No doubt, the Pixelbook Go has served me well in my 5 yrs with the laptop. This is not necessarily a review of the features on the laptop but a review of the PBG hardware and its usability in 2025. I acknowledge that I am a part of a very small club of users that still have and use this device but I must say that I still enjoy using the PBG every single day. Now, to the review.
Hardware
Right off the bat. The hardware is probably the least compelling aspect of the PBG. When the laptop was first released in 2019 it was already a year or two behind the competition with the onboard soc. Surprisingly, this has not negatively impacted using the laptop with most tasks. Web surfing is a breeze and most Android apps run pretty effortlessly. The 8th Gen i5 Intel soc paired with 8GB of RAM is well optimized and I feel that Google is getting as much as it can out of the chip.
Where the PBG falls short is with video editing apps. I've tried several Android apps and a couple of Linux apps in the past with no luck. Video edits with two or more layers just become unusable. With that, just about every other kind of app should work fine. Power users beware.
The rest of the hardware has aged really well. I have not encountered any hardware failures whatsoever. The keyboard is excellent and backlit, the 1080p display is bright and clear, and the front-facing camera is decent with a 2mp sensor that produces 1080p video. The PBG also features a glass trackpad that is super smooth and helps navigating the UI fluidly. Also, with the laptop there is no creaking and surprisingly no chipping of paint on the body.
Software
The PBG runs ChromeOS and is slated to receive software updates until June 2029. ChromeOS is a very light weight operating system that has become more capable over the years. It boots up fast and system updates still install in the background with only a reboot required to complete the update. Security is top notch with no zero day exploits in the wild to date. I find the OS to meet my needs with the features that are available. I'm not a power user and rely on the web and Android apps so the PBG has me covered.
Conclusion
I definitely feel the design of the PBG was ahead of its time for the most part. The PBG is well made and still looks modern today compared to more recent laptops. Where things seem to make a sharp turn is with the soc and the amount of RAM I have in my laptop. With Android apps becoming more useful the need for better optimized apps for ChromeOS is vital now more than ever. Hopefully Google is working in the background to make Android apps work better and more consistently. You never know, Google IO is just around the corner and we may just get some news.
Specs
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) or 4K Ultra HD touchscreen |
| Processor | 8th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7 |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB or 16GB |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1061 g) |
| Thickness | 0.5 inches (13.4 mm) |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Camera | 2MP Duo Cam |
| Audio | Dual front-firing speakers, 2 mics with noise cancellation |
| Keyboard | Backlit Hush Keys |
| Trackpad | Extra-large trackpad with multi-touch support |
| Colors | Not Pink, Just Black |
Additional Notes:
- The Pixelbook Go has a magnesium alloy body and Corning Concore Glass
- It supports fast charging (up to 2 hours of use in 20 minutes)
- It has a Titan C security chip for built-in virus protection
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