Google offically announced its Chromebook Pixel, the newest laptop running the search giant’s Chrome OS software. The premium Google laptop is built for the web and is the first Chromebook to get a touchscreen display. The Pixel is clearly the best-designed (and most expensive) Chromebook at the moment, featuring a body made from from an anodized aluminum alloy.
The most notable feature of the laptop is its 12.85-inch display with a super high resolution of 2560×1700 at 239ppi, which is the highest of any laptop screen on the market. The screen also has an odd 3:2 aspect that Google said is designed for the web to put every one of those pixels to good use. The touch-enabled display provides smooth touch interaction and is protected with a 0.55mm layer of Gorilla Glass. It offers 400 nits of brightness and 178-degree viewing angle.
The Pixel is powered by Intel’s Core i5 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. It has 32GB of 64GB SSD for storage, and a SD/MMC card reader, and will come with 1TB Google Drive storage for three years. It supports Bluetooth 3.0 and dual-band WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, and LTE is available only on 64GB model. Other hardware specs include three microphones to cancel out surrounding noise, stereo speakers, backlit Chrome keyboard, etched-glass touchpad, 720p HD webcam, two USB 2.0 ports and a mini Displayport. Its 59Wh battery provides up to 5 hours of active use.
Running Chrome OS, you can, of course, find Google products like Search, Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google+ integration. The $1299 32GB WiFi-only model will starting shipping next week and the $1449 64GB WiFi+LTE model will ship in April. You can get one from Google Play in the US and UK as well as BestBuy in the US and Currys PC World in the UK.
