Google announced on May 12, 2026, a new line of laptops called Googlebooks, built around its Gemini AI models and set to launch this fall. The company is partnering with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to produce the devices in a range of form factors.
The laptops ship with a feature called “Magic Pointer,” an AI-powered cursor with Gemini built in. Moving the cursor across the screen surfaces contextual suggestions based on on-screen content — for example, hovering over a date in an email can prompt a meeting setup, or selecting two images can allow users to visualize them together. “It’s built-in, but not in your face,” said Alexander Kuscher, Google’s Senior Director of Android Tablets and Laptops.
Googlebooks will also connect with Android phones, letting users run phone apps directly from their laptop and access phone files through the device’s file browser. A separate “Create your Widget” feature lets users prompt Gemini to build custom dashboards that pull from the web and Google apps like Gmail and Calendar.
The announcement marks a significant platform shift. Googlebooks effectively succeeds the Chromebook, which Google introduced 15 years ago and which became widely used in schools and workplaces. Google has not explicitly confirmed the transition, but told TechCrunch it will continue supporting existing Chromebook users through their current support commitments and that many Chromebooks may be eligible to transition to the new experience, though specifics were not provided.
Underlying the hardware change is a move away from ChromeOS toward a new Android-based operating system with AI integrated at the foundation. The arrival of major PC hardware partners suggests this is as much a platform strategy as a product launch, and positions Google directly against Microsoft, which has been offering its own AI-native Copilot+ PCs since 2024.
Source: TechCrunch