Google has admitted that not all Android apps run perfectly on Googlebook laptops with Intel chips doing the heavy lifting. The first wave of Googlebooks are now available for purchase, but if you’re looking to use the same Android apps you love on your phone, you can choose a device powered by ARM-based Qualcomm chips.
Google had previously said that Googlebooks were built to “work seamlessly with your Android phone.” While there is a Handoff-like feature that allows users to record phone tasks on the laptop without missing a beat, there is also access to individual downloads via the Google Play Store
Google told Android Authority that the “vast majority” of Android apps available through the Play Store work perfectly. However, there are some complications with “complex” apps. There is a period of optimization to bring equality, says Google.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The vast majority of Android apps run smoothly on Intel and Qualcomm Googlebooks right out of the box. Because many Android apps were originally designed for Arm chips, a small handful of complex apps or games need some developer tuning to run their best on Intel-based platforms.
It doesn’t sound like a big deal in the long run, but if you’re looking for perfect integration out of the box, it might be a case of going with the Snapdragon models.
Currently, this means the Dell XPS and HP Googlebook, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU, rather than the Lenovo, ASUS and Acer Googlebooks that offer the Intel Core Ultra 5 processor.
The Gemini-powered laptops are designed for AI-first use, with features like Magic Cursor – the ability to hover the cursor over an item on the screen to automatically request input from Gemini. They all offer 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage with up to 14 hours of battery life.
