The Pixelbook Go is Google’s latest and greatest Chromebook. For $849 (starting at $649), the Pixelbook Go takes Google’s detachable 2-in-1 to a regular old cover, and while that may seem strange, it actually works out pretty well. However, the Pixelbook Go has its own set of flaws, including the keyboard and speakers.
Here are four reasons to buy the Pixelbook Go and three reasons to skip it. For a closer look at Google’s new foldable Chromebook, check out our full Pixelbook Go review and our Best Chromebooks page.
Super slim design
Most Chromebooks are thin and light, but none are like the Pixelbook Go. The Pixelbook Go magnesium alloy The chassis puts any plastic Chromebook to shame. And at 2.3 pounds and 12.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches, the Pixelbook Go is lighter and thinner than the HP Envy 13 (2.8 pounds, 0.6 inches), the Apple MacBook Air (2.8 pounds, 0.6 inches), and the 13.5-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (2.7 pounds, 0.6 inches).
Bright and colorful screen
I was impressed by the 13.3 inches of the Pixelbook Go screen, as it overcame the stereotype that Chromebooks have bad screens. I watched the trailer for the movie 1917 and was amazed at the boldness of the sky and how I could still see the surroundings from dark shots despite the brightness of the screen. The Pixelbook Go’s display covered 108% of the sRGB color gamut and output 368 nits of brightness, obliterating the 85% sRGB color gamut and 265 nits averages achieved by Chromebooks.
MORE: Laptops with longer battery life
Great battery life
Google Pixelbook Go is one of the best laptops for battery life. It survived for 11 hours and 29 minutes after continuously browsing the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. It crushed the Chromebook average, which comes in at 9:31. You can get through an entire work or school day and then some on a single charge of the Pixelbook Go.
Solid performance
with a With an Intel Core i5-8200Y processor and 8GB of RAM, the Pixelbook Go was able to juggle 30 Google Chrome tabs and five 1080p YouTube videos with no signs of slowing down. The Pixelbook Go scored 6,516 on the Geekbench 4.1 overall performance test, beating the Chromebook average (6,209).
mediocre speakers
If only the Pixelbook Go’s audio matched its display. The overhead speakers are just bad. The speakers were loud, but so clear in the highs that they were uncomfortable to listen to. There was little to no bass, and when bass was heard through the speakers, the output sounded like noise.
Scarce ports
The Pixelbook Go has a total of two USB Type C ports and headphone jack. Being only 0.5 inches thick comes with a big sacrifice, and that’s the ports. Without a USB Type-A port or microSD card slot, you’ll have to choose a USB Type-C hub or docking station to connect any of your peripherals.
MORE: USB Type C FAQ
Keyboard a little shallow
Google’s Hush keyboard went through a challenge from tech writers and failed to get a positive rating from any of them. By focusing on silence, Google sacrificed that nice click that a good keyboard should have, since its keys have little travel. While my colleague Phillip Tracy liked the feel of the keyboard and how quiet it was, he agreed that it was still too shallow. Overall, typing on the Pixelbook Go’s keyboard wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t satisfying either.
Credit: Portable Magazine
