Google's new Android laptops aim to blur the line between phones and PCs

Google's new line of Android-powered laptops, branded as Googlebooks, officially arrive October 4th. After getting hands-on time with the initial models from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Asus, the devices show genuine promise for users who want tighter integration between their Android phone and desktop—though significant uncertainties cloud the platform's future.

What Googlebooks actually are#

Googlebooks run a novel operating system that blends Chromebook principles with Android's ecosystem, all layered atop a Linux kernel that supports both x86 and Arm processors. At first glance, they resemble premium Chromebooks: thin-and-light designs ranging from 13 to 15 inches, metal chassis, OLED touchscreens, and a distinctive Glowbar accent strip on the lid. The initial five models start at $899 and top out at $1,299, powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips (MediaTek options coming later).

Each laptop brings its own character. The Asus prioritizes lightness, the Lenovo maximizes ports and bundled accessories, the Acer adds a 2-in-1 convertible form factor, the HP showcases an elegant display and novel keyboard design, and the Dell essentially repackages its acclaimed XPS 13 with different internals.

The phone-laptop connection#

Where Googlebooks differ meaningfully is software. The OS lets you cast individual Android apps to the laptop screen without mirroring your entire phone—essentially extracting mobile applications into a desktop interface that responds to mouse, keyboard, and touch. A "Continue On" feature places icons of currently-active phone apps in the laptop's taskbar, letting you hand off work seamlessly between devices. Mobile apps can transition to either native Googlebook versions or web apps, depending on developer implementation.

File access gets similarly integrated: your Android phone appears as a drive or folder in the Googlebook's file manager, letting you search its contents and transfer files without physically touching the handset. iPhone users get a more limited "Link to iOS" tool restricted to messaging. These interconnections feel genuinely useful, though they're only valuable to Android ecosystem users.

Gemini, games, and broader questions#

Google baked Gemini AI deeply into Googlebooks. A "Magic Pointer" cursor gesture summons the assistant to answer questions or analyze on-screen content—sometimes processing requests locally, sometimes sending them to Google's cloud. The OS also inherits recent Android features like widget generation from natural language and transcription-enabled voice notes.