HP runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Acer's Googlebook 14, at $899, is the cheapest and the only model under $1,000, yet it still costs more than nearly all Chromebooks.

Setup and interface

Setup is closely tied to the phone: the laptop shows a QR code that is scanned with an Android device, and the account, apps and data can be copied over. The desktop resembles ChromeOS, but the taskbar is for apps only, while the time, notifications and settings sit in a thin strip at the top of the screen. Some ChromeOS features are gone, such as the calendar and Google Tasks access from the date display.

Shortcomings

Saved tab groups do not sync in Chrome; Google says this will come in a later update. Web apps such as Slack initially could not be installed as separate windows, but a Chrome update fixed that. Many third-party Android apps are not adapted to large screens, and programs like Adobe Premiere or Logic Pro are unavailable. The laptops include a year of GeForce Now Fast Pass, offering up to 50 hours of game streaming per month.

The author expects cheaper models to arrive later, but at current prices Mac and Windows computers offer more versatility.