Google has unveiled a new Chromebook device called the Pixel that is designed to compete with Apple and Microsoft at the top end of the laptop market with a cool £1,049 UK price tag.

The device was unveiled late on Thursday and V3 was one of a handful of UK sites to get its hands on the device. Below are a series of images showing the key dimensions and specifications of the devices.

The device boasts a 3:2 display which Google said is designed to better display pages on the web which are generally designed vertically, rather than adhering to movie formats of 16×9 that are more horizontally framed.

Google said it did away with the markings usually found for ports for design reasons and because most users never actually consult what they are, instead just working out the shapes of what will fit into which holes. This makes sense in a way; most people don’t need these symbols and many other devices don’t include them either.

Google made big boasts about the screen, claiming it was better than anything on the market with a pixel density of 229 pixels per inch (PPI). Here you can see it snapped against a large-screen Macbook Pro, and certainly there’s not much difference between the two, as you can see below (although admittedly, this is far from ideal testing conditions, and we’ll compare it more properly in due course).

When compared to other Windows devices on the market such as a Lenovo X220, you can see the device is not that much larger in general, but far more of its real estate is given to the screen or keyboard units, which is a nice touch as these are far more important than the casing around it.

Speaking of the keyboard, it’s certainly very nice, with deft, responsive keys that are well spaced out and easy to adapt too.

Overall, based on early first impressions, while the price is fairly eye-watering, the Pixel is a lovely piece of design and the touchscreen is very nice to use too. Those unsold by Apple or Microsoft and looking for something at the high-end and confident they’ll always have Wi-Fi access may well be tempted, but the price may well be off-putting for many.

Check back in the coming days for a more thorough review.

21 Feb 2013