Who still uses a tablet? This or a similar question was apparently asked at Google before the tech giant started work on its Google Pixel tablet. After all, the displays of many smartphones feel huge these days, and foldables with a folding screen are also on the rise. So why do users still need a tablet?
When the tablet was originally presented at the Google I/O developer conference in May, product vice president Rose Yao explained that tablets had been “a little bit frustrating” recently: “It’s always difficult to know where they fit in and they have each other not really changed in the last ten years.” You often forget the tablet in a drawer and when you need it for something, the battery is empty. The company believes that there is still a lot of potential in tablets and have therefore designed a device that is intended to make everyday life easier for users, especially at home.
Thanks to a dock included in the scope of delivery, the tablet is always charged and can be transformed into a smart display, as it is used by users to operate their smart home, for example. The news agency spot on news has tested Google’s approach in everyday life.
The focus of the Google Pixel Tablet is likely to be in two main areas for users: in the entertainment and in the smart home sector. After unpacking, it is immediately noticeable that the tablet lies well and comfortably in the hand. This is ensured, among other things, by a so-called nano-ceramic coating and rounded corners. According to Google, the case itself is made entirely of recycled aluminum. The weight of a little less than 500 grams is not unusual for devices of this size, but smaller tablet variants such as the iPad mini from Apple or the Fire HD 8 Plus from Amazon are certainly more comfortable for some users in the long run thanks to their lower weight operable.
On the other hand, the large 11-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, which displays content sharply, is a lot of fun, especially when gaming or watching series and films. Eight gigabytes of RAM and the in-house Tensor G2 processor, which is also installed in the smartphones of the Pixel 7 series, offer enough power for games or smooth navigation through apps and the network.
Four loudspeakers meanwhile provide the appropriate sound accompaniment in tablet mode with a good, but not outstanding sound. The whole thing gets a lot more boom as soon as the tablet is magnetically connected to the included dock, because this is not only used to charge the Google Pixel tablet. A loudspeaker is also installed here, which gives the sound experience significantly more bass.
The display continues to work on the dock and video or audio content can be streamed from the smartphone to the docked tablet, for example. Unfortunately, the station’s speaker cannot be used as a standalone Bluetooth speaker and only works when the tablet is connected to the dock.
The device should only very rarely run out of power, because if it is not being used in the hand, the tablet will at best be placed directly on the charging dock. The Google Assistant also accepts voice commands there. The duo of tablet and dock can be used as a smart display, so to speak, to operate other supported devices in your own smart home via tap or command. Of course, the language assistant can also answer questions, tell the time or start the latest episode of your favorite podcast, among other things.
When docked, the tablet shows a screensaver that, depending on the setting, shows a cute weatherman, for example, when it is not being used for any other purpose. Alternatively, a picture slide show with your own recordings can also be selected, turning the tablet into a digital picture frame.
All in all, Google’s tablet is a successful device that could be of particular interest to smart home users and entertainment lovers. The Google Pixel Tablet is fun, feels of high quality, can be helpful and, thanks to the dock, doesn’t disappear completely unused in the drawer.
Available in the colors Porcelain and Hazel, the duo of tablet and charging dock also has its price. In the cheaper version with 128 gigabytes of storage space, the Google Pixel Tablet is 679 euros, with 256 gigabytes it is 799 euros.
