A new Intel Googlebook board called Pelion has turned up in Chromium’s public code. That’s good news for anyone waiting on a cheaper Googlebook. Pelion runs Intel’s Core Series 3 chips, codenamed Wildcat Lake, and it brings the number of boards in development on that platform to nine. If the first wave’s prices kept you on a Chromebook, this is the family to watch.
GbookHub found the commits and reported them on November 11. Pelion was made by copying files from Matsu, an existing board in the same Ocelot family, so expect the two to end up close. Pelion’s own specs aren’t in the code yet. As with any Chromebook board name, one board can also become more than one retail model.
For context, the cheapest Googlebook today is the Acer Googlebook 14. The Google Store spec sheet lists it at $899 with an Intel Core Ultra 5 325, 16GB of memory and 100W charging, which puts it in Intel’s premium Panther Lake tier. Wildcat Lake sits below that. Intel launched Core Series 3 on April 16, 2026 as a chip aimed at value buyers, schools and small businesses.
Wildcat Lake is the road to a sub-$600 Googlebook
A premium chip makes sense for a launch lineup that’s meant to impress, but it prices out most of the people who actually buy Chromebooks. Those shoppers are used to getting a capable 14-inch laptop for far less, and the best-value Chromebook Plus models keep that bar low. Nine boards on a value chip tells me Google’s partners know this.
If you want a Googlebook without paying a Panther Lake price, waiting for a Wildcat Lake model is the smarter move.
Pelion’s hardware should look like Matsu’s. Earlier Matsu commits describe a 14-inch clamshell or convertible with optional touch, UFS or NVMe storage, Wi-Fi 7, 65W charging and a fingerprint reader. That charger is a step down from the Acer’s 100W, which fits a cheaper machine.
Nobody knows who makes Pelion. Matsu looks like an Acer, and the boards linked to a likely brand so far point to HP, ASUS, Lenovo and Dell. A second design from one of those five is more likely than a new manufacturer.
None of this is official. Google hasn’t confirmed Pelion or any Wildcat Lake Googlebook, and nothing in the code gives a release date. Pelion’s first commits are only days old, so don’t expect it this holiday season. If you’re shopping now, your choice is still a Chromebook Plus or a Googlebook at $899 and up. With Chromebook prices climbing through 2026, a cheaper Googlebook can’t come soon enough.
