09/21/2026, 10:38 a.m. by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social
Google is replacing ChromeOS with Android as the default OS for laptop devices. These devices are Googlebooks instead of Chromebooks. One of Google’s main selling points for the new OS is how closely it integrates with Android smartphones. Googlebooks offer several ways to work seamlessly between these different Android-based devices. Many apps allow you to start on your phone, open your Googlebook and continue where you left off with one click. For years, Google has pushed Android developers to support larger screens and different form factors, so many popular Android apps work on a Googlebook from day one. Another feature called Cast My Apps lets you “stream” an app on your phone to a desktop window. Googlebooks also offer seamless access to the files on your phone, including search. Google has carried over the security architecture of ChromeOS, which integrates with the Google Titan hardware security chip. Googlebooks can be powered by either x86 chips from Intel or Arm chips from Qualcomm. The initial lineup includes models from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. They start at $899 and ship in the US starting October 4th.
Not a true Chromebook replacement but…
I wouldn’t really consider these to be replacements for Chromebooks, and hope they can co-exist as most Chromebooks are much more affordable than even the cheapest Googlebook model announced so far. When schools purchase these in bulk for each student, cost reduction is one of the most important factors.