Google has announcedd overnight that they will be releasing the Chromebook Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel is a high end version of the Chrome OS series of laptops which is designed by Google themselves.
The Chromebook Pixel wich will be sold only in the UK and the US via Google Play or through retailers Best Buy(US) and Currys PC World(UK) will sell in two different models, there will be a Wi-Fi only model sold for $1,299(US) which will begin shipping next week or a 4G LTE version which will sell for $1,449 but will not be available in the US till April.
The Chromebook Pixel looks stunning, with an anodized aluminum alloy body, high resolution multi-touch screen and etched glass touchpad Google appears to have pulled out all the stops on creating this beautiful machine. The specs for the Wi-Fi only version have been released and you can view them on the Google Play page.
- 12.85″ multi-touch screen, 400 nit brightness @ 2560 x 1700 resolution (239 PPI) with Gorilla Glass
- Intel Core i5 Processor (Dual Core 1.8GHz)
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- 4 GB DDR3 RAM
- 59 Wh battery
- 32 GB storage + 1TB Google Drive Storage + 2-in-1 card reader supporting: SD, MMC
- Backlit Chrome keyboard
- HD Webcam
- 2 x USB 2.0 ports
- Mini display port
- 297.7×224.6×16.2mm @ 1.52kg
The 4G LTE version will be an interesting conundrum where they run different LTE frequencies in the US and UK to what we run here in Australia. We’ll have to wait till the specs on that device are released to get any idea on if they will run on our 1800MHz LTE networks here in Australia.
I am certainly very interested in acquiring this monster of a machine, my CR-48 is a great little unit but with an Atom CPU it really isn’t doing everything I want. We have reached out to Google for their response on whether the Chromebook Pixel will be released here, however historically the news on Chromebooks in Australia is not good when talking about having them available through Google Play. We’ve also reached out to MobiCity to see if they will be able to get the Chromebook Pixel to sell here in Australia.
Are you interested in the Chromebook Pixel?
Chromebook Pixel: For What’s Next:
3:2 format screen ? What were Google thinking ? I’d but a Samsung Ultrabook and install ChromeOS rather than this.
That’s one spicy meatball. I’d sooner buy a generic ultrabook, load up the Chrome apps tray and pocket the change. Too many sacrifices for that screen. The 4G version should have been $1000 max for me to realistically consider it.
At that Price……Keep dreaming.
I can get a samsung windows 8 series 9 ultrabook which is thinner, lighter and runs an OS that has a lot more you can do with it.
Can someone explain to me exactly what a Chromebook is? I still don’t get it.
Isn’t it just a web browser built into a laptop? Everything I can do on Chrome on my laptop, I can do on a Chromebook?
What advantage does a Chromebook have over a laptop? Why would someone pay for a $1300 web browser?
Here’s what a Chromebook is http://ausdroid.net/2012/12/13/samsung-chromebook-2012-review/
does it support adobe flash?
Yes Flash is built into Chrome and ChromeOS.
Ouch at that price point. They could’ve kept it under $1000 for the 32GB, around say $899 (32GB) which would’ve even garnered some impulse buy especially after the slight hype from the leaked video before. Seems like a whole 60% premium was just for the super hi-res screen alone and like 30% for the aluminium chassis.
The 3-year 1TB Google Drive might seem like a deal though ($1800 subscription total)…still…are we looking at another Nexus Q here?
It a great marketing concept. All significant manufacturing companies invest in “dream” machines to raise the appeal of the mass produced low spec products. Even if they don’t sell them, having them available to see and touch in their soon to be opened shops is worth it. A small batch run of this hardware would not be excessive loss, unless the components are one off’s. Though I can’t see myself using ChromeOS in the future unless it has dual boot Linux or something to run office applications properly.However, with maturity it could become the grandparents / children’s / non-technocrat device… Read more »
too expensive for Chrome OS netbook, Google should have opted to invest for a better tablets and apps for tablets.
Enthusiasts only at this price. I’m off to rob a bank…
*not really*
Would definitely buy one… for $600 max. Unless you actually planned on signing for a 1TB Google Drive for 3 years, there really is no justification for this price. I’m a massive fan of Chromebooks, and I love high-res screens, but really, there is no justification for that price. Other than the screen, the rest of the spec can be found in a $600 laptop (Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 32GB SSD Cache), and a screen very similar to this is available in the Nexus 10 which goes for $400, so the screen is not that expensive. They would have… Read more »
Aryan I’m not sure about that. All small/lightweight laptops go for a significant premium these days – I doubt theres a i5 13in ultrabook (at 1.5kg) that goes for under $AU1000. Add to that the premium you have to pay on those small laptops for any screen about 1366×768 – I think Dell charges extra $200 just to go up to 1400×900 and to me the pixel price looks very competitive. Really spec wise its very close to the 13′ macbook retina, its just the crazy use of a 32gb ssd, otherwise its the same as a macbook spec wise.… Read more »
There are different ways of looking at it. Sure compared to Ultrabooks, the price is competitive, but the thing runs ChromeOS, which as much as I love it, even Google promotes it as a companion device or a secondary/tertiary computer. As good as Web apps are getting, I don’t know of a photographer who doesn’t need Photoshop (or GIMP or equivalent). Working with that 25MB RAW image in a “cloud” image editor isn’t gonna be fun. Essentially, $1,300 is a lot for a glorified web browser. Another way to look at it is that, you can get a Nexus 4… Read more »
Looks fantastic and gives an insight into Google’s plan for Chromebooks. Quickoffice natively installed is an improvement for document editing but just not sure if I could drop $1300 on it. Will need to wait for a few reviews to see if it’s worth the price tag.