Google unveils the Pixelbook Go, starting at £629

At Expert Reviews, we’re big fans of the Pixelbook, but it’s a very hard sell. You can’t get a better Chromebook, even two years after release, but then that’s hardly surprising when it costs more than twice the price of your average Chrome OS device.
 
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been working really hard to bring that kind of experience to more people,” said Google’s Ivy Ross, introducing a new cheaper Pixelbook. Say hello to the 13.3in Pixelbook Go.
 
Starting at $649/£629 and available to preorder today, the new Pixelbook is 13mm thin and weighs just two pounds, made of a light-weight magnesium. Despite this, Google says the battery will last twice as long as the originals, promising 12 hours’ uninterrupted usage.
 

It’s quite a change of look to the original metal MacBook-alike. For a start, the base of the laptop is contoured, for added grip. The look is somewhat more cartoony and, at a glance, loses some style points but we’ll have to see it in person to be sure.
 
The keyboard was one of the Pixelbook’s standout features, and it’s good to see that Google seems to have recognised this with gentle improvements. We’re promised “Ultra-quiet Hush Keys” (yes, that is a trademark), which should make things quiet as well as a pleasure to type on.

 
In terms of internals, there will be more choice: an Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 processor, backed by either 8GB or 16GB RAM. You’ll also be able to choose between 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. No word on being able to expand that via microSD, so we’re guessing not. 

Preorders open today if you’re happy with a black laptop. Turns out that $649 translates as £629, which gets you the Intel m3 with 8GB and 64GB of storage. The i5 one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage goes for £829, while upping to 16GB RAM makes it £949. Finally, the Intel i7 version with 16GB RAM, 256GB storage and a 4K “molecular display” will set you back a hefty £1,329. Best get saving.