techBREAKING
Dell XPS Googlebook review: Beautiful hardware for a useless platform
Engadget's review finds Dell's XPS Googlebook has strong hardware but a half-baked Googlebook OS.
Key points
- The Dell XPS Googlebook weighs 2.2 pounds and has a 13.4-inch InfinityEdge screen.
- Googlebook OS combines Android and ChromeOS and has Google's Gemini AI integrated throughout its interface.
- The reviewer says the $1,000 Googlebook does much less than a Windows PC at the same price, with few compatible Android apps.
Why it matters. The review suggests buyers should note that the same XPS hardware runs on more flexible platforms with better developer support, which may weigh against the Googlebook.
Engadget's Devindra Hardawar rated the Dell XPS Googlebook 6.5 out of 10 after testing it for the last week. The laptop uses the same 2.2-pound metal case, 13.4-inch screen and 16GB Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware as the $1,000 Windows 11 XPS 13. Hardawar said Googlebook OS is half-baked, with few compatible Android apps and useless phone sync, and called the entire concept a failure.
Latest updates
Dell XPS Googlebook review: Beautiful hardware for a useless platform
Googlebook OS still needs a ton of work. Googlebook OS still needs a ton of work. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget RATING : 6.5 / 10 Pros Beautiful XPS design Lightweight Solid screen Great keyboard Excellent Rambler AI dictation Cons Googlebook OS is half-baked Not many compatible Android apps Using mobile Android apps stinks Phone sync is useless Only for Gemini AI enthusiasts I can think of a few reasons to buy a Googlebook , but they're all pretty dystopian. Maybe every other computing platform has succumbed to a super AI-powered virus, leaving a Googlebook as your only option. Or perhaps Google has taken over the world and has started hunting down people who use Windows, Linux or macOS. In a world where a Googlebook is your only option, then the $1,000 Dell XPS Googlebook is probably the one to get. But in the real world, where you can get the exact same XPS hardware running on more flexible platforms with better developer support, the XPS Googlebook seems practically pointless. But let's back up a bit and talk about Googlebook OS, Google's new laptop platform that's a combination of both Android and ChromeOS. It supports Android apps natively, it can synchronize and mirror apps from your Android phone, and it has Google's Gemini AI integrated throughout its interface. Technically, Googlebook OS should be an upgrade from ChromeOS, a platform built entirely around Google's we.