It was already known that Google’s second-generation Chromebook Pixel, the new version of its flagship laptop running Chrome OS, was to launch in the U.K. next after debuting in the U.S. last month. However, Mountain View has now confirmed an official launch date and pricing.
The new Chromebook Pixel will be available in Blighty on the 21st of April via the online Google Store and through a tie-in with electronics retail group Dixons. Pricing consists of £799 for the Core i5 version, and £999 for the i7 version.
In terms of bang-for-buck, here’s how we explained the differences in specs when we reviewed the new Chromebook Pixel last month.
The new Pixel will come in two variants: a $999 Core i5 (2.2 GHz Broadwell-U) version with 8GB of RAM (up from 4GB in the original) and a 32GB SSD, and a $1,299 Core i7 “LS” version (2.4 GHz Broadwell-U) with 16GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Both use Intel’s HD Graphics 5500 GPU and weigh in at 3.3 lbs. Even Google admits that the LS edition (which it says stands for “ludicrous speed”) may be overkill for most, but it also noted that developers will surely find ways to do interesting things with this additional power.
As we previously noted, both models of the new Chromebook Pixel are Wi-Fi-only i.e. there are no LTE (4G) models. That’s because, according to Google, most people were tethering their Chromebook to their phones and the company wanted to “put resources elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, the choice of Dixons as a retail partner in the U.K. is an obvious one. Not only does the company have a near-monopoly on the British high street, it recently began working with a marketing agency hired by Google to trial a revamped ‘Google Shop‘ — a store within a store — inside its Currys PC World store on London’s Tottenham Court Road.
The idea being to show off Google’s increasing range of hardware devices and supporting services, such as its Nexus smartphones, Chromebook laptops, and Chromecast TV dongle, in best light. That will soon include the Chromebook Pixel 2, perhaps the shiniest of any of Google’s hardware.