Google Pixelbook Go 13.3" Chromebook - Intel Core i7, 256GB SSD + 16GB RAM - Just Black

Product Information

In the near future, Chromebooks could borrow one of Windows' best multitasking features. Currently, Chrome OS users might feel a bit envious of Windows 11's robust split screen menu that allows vertical, horizontal, three-way, and four-way divisions. It's not technically rugged but the Pixelbook is the most durable Chromebook you can buy. We dropped 11 of the most popular Chromebooks from heights of 2.5 feet and 4.5 feet onto carpet and concrete, and the Pixelbook came out on top. In fact, Google's laptop looked like it had just been taken out of the box for the first time, even after our brutal side-drop test from 4.5 feet. One huge benefit of Chromebooks is that they normally all come with squeaky-clean installs of Chrome OS, and naturally the Google Pixelbook Go is the cleanest of them all. However, this also means that this laptop doesn’t really offer anything truly unique in terms of software or features that isn't already offered by other Chromebooks.

The Pixelbook earned a score of 145 on the JetStream JavaScript benchmark, which measures the performance of web apps. That's above the 126.6 from the Samsung Chromebook Pro (Core m3-6Y30, 4GB of RAM) and the 127.32 from the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA (Core m3 6Y30, 4GB of RAM). We saw a higher mark from the Yoga 920 (277.9).That’s what tips the balance in favour of a five star Best Buy award for me. With battery life this good and a keyboard this usable, I’ve found myself searching for reasons why I wouldn’t use Pixelbook Go over any other laptop. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93% of all devices are better. Despite this solid build quality, the Pixelbook Go is featherlight. It weighs 2.3 pounds and measures 0.5 by 8.1 by 12.2 inches (HWD), extremely competitive dimensions for an ultraportable with a 13.3-inch display. Compare them with those of the MacBook Air (0.6 by 8.4 by 12 inches, 2.75 pounds) and the Pixelbook (0.4 by 11.4 by 8.7 inches, 2.46 pounds). How does this compare with other Chromebooks? Well, it turns out Google isn’t the only company making high-spec Chromebooks; the Asus Chromebook Flip and Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 are both strong rivals to the Go. Both have slightly larger 14in 1080p touchscreen displays that can folded over so you can use them like a tablet. They’re available in similar configurations to the Pixelbook Go as well.

While Google promotes the Pixelbook's fast-charging battery, its claim of up to 2 hours of use after 15 minutes of charging (when the notebook has at least 5 percent of its battery life left) didn't bear out in my testing. After charging for those 15 minutes, I managed to eke out 1 hour and 18 minutes from the Pixelbook, though my activity mixed both Chrome web surfing and Android app usage. The Pixelbook is ideal for those who want a long-lasting, self-sufficient and travel-friendly Chromebook that just so happens to also have a glossy tablet mode for Android Play Store apps. If these strengths are not tempting, then a cheaper Chromebook like the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 or Asus Chromebook Flip with Play Store support can accomplish just as much and with a wider variety of integrated ports. Emitting up to 421 nits, the Pixelbook offers tremendous brightness, which enables strong colors at up to 75 degrees to the left and right. That beats the 290-nit category average, the 284-nit Yoga 920, the 376-nit Samsung Chromebook Pro and the 292-nit Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA. The iPad Pro (555 nits) shines even brighter. However, to keep its price relatively low, certain sacrifices need to be made. Google Pixelbook Go is missing out on the more premium features like biometric login. It’s not exactly the cheapest Chromebook on the market, either. Plus, while its base configuration is affordable, the higher you climb up its specs ladder, the more expensive it gets, making it less of a great value.I’ve been working on the laptop for nearly a week now with no issues at all. Tens of tabs open in Chrome, with multiple large Google Sheets spreadsheets running, don’t seem to faze the Pixelbook Go at all. I suspect the Core m3 might struggle a bit more when you really load it up but it’s clear you don’t need anything faster than the Intel Core i5-8200Y or any more RAM than the 8GB supplied with the review device.