Google has opened pre-orders for its first Googlebook laptops, a new premium category that starts at $899 and is scheduled to reach U.S. stores on October 4. The initial selection comes from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo. Google has not made a single in-house laptop; it is setting the platform and letting its hardware partners define the individual models.
The company describes Googlebook as being built on the Android technology stack while using desktop foundations from ChromeOS. That is the key distinction Google is trying to draw from both traditional Chromebooks and a larger Android tablet: the pitch is a laptop environment that treats an Android phone as part of the setup rather than a separate device.
The phone connection is the central sell
In its launch announcement, Google says signing in can bring an Android phone’s settings, saved passwords, Wi-Fi networks and messages to the new machine, backed by end-to-end encryption. It also describes a “Continue On” feature meant to let users resume supported work from a phone on the laptop, alongside a Files app, Chrome extensions and Android apps optimized for larger screens.
Those are Google’s product claims, not independent testing. The practical question for buyers is how consistently phone-first apps and cross-device handoffs work once the laptops are in everyday use. Google is selling the category most directly to people already invested in Android, rather than presenting it as a generic replacement for every Windows, Mac or Chromebook buyer.
What the $899 price includes
Google says every Googlebook will include 12 months of Google AI Pro, which it says includes 5TB of cloud storage and Gemini Advanced tools, plus three months of YouTube Premium and Adobe Photoshop. The company also says Googlebook OS will receive regular feature drops and updates for up to 10 years. Those offers add to the launch package, but do not change the starting hardware price.
Pre-orders are available through the Google Store, Best Buy and select retailers, according to Google. The October 4 U.S. date will be followed by an October 5 arrival in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany and Australia. 9to5Google reported that the announcement follows Google’s earlier preview of the platform; the next test is whether the first five partner systems make a convincing case for this new name in the laptop aisle.
Tech