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Pixelbook leak: Google's new high-end Chromebook expected October 4

Google's top-of-the-line Chromebook Pixel is coming back with a new name and better specifications.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor

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According to Droid Life, on October 4, Google will release the first new retail version of the Chromebook Pixel since 2015, the Pixelbook.

The Chomebook Pixel was the Rolls-Royce of Chromebooks. It was faster, more powerful, and came with a better display than any other laptop in its day. Google, however, decided that, while the company would still release new Pixels for in-house use, it wouldn't sell them.

Thanks to Chromebook Pixel fans, Google has elected to start selling this luxury Chromebook again.

The new Pixelbook will, Droid Life reports, only come in silver. Presumably, it will have an all-aluminum body like the earlier models.

The Pixelbook will boast 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB solid-state drive (SSD) options. The 128GB version will start at $1,199, followed by a 256GB model at $1,399 and a 512GB option at $1,749.

Droid Life didn't give any other specifications. If it's like earlier models, the Pixelbook will boast 16GB of RAM, multiple USB-C ports, an SD-card reader, and a very high-end processor. As an educated guess, I expect it to come with an 8th-generation Intel i7 HQ series processor. If so, it will also come with integrated HD 620 graphics

The earlier models had superb graphics with a 2560 x 1700 IPS display and 239ppi density. I expect the new model to surpass its ancestors.

The last-generation 2015 Chromebook Pixel had a battery life of almost 12 hours. I'm sure the Pixelbook will have at least as much battery life. It also supported 802.11ac and lower Wi-Fi. The Pixelbook will do at least that much.

Read also: The new Surface Laptop is no Chromebook | Why your next laptop should be a Chromebook | The 5 best Chromebooks for school or anywhere else in 2017

This Pixelbook, unlike its predecessors, can be folded into a tablet to make the most of its tablet format, and it will come with an optional Pixelbook Pen that will cost $99. Unlike ordinary tablet styluses, the Pixelbook Pen is said to be pressure sensitive, with tilt support and fast response times.

Will the Pixelbook be for everyone? No. If you're like me, though, you want the very best possible Chromebook. It will be worth every penny. Ever since I got a Pixel, they became my go-to laptops. I'm certain the Pixelbook will become my every day laptop as well.

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