Google gunning for the Apple MacBook Neo with its very own Googlebook was certainly not on anyone's bingo card while tuning in to watch the Android Show I/O edition earlier today.
And yet, that's exactly what Google appears to have done, made all the more dramatic with a perfectly timed confirmation from Intel just moments ago, openly declaring that the Googlebook will be powered by its silicon, though we are not sure at this nascent stage if it's meant to be an exclusive arrangement.
Googlebook increasingly looks like a synchronized effort to thwart the MacBook Neo, especially as Intel, ASUS, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and HP are all involved
Intel has just announced that it is "thrilled to partner with Google" on the Googlebook. Apparently, the two have been collaborating on this project for quite some time.
While Intel has chosen to reveal no further details, prevalent chatter suggests Wildcat Lake chips might power the new device. Also, we are not sure at this time if Google has an exclusive silicon partnership with Intel, or if the Googlebook might also be powered by other chips, such as Snapdragon X2 Elite, for instance.
For the benefit of those who might not be aware, Googlebook aims to merge the Chrome OS with Android, while leveraging Gemini Intelligence at its core. The new OS is multi-modal, brings enhanced cursor functionalities as well as the ability to build custom widgets, and offers direct access to your phone apps and files.
Interestingly, Google has already assembled a hefty slate of OEM partners, including HP, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and Acer. While details are predictably scarce ahead of the device's expected launch this fall, we do know that all Googlebooks will sport premium builds in what appears to be a nod to Apple's MacBook Neo. They will also feature a distinctive light bar on the lid.
But the device's vision appears much more expansive than what can be delineated from these hardware-related details. For one, Google is likely to give this fusion of Chrome OS and Android a new name - Aluminum OS. We can hazard a guess that next week's I/O will cover Aluminum OS extensively.
After all, this new software stack gives Google a near-perfect foothold across smartphones, laptops, cars, and XR. Developers need only build their apps once for smartphones and then port them to the Googlebook with only minor adjustments, such as the one related to the Magic Pointer, a cursor that uses Gemini Intelligence to provide contextual suggestions and content summaries, as well as trigger multimodal tasks.
Of course, Googlebook's vision does have a few shortcomings. For instance, you likely won't be able to run apps like Codex or Clause Cowork without a wrapper. At any rate, Google might yet provide us with an elegant solution on this count, too, by this fall.
Clearly, Google is emulating MacBook Neo by gunning for a more refined OS that is packaged within a premium body. The big question, of course, is the price at which this new device launches. If it manages to achieve the $599 price tag parity, we might very well have a literal feud at hand. Given the plethora of OEMs involved, surely at least one will be able to achieve that parity, no?
Update: Apparently, Google is also partnering with MediaTek and Qualcomm on its new device.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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