Chromebook Pixel on sale for £1,049 at Google Play

Google has launched a 1,049 Chromebook, which the internet giant claims boasts the highest pixel density of any laptop screen on the market today.

The Chromebook Pixel was announced by Linus Upson, vice president of engineering at Google, via a blog post yesterday and looks set to be the first device of its kind the firm has made in-house.

"With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud," said Upson.

"The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the chrome' of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience."

Previously, Google has partnered with PC makers Samsung, Acer, Lenovo and HP to make its Chromebooks, which it claims now account for more than 10 per cent of the notebooks sold at Currys and PC World in the UK.

The new touch-enabled device has a pixel density of 239 pixels per inch (or 4.3 million pixels in total), is made from anodized aluminium alloy and features an etched glass screen.

The Pixel is powered by an Intel Core i5 Processor, features solid state Flash memory, and users have a choice between buying a Wi-Fi only or a 4G-enabled model.

Buyers will also get access to one terabyte of Google Drive cloud storage, which should allow them to access business documents on the go.

The Wi-Fi only version of the device is available to buy in the UK now from the Google Play store, and is expected to start shipping next week.

"It's one of the most exciting times in the history of personal computing, thanks to the rapid pace of change, innovation and consumer adoption of devices," added Upson.

"Our goal is to continue to push the experience forward for everyone, working with the entire ecosystem to build the next generation of Chrome OS devices."

Google recently talked up the benefits of Chromebooks for business and education users, citing their relatively low price point and ease of management.

However, the 1,049 asking price, high pixel density and markedly slicker design of the Chromebook Pixel suggests Google is turning its attention to higher-end users, and potentially positioning it as a challenger to Apple's Mac Air range of devices.