Googlebooks

Chromebooks have always stood out as budget- and student-friendly laptops, but Googlebooks take a decidedly different direction as premium models. They are built on the Android technology stack and paired with desktop foundations from ChromeOS, with Gemini playing a special role throughout the user experience. Google announced Googlebook as a new category of laptops designed for Gemini Intelligence.

By pairing the Android technology stack with desktop foundations from ChromeOS, these new devices bring together Android apps and a desktop experience with touchscreens, keyboards and haptic trackpads. That also means Googlebooks will support a range of high-end processors, including Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processors at launch, with Google also working with MediaTek on the platform.

Google says it designed Googlebook with an “intelligence system” that brings Gemini directly onto the device. Rather than only responding when you ask for help, it is designed to anticipate what you need and proactively help you get things done.

Gemini is front-row centre 

Gemini is the major player here because it doesn’t just function as an app or standalone voice assistant. It’s built into the Googlebook experience through features like Magic Pointer. This takes the simple cursor you move around with the trackpad and turns it into a way to bring Gemini directly to whatever you’re working on. Wiggle the cursor, then select something onscreen to ask, compare or create with Gemini. For instance, you can highlight information on a web page and ask Gemini to schedule it in Google Calendar, hover over a suspicious email and ask it to analyze the content, or select multiple images and ask Gemini to visualize them together.

Create My Widget lets Gemini build you a custom widget based on your request. Just use plain language to describe what you want and the AI generates it without requiring any coding experience to place it on the desktop for easy access. Google’s examples include tracking a favourite sports team’s scores or creating a visual countdown to an upcoming trip.

That might include creating a trip tracker with details like flights, accommodations and dinner plans in one place. Gemini isn’t just a chatbot functioning within the system, it’s an integral piece that can act on content you select onscreen, making it assistive in various ways.

Bringing your phone into the mix

Since Googlebooks are built on a shared Android foundation, they also have access to millions of Android apps through the Google Play Store, with many optimized for larger screens, mouse and keyboard input. Googlebook also includes dedicated features designed to make moving between your Android phone and laptop more seamless.

The Googlebook’s file browser enables you to view, search, or open files and photos directly from your phone, making it much easier to use documents, photos, video, and screenshots in any work you’re doing on the laptop. Google describes this as accessing files from your phone as if they live on your laptop. Setup and a phone running Android 17 or later are required.

Casting your phone apps onto a Googlebook laptop also means you can establish control over features and functions without reaching for the phone. Apps installed on your phone can be streamed and interacted with in a desktop window, allowing you to do a range of things, from ordering food to retrieving a one-time code from Messages without interrupting what you’re doing on the laptop.