Google has finally launched the Google Pixel Tablet, its first Pixel-branded tablet in years. It will cost $499/£599/AU$899, and comes with an included dock with built-in speakers, turning it into a hub-like device for your smart home devices. Pixel Tablet preorders are live now from the Google Store and other retailers, with shipping from June.
Design-wise, the Pixel Tablet is reminiscent of the Pixel 5, though the materials are naturally different. It’s a very minimal design, with an aluminum enclosure and a nanoceramic coating, and it comes in Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose colors (or white, green, and pink).
The display is an 11-inch Full HD panel, and there are four speakers for watching movies and listening to music. Under the hood is the same Tensor G2 processor that powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s an 8MP camera which you can use for quick snaps, and Google says the battery is good for up to 12 hours of video streaming.
Google has done some work to improve Android for large displays, and the Pixel Tablet benefits as a result. Features include a new split-pane notification center and lock screen, as well as improvements to apps, ranging from entertainment apps like Google TV and YouTube Music to productivity apps like Google Docs, Drive, and Sheets.
Giving it another go
While Google has launched two tablet-style devices – the Pixel C and the Pixel Slate – this is the first to carry the Pixel Tablet branding.
Neither the Pixel C nor the Slate did particularly well, but the Pixel Tablet is an entirely new stab at the form factor in that it’s running a tablet-optimized version of Android rather than ChromeOS, and Google will be hoping it meets with a more positive critical and commercial reception.
This time, Google is targeting a home audience for its tablets rather than a business audience. The Speaker Dock accessory is also available separately for $129 / AU$150, and we're trying to confirm UK price, but we have a feeling it'll be around £129. These extra Speaker Docks will allow you to mount your tablet at home in various rooms. You could use it to watch videos, take video calls with Meet, or could form the base of your smart home life as a Nest Hub replacement. Google says “tablets are homebodies”, and the Tablet reflects that.
Perhaps Google is right that this is the ideal use of the tablet form factor, perhaps not. Several manufacturers, not least Samsung, have produced Android tablets with varying degrees of success, and Apple’s iPad range still dominates the space.
We’ll bring you our full review of the Pixel Tablet soon, so we’ll see how Google’s latest large-screen efforts fare.
