It looks like a new member is joining the Pixel family, adding to its relaunching smartphone lineup. A code analysis of the latest Android beta points to a new Pixel laptop that Google may be planning to launch in the near future. Google last launched a laptop, the Pixelbook Go, in 2019, a more affordable version of the Pixelbook that hit the shelves in 2017.
Both the Pixelbook and Pixelbook Go, as well as previous Chromebook Pixel models, weren’t what you’d call a smash hit with audiences or a runaway commercial success. Finally, they triggered Big G’s departure from the laptop segment and a shift in focus to Pixel smartphones.
The tides are changing, and it seems that ChromeOS is on its way to sunset.
A glimpse of Google’s software suggests that we may finally see Google’s latest attempt at a laptop, but without the expected Chromebook specs. Instead, it could be a showcase for an entirely new class of devices running Aluminum OS. That said, the Google Pixel laptop doesn’t make a lot of sense right now, as several features work against it. As one wrestling star goes, “let me talk to you” this time!.
A history of Google’s failures with past laptop startups
Let’s be fair (read: historically accurate) here. Google doesn’t have an impressive track record for making laptops. The company took several steps in laptop manufacturing over the past decade, starting with the Chromebook Pixel in 2013, the updated Chromebook Pixel in 2015, the Google Pixelbook in 2017, and the Pixelbook Go in 2019.
None of these laptops can set the computing segment on fire or set any lasting industry standards, due to two main factors: price and the underlying operating system.
Bad pricing history at Google
| Device model | The price starts at |
| Chromebook Pixel (2013) | $1,299 |
| Chromebook Pixel (2015) | $999 |
| The Pixelbook | $999 |
| Pixelbook Go | $649 |
As you can see from the table, all of Google’s laptops have paid a premium, with starting prices around the $1,000 mark. For that price, you can get a powerful Windows laptop or a MacBook Air. Why would anyone want to pay so much for a laptop running ChromeOS?
Only the Pixelbook Go launched for around $649. Our review praised its portable design, hardware, and excellent battery life. However, the bottom line remained the same: the software held us back, as you can get a full-featured Windows PC at that price point.
I dropped $1,649 on the top end variant with the Core i7 variant, and now it’s gathering dust in my closet. Not because I don’t want to continue working. The laptop is really slow, and despite many hard resets, it won’t run Chrome smoothly without stuttering, it gets very hot, and the screen has lost touch sensitivity, too.
The state of ChromeOS in 2026
Well, that happened almost ten years ago, but what about now? Maybe ChromeOS is advanced enough to go toe-to-toe with other desktop apps? Sadly, the answer is no. If anything, Google seems to have left the app in limbo without major improvements.
Yes, there have been a bunch of updates here and there, but nothing major that makes it a viable contender. It’s still a browser-based operating system with little support for popular design and productivity apps. With the demise of Google Stadia, gaming is also now almost extinct on ChromeOS.
On the other hand, Linux has advanced by leaps and bounds, can run on the same low-power hardware, and supports the most popular games and applications for creative and productivity. In fact, Linux ranks high among Steam die-hards. Yes, ChromeOS has ease of use in its favor, but that’s about it.
What about the upcoming Aluminum OS?
However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Google is working on a new operating system called Aluminum OS, with an expected launch window of 2026. It aims to unify Android and ChromeOS into one unified platform.
Built on Android from the ground up, it promises native support for all Google Play Store apps with proper keyboard and mouse support, as well as desktop window management features. It will even support multiple desktops.
The prominent feature of the OS will be Gemini AI, which will be considered to be baked into the core of the OS, which is a significant step up from ChromeOS. That said, Aluminum OS can move forward with its own set of issues, if ChromeOS is anything to go by.
First, it will require more powerful hardware to enable AI features. Ideally, it will need silicon with a powerful AI accelerator chip (aka NPU) to handle AI-driven tasks, especially those performed on the device. Imagine translation, image editing with productive AI, fraud detection, and more, without an internet connection.
Second, since it’s based on Android, you won’t get full desktop apps support anymore. You may be able to use them using a translation layer, something Apple did with Rosetta when switching to its ARM-based processors for Macs, but how well it will work is a big question mark. Windows on ARM has been a revolution and is only just starting to become a real possibility.
I don’t think Aluminum OS will fare better in its first go at a mainframe.
The built-in Gemini AI will be the highlight of this new operating system, and hopefully, it will be better than the Windows implementation of Copilot AI and the execution of Apple Intelligence in macOS. This could give Aluminum OS a leg up on the competition, but the underlying problem, which is the lack of desktop app support, is a problem that Google has to figure out soon, or the new OS will face the same fate as ChromeOS.
Increase in RAM and SSD prices
By now, it should be clear that the only way Google’s next-generation laptop can succeed is to lower its price. But that may be difficult to achieve in today’s market, thanks in no small part to the RAMmageddon that wreaked havoc on the PC industry and spread to the smartphone and gaming sectors.
With the rising prices of RAM and SSDs, due to the AI ​​infrastructure increasing the world’s supply, the cost of electronics is increasing dramatically. Microsoft has raised the prices of its Surface laptops, Sony and Nintendo have raised the prices of the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, and Samsung has raised the prices of its phone (and laptop, and tablet).
And these are just a few examples. Every other laptop manufacturer has moved up the price ladder, clearly angering consumers and creating panic buying, according to Counterpoint Research. Unfortunately, industry trends suggest it will get worse before it gets better. And we’re not just talking about new products here.
It would be the first time in history that a game console, phone, or laptop will be more expensive in 2026 than when it was launched. In an unprecedented market, I don’t see a way for Google to lower the prices of its new laptops, especially with the powerful system requirements of running Aluminum OS, without compromising some of the features of its hardware, which was the only good thing about the old Google laptops.
The MacBook Neo is available for $599
The basics of Google’s Aluminum OS sound promising, but they just got a real pre-emptive check from Apple, in the form of the MacBook Neo. If Google’s upcoming laptop existed in a vacuum, it would have a chance to succeed.
Last month, Apple did something unprecedented in its history and introduced an affordable MacBook starting at just $599. Despite its shortcomings and the corner-cutting that Apple had to do to reach that price point, the MacBook Neo turned out to be a great laptop, getting rave reviews all around and selling like hotcakes.
Now, let’s do a thought experiment. If you had to choose between the $599 Pixelbook and MacBook Neo, a price point Google has never hit before, by the way, which would you choose?
I would say that almost everyone would choose MacBook Neo. The Pixelbook’s only advantage over similarly priced Windows laptops was its hardware design, and it won’t have that same advantage over the MacBook Neo.
The MacBook Neo has a full metal body, a beautiful display, a quality keyboard, and a high-quality touchpad. Google would be hard-pressed to build a laptop that good, with that kind of performance, and still hit the $599 price tag.
Not to mention, you get the full desktop experience with the MacBook Neo because it runs macOS. Even if Google’s new laptop is powered by the upcoming Aluminum OS, it will still lack support for desktop apps. Yes, the experience may be better than ChromeOS, but there is no chance that it can compete with a mature operating system like macOS.
Chromebooks sell very well because they hit the low $300 mark for the education market. But think back to a year or two earlier, when the current MacBook Neo was selling for $350 or $400 on the resale or refurbished market. Who would buy a Chromebook then?
Does a Chromebook, let alone a Pixelbook, make sense now?
The only reason ChromeOS has such a significant market share is because of its educational programs and strong relationships with schools across the US. If Apple can crack that code and work with school boards to offer a MacBook Neo instead, ChromeOS’s days are numbered.
Even if Apple doesn’t succeed in schools, the MacBook Neo has confirmed that the days of premium ChromeOS laptops are over. The upcoming Aluminum OS may be the answer Google is hoping for, but I doubt it. And that’s why I don’t think a new Google laptop makes sense right now. Or so.
