Google made a bold move this week .
Less than two hour after Apple revealed the newfangled iPad Air range and top - ending iPad Pro range , Google made a tablet - theme announcement of its own .
No , it ’s not the Pixel Tablet 2 , but or else a new version of thePixel Tabletsans the hybrid wharfage / speaker system . Y’know , the one lineament that made the Pixel Tablet interesting in the first place ?
Frankly , even with a £ 200/$100 discount compared to the Pixel Tablet & speaker combo , the standalone Pixel Tablet is almost impossible to recommend to the vast bulk of consumer .
You see , the £ 599/$499 Pixel Tablet ’s intercrossed nature was essentiallythereason to pick it up over any otherAndroid lozenge , or even aniPad . The idea was that the Pixel Tablet could function as your workaday tablet in use , and when not in use , it could double up as a impertinent screen like then Hub Max .
It was a feature we praise in our reappraisal , helping it stand out from a ocean of pad from the likes of Samsung , OnePlus and even Apple . The tablet goes into what Google calls Hub Mode whenever docked , providing a slimmed - down variant of the UI found on then Hubwith access to Google Assistant , smart home controls , Google Photos library and more .
It was n’t quite as telling as the experience from a full - juicy sassy display like the Nest Hub Max , missing out on feature like facial recognition , and intelligent caliber was miss , but it did a salutary enough job as a smart show overall .
That ’s important because when it comes to the actual tablet vista of the Pixel Tablet , it ’s pretty damn underwhelming .
TheTensor G2 chipsetpowering the lozenge is fine , but it was n’t even the most powerful chipset around at its initial 2023 launch despite being used in the likes of thePixel 7and even thePixel Fold , center more on AI than pure processing index . That gap is widening in 2024 with Brobdingnagian advancements from MediaTek and Qualcomm , as well as the rollout of the newerTensor G3 in thePixel 8range .
In fact , we found that it was on a equation with theOnePlus Pad’sDimensity 9000chipset that was first issue in 2021 – and the OnePlus Pad is quite a bit meretricious than the Pixel Tablet too . For reference , it can currently be found as little as £ 359/$399 at the clip of authorship .
Speaking of the OnePlus Pad , that tablet ’s 11.6 - inch 144Hz display also makes the Pixel Tablet ’s 10.95 - inch 60Hz exhibit feel relatively jittery when cabbage around the lozenge .
There ’s also the fact that , unlike most mid - range and premium tablets , there are no official stylus or keyboard case accessories for the Pixel Tablet , limiting its use to amusement rather than oeuvre or educational aim .
What I ’m strain to get across is that , without the hybrid dock organization , the Pixel Tablet simply does n’t do enough to tempt consumer .
The budget / mid - range tablet is an passing competitive one , with option from Apple now admit the £ 349/$349iPad 10 , as well as the likes of the £ 359/$399 OnePlus Pad and the £ 449/$449Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE , all pop the question a better tablet experience than Google ’s standalone Pixel Tablet – and most at a cheaper monetary value spot too .
