Google Pixel Tablet review

Summary

A great number of firsts for Google are represented by the Google Pixel Tablet. Over the course of almost five years, Google has not released a tablet device until now. It has been nearly eight years since the business has shown an Android tablet to the public. In addition, it is the very first Google tablet that makes an attempt to blur the distinctions between a smart home display and an Android tablet.

Google Pixel Tablet review

I applaud Google’s desire to try its hand at tablets once again, particularly after the Pixel Slate and Pixel C that came before it had tepid reviews. That is a lofty task with a lot of expectations, and I respect Google’s eagerness to try its hand at tablets. On the other hand, after using and living with the Pixel Tablet for a couple of weeks, I am beginning to believe that Google ought to have listened to its previous self and kept out of the tablet market for forever.

With regard to our assessment of the Google Pixel Tablet

The review of the Google Pixel Tablet was written by Joe Maring and was first published on June 20, 2023. This review was written after Joe Maring had tested the Pixel Tablet for a period of two weeks. In December, it was revised to include the “six months later” portion, which may be seen further down on this page. After that, Andy Boxall went back to the Pixel Tablet in April of 2024, and his thoughts on the device may be seen in the part under “10 months later.”

Six months after its release, the Google Pixel Tablet

Almost immediately after I published this review, I decided to quit using the Google Pixel Tablet. However, in the beginning of November, I made the decision to retrieve the tablet from its storage space and give it another go. Since I used it for the last time in June, I’m sure that things have improved ever since then, right? In spite of the fact that I am writing this in late December, after another month and a half of using the Pixel Tablet, I can say that this has not changed.

Unfortunately, in December of 2023, each and every one of my initial objections about the Google Pixel Tablet may still be considered valid. I continue to have applications that crash, odd freezes in the user interface, and the Tensor G2 chip continues to heat up more quickly than I would want it to. Twitter (X) now occupies the whole display rather than presenting in a tiny window with thick dark bars, however other applications, such as Facebook and Duolingo, continue to look rather unappealing.

Something else that has not improved is the Google Assistant, which has not become any better. It has been all these months, and the Assistant continues to be unreliable on a continuous basis. It is not always possible for me to have faith that it will answer in the manner that I anticipate it to, regardless of whether I am asking it to manage smart lighting, check the weather, or provide me with an update on an ongoing Lions game. The fact that the Pixel Tablet is not a competent smart speaker or display is a disappointing development, especially considering that this is meant to be one of the primary selling points of the device.

Despite the fact that I am really interested in seeing what Google continues to achieve with the Pixel Tablet, I am not now in a position to suggest it to anybody in the near future.

Galaxy A55 Release date

Google Pixel Tablet: After a period of ten months

From the very beginning, I did not have nearly as many issues with the Pixel Tablet as Joe did; but, I did share many of his concerns and reservations about the device. Since it was first made available to the public, I have been using it on a regular basis since I enjoyed it so much that I was ready to give it a chance to do more in my life. In April of 2024, however, I have reached the point where I am willing to quit up. It would be more beneficial to leave the Pixel Tablet to its own devices rather than trying to make it into something else since it is already excellent at a few things.

This is not a good thing for a tablet at this price, especially considering that the things it excels at, which are mostly video and audio at home, are not only fundamental but can also be handled adequately by other devices that are far less expensive. Leaving the Pixel Tablet on its excellent tabletop stand so that it can display photos and play video is about the extent of what I want to do with it. The absence of an official keyboard, a case that is reasonably priced, and an app store that contains a large number of apps that are optimized for tablets prevent it from functioning as a work machine. In this regard, it is even surpassed by the Amazon Fire Max 11.

However, Google Assistant can be frustrating when it doesn’t hear me (but Amazon Echo devices with Alexa hear me fine), and the fact that I have to undock the tablet in order to use the keyboard in these situations adds to the annoyance. I can ignore the 60Hz refresh rate because I look at the screen from a distance and I rarely read anything that is displayed on it. The Pixel Tablet is one of my favorite devices when I am able to leave it alone and let it exhibit a clean and minimalistic appearance in my kitchen. It is able to play music and video with ease and display my photographs. Even while it is excellent at that, it really ought to be able to do more, particularly taking into consideration how much it costs.

The design of the Google Pixel Tablet

I have not been a fan of the dull design of the Pixel Tablet ever since Google made the first announcement about it in the year 2022. On the other hand, I’ve gotten around to the point where I genuinely like a lot of the design choices that Google produced.

If you were to pick up the Pixel Tablet, you would not be able to tell that it is made of aluminum because it is covered in a “nano-ceramic coating.” This coating gives the Pixel Tablet a soft, welcoming texture that feels great to hold, while at the same time providing the rigidity and durability of the aluminum enclosure that is hiding beneath it.

Additionally, I have been pleased with the fingerprint sensor that is included into the power button that is located on the top frame of the Pixel Tablet computer. I was able to set it up without much difficulty, it is quite quick, and it has been useful to me during the whole of my evaluation time.

In addition, I believe that the colors of the Pixel Tablet, although being obviously unremarkable, are completely acceptable. Because it is the only one with a black bezel around the display, my model is the only one that comes in the Hazel color. Both the Rose and Porcelain hues come with a white bezel as standard equipment. I appreciate that Google provides you an option in this situation, and I believe that the subdued colors are a good choice for a tablet that is going to spend a significant amount of time propped up on your kitchen counter or end table.

Support for charging speakers for the Google Pixel Tablet

Though we will go more into the Pixel Tablet in a moment, it is important to note that this is just one part of the puzzle. For added convenience, each and every Pixel Tablet comes packaged with its very own charging station. When you are not actively using the Pixel Tablet as a tablet, you are supposed to set it on the charging station. This is the purpose of the device. This does a few things: your Pixel Tablet will charge anytime it is mounted on the dock, it will make advantage of the dock’s much improved speaker, and it will get a specialized interface that is geared at smart homes.

When it comes to the charging dock, the sound that it makes is my favorite feature. Inside, there is just a single full-range speaker measuring 43.5 millimeters, but as far as I can tell, it sounds fantastic. It is capable of reaching a very high volume, the audio has a decent deal of depth, and it has been successful for a variety of applications, including Apple Music and YouTube TV. Particularly when one considers the fact that it is something that is included with the Pixel Tablet at no additional cost, there is not much that can be done to complain about.

On the other hand, this praise is solely being directed at the audio quality. In other respects, the charging station is not satisfactory.

Magnets are used to secure the Pixel Tablet to the charging station; but, in my testing, I found that these magnets are not very strong. On many occasions, when I have docked the Pixel Tablet and touched either the volume rocker or the power button, the tablet has totally fallen off and landed on the kitchen counter. I have no idea how many times the Pixel Tablet has fallen off its charging station just because I wanted to change the volume. I have lost count of the number of times it has happened.

We are dissatisfied with the charging dock for the Pixel Tablet.

Another issue is that the charging station is made worthless anytime the Pixel Tablet is not linked to it. This is a problem since the dock is useless. In its own right, the dock does not enable voice commands, it is not possible to use it as a Chromecast target to transfer audio to, and it does not even have the capability to serve as a Bluetooth speaker. There is a speaker system in the charging dock that has a pleasant sound, and I would want to use it more often. However, if the Pixel Tablet is not linked to it, there is nothing I can do with it. Rather than that, it is nothing more than a piece of cloth and plastic that is taking up room in my kitchen.

The screen and the audio on the Google Pixel Tablet

When we return to the Pixel Tablet itself, we find that both the screen and the audio experience are equally perplexing.

The Pixel Tablet, which is 11 inches in size, has an LCD display that has a resolution of 2560 by 1600 and a brightness of 500 nits. The presentation seems to be of high quality for the most part. The colors seem to be quite great, everything is as crisp as it should be, and I have not seen any problems with the brightness of the screen. Despite the fact that it is probably not the ideal option for usage outside, I have never had any problem seeing what is shown on the screen when I have used the Pixel Tablet within my home or in areas with a lot of light.

The Pixel Tablet’s refresh rate of sixty hertz is something that does not seem to be very appealing. On the Pixel Tablet, the process of scrolling between menus, programs, and other applications seems to be sluggish and choppy, much like any animation system. It is possible for me to get used to a display that operates at 60Hz on a phone such as the Pixel 6a; but, when you have a huge canvas that is 11 inches, a slower refresh rate really stands out. Especially considering that Lenovo is able to install a display with a refresh rate of 120Hz on the $335 Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2, the fact that the Pixel Tablet, which costs $499, only has a 60Hz screen is not a pleasant experience.

The speakers on the Pixel Tablet are another thing that has left me scratching my head. The sound quality of the tablet’s four speakers is acceptable; there are two speakers on the left frame and two speakers on the right frame. However, as long as you are not holding the Pixel Tablet in your hand.

Due to the fact that two of the four speakers are exactly aligned with the position where my hands lay while I am holding the Pixel Tablet, any sound that is produced by those speakers is very muted. With the Pixel Tablet, it is hard for me to hold it in a comfortable manner without in some way distorting the speakers. As a result, playing games or viewing movies on YouTube has become a very painful experience for me.

The cameras on the Google Pixel Tablet

I won’t spend an excessive amount of time on the cameras since there is nothing in this location that truly requires an excessive amount of your attention. Both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras on the Pixel Tablet are equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor that has an aperture of f/2.0. Both of these cameras are designed to have a fixed focus, which means that none of them has the capacity to automatically focus.

It is quite probable that you will make the greatest use of the front-facing camera, and it is more than sufficient. Not only is it not the finest thing I’ve ever seen, but it’s also not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. The device is more than capable of doing tasks such as taking a quick picture or participating in a Google Meet call.

It is also possible to use the back camera. It will accomplish the task at hand if you are in a situation where you need to snap a picture or scan a document but you do not have any other options available to you. However, since it does not have an autofocus feature, it performs poorly in low light, and it has a noisy detail, it is not a camera that you would want to depend on for anything important.

The performance and battery life of the Google Pixel Tablet

A processor called Tensor G2 is used to power the Google Pixel Tablet. This chipset is the same one that is used in the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a respectively. It is also true that the Tensor G2 in the Pixel Tablet is a mixed bag, just as it is in those other electronic devices.

The performance of Tensor G2 is the most impressive aspect of this product. Despite the fact that it is not as powerful as Qualcomm’s flagship CPUs, the Tensor G2 is more than capable of doing all I need it to. Whether you want to stream a 4K movie on Max (the artist previously known as HBO Max) or watch live television on YouTube TV, the Pixel Tablet is completely capable of handling both of these activities. The 8 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) allows it to run two applications simultaneously without any issues, and it opens applications immediately without requiring a lengthy loading period. Moreover, I have been really pleased with the whole game experience. When playing Call of Duty: Mobile with Very High visuals and Max frame rate settings, the Pixel Tablet maintains a smooth 60 frames per second (fps) of gameplay and does not experience any issues when playing the game.

However, when it comes to the battery life of the Pixel Tablet, it is not quite as impressive as it is on other devices powered by the Tensor G2 processor.

Over fifteen percent of the battery life is consumed in only one hour when a 4K movie is streamed at the maximum display brightness. And the worst of it all is gaming. After just thirty minutes of playing Call of Duty: Mobile, the Pixel Tablet’s available battery life had been depleted by eleven percent, putting it on course to utilize more over twenty percent of its battery life after only one hour of gaming.

According to Google, the battery life of the Pixel Tablet can last for “up to 12 hours of video streaming.” However, based on my tests, it would take less than seven hours to bring the Pixel Tablet’s battery life down to nothing when it was doing nothing but streaming a 4K film. Under the assumption that you are playing a game with a high level of visual intensity, you could possibly destroy the Pixel Tablet in less than five hours.

On the other hand, the counterargument is that you probably aren’t playing video games for five hours at a time or viewing videos for seven hours in direct succession. If you are using the Pixel Tablet for shorter periods of time and are able to simply place it on the charging station once you are finished, the idea is that it should always have a full (or almost full) battery when you wish to use it as a handheld device.

Over the course of less than five hours, it is theoretically possible to destroy the Pixel Tablet.

Although I acknowledge that this is a valid issue, I do not believe that it totally explains the Pixel Tablet’s battery life, which is objectively insufficient. If you are going to take the Pixel Tablet on a vacation or anywhere else outside of the home, the battery might quickly become an issue. This could happen no matter where you are: on a lengthy flight, on a road trip, or somewhere else.

Another peculiar aspect of the Pixel Tablet is the way it is structured for charging. When the Pixel Tablet is docked, it does not charge anymore than 90 percent of its capacity. However, you will need to manually force it to charge up to one hundred percent each and every time you set it on the dock. You may force it to charge up to one hundred percent. In addition, there is no enlightening pop-up that informs you that this is feasible. Following the placement of the device on the dock, you will need to launch the Settings application, choose Battery, and then select Charge to full.

Let me reiterate: if you leave your Pixel Tablet at home, you shouldn’t have any problems with this. On the other hand, if you want to take it somewhere else or use it away from the dock for an extended amount of time, you are probably just utilizing nine out of ten of the battery that is available to you. And for a tablet that is already not very efficient with its use of power, this merely makes an already uncomfortable experience with the battery even more aggravating.

The software for the Google Pixel Tablet

Let’s speak about software, shall we? There is a guarantee that the Google Pixel Tablet will get at least five years of security updates and three years of operating system upgrades. The tablet comes pre-installed with Android 13, which is currently running Android 14. This is the same Pixel software that you have come to expect from Pixel smartphones; however, it has been optimized for the bigger display that the Pixel Tablet has.

In every single part of the operating system, this is visible. Your Quick Settings are shown on the left side of the notification panel, while notifications are displayed on the right side. A great number of Google applications have also been adjusted for the larger display by rearranging the buttons and using layouts with several columns. It’s wonderful to see these improvements! A number of Google applications, like Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Maps, and Google Home, are excellent at making use of the whole display and giving the impression that they were designed specifically for tablets. On the Pixel Tablet, even certain third-party applications, such as 1Password and Microsoft Teams, have a really appealing appearance.

Additionally, I like the way that Google handles multitasking. When you are in an application, a simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen will reveal a taskbar that shows the applications that are included in the dock on your home screen as well as a shortcut to the app drawer. It is now quite easy to run applications in split-screen mode thanks to this.

You want to navigate around Twitter while using Google Chrome, but you want to do it simultaneously. The Twitter app may be moved to the left or right side of the screen by bringing up the taskbar, pressing and holding it, and then moving it. Instantaneously, you are concurrently using Chrome and taking use of Twitter. You have the option of using the bar in the center to have the screen split 75/25, or you may utilize the apps to automatically share the screen 50/50. Although I would want there to be more flexibility in terms of how much you can resize applications when they are in split-screen mode, the functionality that is now in place is fluid and simple to use. Additionally, regardless of whether you go home after running applications in split-screen mode or not, the split-screen configuration will be preserved in your recent apps menu just like any other program. Google has done an excellent job here.

The presence of third-party applications, on the other hand, continues to be a potential issue.

“But Joe, didn’t you just remark that other people’s applications had a nice appearance?It is true! That is, however, just the case for a few third-party applications. In the event that a program has not been optimized for tablets, it will appear in an extremely small window that is surrounded by a dark backdrop. The app may be moved to the left, right, or center of the screen; however, there is no way to make an app that has not been optimized utilize the whole screen screen. When you launch an application such as Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Duolingo, Chewy, Target, or Day One, you need to consider it to be a little window.

These applications are not at random or unknown to you! We are discussing some of the most well-known mobile applications, and on the Pixel Tablet, each and every one of them seems to be atrocious. However, despite all of the work that Google has done on its own applications, there is still a tremendous deal of work to be done before Android really feels amazing on a large screen like this one. This is a reminder that is both unpleasant and necessary.

There are a number of problems with the Google Pixel Tablet

The user interface of the Android tablet is, of course, only one of the many software experiences that are available on the Pixel Tablet. As soon as it is positioned on the charging dock, it transforms into a Google Nest Hub and operates with software that is practically identical to that of the Nest Hub. In the event that you dock the Pixel Tablet and ask it to play a program on Netflix, provide you with the weather, or ask it a random inquiry, the interface that you see is similar to that of a Google smart display.

On paper, everything makes perfect sense. When you place the Pixel Tablet on the charging dock, it will perform the same duties as a smart display. Once you remove it from the dock, it transforms into an Android tablet machine. This means that you are basically running two entirely separate software experiences at any one moment, and as you would think, this may lead to a variety of issues.

Take for example the fact that you want to watch YouTube TV or Disney Plus, which is a fairly typical request for a smart display! Saying “Hey Google, open YouTube TV” or “Hey Google, open Disney Plus” will cause the program to display the word “Opening,” but it will not really start the application until you either enter your personal identification number (PIN) or use the fingerprint sensor to unlock the tablet. This occurs because it is attempting to launch the Android application for those services. Just like on any other Android device, such as a smartphone or tablet, you are unable to launch applications without first unlocking the lock screen.

To be sure! If you say something like, “Hey Google, play [a specific channel] on YouTube TV,” or “Hey Google, play [a specific movie or TV show] on Disney Plus,” it will open the smart display version of that service and proceed to play it without having you to unlock the Pixel Tablet.

When you are using the Pixel Tablet, Google does not provide any explanation for this situation anywhere. I ultimately worked it out on my own (after a lot of trial and error and with some assistance from Ben Schoon at 9to5Google), but I can only image how perplexing this will be for everyone who is using the Pixel Tablet.

That’s not even taking into account all of the odd issues and malfunctions that I’ve had to deal with.

One of the Pixels that I have ever used that has caused me the greatest frustration is the Pixel Tablet.

It has occurred on several occasions that when I ask the Pixel Tablet to play a channel on YouTube TV, it becomes stuck on the YouTube TV logo. After a few seconds, it then informs me that the application has ceased functioning properly. In a similar vein, I have lost count of the number of times that the Pixel Tablet has refused to hear my “Hey Google” instructions while it is streaming any kind of video. This has occurred even when the volume was turned down and I was standing immediately in front of it, repeating the command an infinite number of times. In spite of the fact that the dark theme of the tablet is set to activate at dawn and sunset, it often becomes stuck in dark mode and has to be manually changed back to light mode each and every morning.

At the same time, my Pixel Tablet has become confused about how to launch applications when I ask it to do so. In the evening, when I requested it to launch an application on my smartphone, it made an effort to do so. The Pixel Tablet was the device that heard and registered the command, but its response was, “Okay, opening on your Motorola phone.” Not once did I change any settings to make it do this, and just as quickly as it started acting up, it stopped the next morning – with no rhyme or reason for any of it.

One issue that is not new for Pixel devices is the presence of software that is prone to bugs, and the Pixel Tablet is not an exception to this trend. It has, if anything, been one of the Pixels that I have used that has caused me the greatest frustration.

Accessory options for the Google Pixel Tablet

One of the most crucial aspects of any tablet is its accessories, and the Pixel Tablet seems to be lacking in this particular area.

One and only one first-party accessory that Google offers for the Pixel Tablet is a case that costs $79.00. I must give credit to Google since it is a really excellent case! There is a sense of rigidity and durability to the silicone that is on the outside, and the raised edges that surround the display should provide enough protection in the event that it is dropped.

One of the most advantageous features is the metal ring located on the rear of the Pixel Tablet. This ring can be positioned at any angle to support the tablet on a level surface. It is also possible to move the stand all the way to the top of the tablet, which means that you may hang it on a nail or hook provided that you have one lying around the home. Even with the cover on, you will be able to place the Pixel Tablet on its charging station since the stand is quite robust, it has a beautiful cutout, and it feels great to move about. In spite of the fact that the price tag of $79 is a lot to take in, this is one of the greatest cases that I have seen from Google in recent years.

Having said that, here is the point at which the discussion on the accessories for the Pixel Tablet starts and stops. Despite the fact that features such as split-screen multitasking and the taskbar are excellent productivity tools, the Pixel Tablet does not come with an official keyboard dock, so it often seems as like these advantages are being squandered. It has been shown that official keyboards for the OnePlus Pad and the 2022 iPad are essential accessories; thus, the absence of such a keyboard for the Pixel Tablet is a forfeited opportunity.

It is possible to say the same thing regarding Google’s decision to not provide an official stylus attachment. Google is not marketing a Google Pen or Pixel Pen to accompany the Pixel Tablet, despite the fact that the Pixel Tablet is compatible with styluses that employ the USI 2.0 standard. Since the support is already there, there is no reason not to actually put it to use. Stylus from third-party manufacturers will function well; but, given that tablets manufactured by Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Lenovo all provide official stylus alternatives, this is yet another issue for which Google does not have a sufficient response.

Price and availability information for the Google Pixel Tablet

Now available, the Google Pixel Tablet can be purchased for a starting price of $499 for the variant that comes with 128GB of storage space. The price of the 256GB variant will increase to $599 if you decide to upgrade to it.

The charging dock that comes with the Pixel Tablet is already included in the package; however, if you want to purchase more docks, you may do so for a price of $129 each.

The verdict on the Google Pixel Tablet

Here we have the Google Pixel Tablet, will we? I have no doubt in my mind that the concept that underpins the Pixel Tablet is a promising one. I am someone who has a number of smart displays dispersed around my flat, and the idea of a smart display that also functions as a tablet is something that I find very exciting.

The implementation of that notion with the Google Pixel Tablet is entirely off the mark, despite the fact that Google gave it a great deal of consideration. In spite of the fact that there is not a single deal breaker that instantly sticks out, it is a classic example of a death by a thousand cuts. The audio quality of the tablet is ruined by the speakers that are unusually positioned. The 60Hz display, which seems to be sluggish and out of date. The badly designed charging port that had the potential to be so much more than it ever was. There are instances when the Pixel Tablet’s software experience is so erratic that it may be quite frustrating to use.

There is a lack of confidence in my ability to predict the future of the Pixel Tablet.

You would be far better off purchasing either the OnePlus Pad or the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 if you are looking for an Android tablet that costs around the same amount. Both are more affordable than the Pixel Tablet, yet they both feature screens that are much superior, longer battery life, more intriguing designs, and better first-party accessories. In addition, they both have more battery life. There is a possibility that you could purchase a Google Nest Hub in addition to a Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 and yet wind up spending less money than you would on a Pixel Tablet. And by doing so, you would be able to get a tablet that is superior than the Pixel Tablet in terms of both its Android operating system and its smart display capabilities.

Within the Google Pixel Tablet, there is a product that is of high quality that is concealed. There is a possibility that Google may be able to make it one of the greatest Android tablets available after another generation or two. However, considering that this is the first tablet that the firm has shown after all this time, I am not certain about the direction that the Pixel Tablet will go from here.