Google reveals official Chromebook plans

Chromebook: Google went for the obvious name
Chromebook: Google went for the obvious name

Google has officially revealed the plan for its new Chrome OS netbooks, which it is calling 'Chromebooks'.

The netbooks will be sold as stand-alone products, but will also be available on a subscription model for businesses and schools.

Over at Google I/O, Sundar Pichai, VP of product management for Chrome at Google, told delegates that the netbooks are about "nothing but the web", offering instant-on, built-in 3G, all-day battery and cloud storage.

The company showed off two new Chromebooks. One is made by Samsung which offers a 12.1-inch display with 8 hours of battery life.

The other comes from Acer, with an 11.6-inch screen and slightly lower battery life at 6.5 hours.

It looks as though both of the Google netbooks will be launching in the UK on 15 June, the same day as the US gets its first Chromebook fix.

The UK pricing is unconfirmed, although a straight conversion of the US pricing would suggest a Wi-Fi only version of the Samsung netbook for around £250, with 3G for £305 and the Acer model for £275.

Shools and businesses can opt for the subscription model, which will bag them the laptop, web console, full tech support and hardware upgrades. Businesses are looking at $28 (£17) a month, while schools get a subsidised rate of $20 (£12) per month, confirming the pricing rumours that TechRadar reported on earlier today.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.