When Google pre-announced Googlebook at I/O this year, I was one of those excited fans. Even before that, I was looking forward to it when it was first teased last year.
On the day of last month’s launch event, as the first wave of Googlebooks arrived, my excitement started to fade.
I’m not sure whether it is because Google is heavily pushing AI with Googlebook rather than its potential as a true laptop replacement, or because it’s trying to market it in the premium category.
What’s more, my interest evaporated when Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S12 series.
The new tablets are refinements of last year’s Tab S11, or even the Tab S10, but compared to the Googlebook, it is becoming clearer day by day that the Tab S12 is the more versatile option.
I would pick it over a Googlebook any day, at any time, and you should too.
The Googlebook hype is drying up fast
People are realizing it is just an overpriced Chromebook with OLED
I can’t blame you if you were hyped when Google started teasing Googlebook, as anyone who uses Android easily would be, even for casual users.
As these Googlebooks roll out from the stage to the shelves, whatever coolness surrounded them has dried up.
I think it comes down to Google placing too much emphasis on things that matter less, such as Gemini Intelligence.
At first, it gave us something to marvel at, or even envy, which I felt after learning my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL wouldn’t be supported. The demos of features like Magic Point looked slick and genuinely agentic.
Now, though, they seem destined to suffer the same fate as countless other AI utilities that were spun off and forgotten.
There are still practical tools on board, such as Rambler or Spark, which offer more utility than the other parlor tricks.
Overall, I think Google simply marketed Googlebooks the wrong way. And now, it makes me worry about its future.
Google wants you to invest in features that already exist
Android tablets offer the same Googlebook experience
Google highlights Googlebook OS as a platform built on Android and Gemini Intelligence.
It is clear Google wants to position the Googlebook as the premier laptop for Android users, especially those chasing the same level of seamless continuity an iPhone user enjoys with a MacBook or Mac.
Googlebook OS enables full Android app support through native installation or casting, along with full Chrome with extension support.
Yet here’s the catch: I can accomplish as much on my Windows computer with my Pixel or Galaxy device through Phone Link. Even more so if I pair a Samsung laptop with a Galaxy phone, which has more tailored and polished apps.
The same holds true when I reach for an Android tablet, which offers a genuine bridge between a mobile and a laptop.
My Galaxy Tab S10 FE proves how mature these large-screen Android slates have become, even though it runs on a mid-range chipset and lacks DeX mode with external monitors.
Snap on a keyboard folio case or connect a mouse wirelessly, and you get an efficient, portable PC workstation.
This works through DeX, yet the native Android version on non-Samsung devices is flexible and robust enough to handle the daily tasks I tackle on a full-fledged computer, including window management and extensive multitasking.
Android tablets are a proven concept
Galaxy Tab S12 beats experimental hardware
With the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Ultra, Samsung built an even more incredible flagship Android slate to bridge the gap between two form factors.
They are iterative refinements, but if you are upgrading from an older tablet or an aging laptop or Chromebook, the Tab S12 is undeniably a massive step-up in experience.
You only need standard peripherals to turn it into a capable laptop alternative, and you don’t need to spend over $100 to get a decent set of accessories.
If you are an artist or power user, the Galaxy Tab S12’s S Pen delivers precise sketching and drawing performance on a premium OLED display that a Googlebook cannot match.
The one-pound weight also makes it easier to carry around the house or on a commute, an advantage I can’t easily get on the thinnest or lightest Googlebook.
That flexibility extends beyond the Tab S12 tablets, and you don’t need to spend a grand or close to that.
Samsung offers cheaper tablet alternatives like the Fan Edition series or previous generations, with lower prices and minor performance differences.
Brands like OnePlus and Motorola also offer cheaper alternatives, and some models ship with active stylus support at a lower price.
Googlebook has its own unique selling points
But I prefer practical features over gimmicks
Google sells continuity on Googlebook as another major selling point, a novel initiative, but it’s a problem that was fixed years ago.
Put the Galaxy Tab S12 on the same table and pair it with a Galaxy phone, and you get the same continuity experience.
Samsung has long allowed continuity for Samsung Browser and Notes. You can start browsing on your phone and continue on the tablet, or the other way around.
Another neat trick is taking calls and replying to messages on the tablet without reaching for your phone.
I also love the multi-control feature, which lets me use the same peripherals, like a mouse or keyboard, to control my Galaxy tablet and Galaxy Flip device.
For file management, I can use multi-control to drag and drop files across devices. The universal clipboard on Samsung Keyboard and Quick Share are other handy options.
How about the desktop experience on Googlebook? Googlebook lets you run in an always-on desktop environment and desktop-optimized apps, but I doubt the app selection is enough to convince me to switch.
Samsung DeX is a more practical way to get a desktop experience on a Galaxy device. I can switch it on with one tap and get desktop mode on the tablet or have it on an external screen.
It doesn’t match the execution in Googlebooks, but I can get the same workflow in a tinier, sleeker package. If I want a mobile-optimized experience, it’s one tap away. That versatility is hard to match with a laptop like a Googlebook.
Even better, they are proven tools, and I don’t need the latest Galaxy Tab S12 to utilize them. I can get them on a tablet for $500 or less.
The reality is that Google built the Googlebook around features that have quietly existed across Android for years, and it’s hard to justify spending close to a grand for these alone.
I will take the tablet that actually works
I am glad Google introduced the Googlebook as an option for Chromebooks and Android tablets, or as a competitor to Mac and Windows PCs.
Having broader hardware competition is always a win for consumers, and it pushes software development forward.
However, it’s hard to hype a Googlebook when it costs more than the mid-tier laptops and tablets and still feels like ChromeOS with new tricks.
The Galaxy Tab S12 commands a premium price, but it backs it up with a proven, versatile form factor and mature experience that doesn’t rely solely on AI.
If Google expects me to buy a $1,000 Android laptop as a primary phone companion, regurgitating Android apps and slathering on Gemini gimmicks won’t win my wallet.
