The world of Android tablets has been a weirdly up-and-down ride for the last decade or so. I remember Google’s fantastic little 7-inch Nexus tablet back in 2012. And Google’s considerably less successful Chromebook-meets-Android Pixel Slate, a sort of touchscreen laptop/tablet hybrid. That was Google’s previous tablet hardware entry.
Watch this: Google Pixel Tablet: Google Made a Good Home Android Tablet!
06:35
Like
Fast processor
Included speaker dock sounds great
Good front video camera
Don’t like
Price ramps up for cases and more storage
No keyboard or stylus case options
James Martin/CNET
Google makes extra accounts pretty easy
One other advantage of Google tablets over iPads is account-swapping. Much like a Chromebook, you can add extra accounts and switch over to others easily enough here, even entering a guest mode or a kid mode. This underlines the family-sharing concept that’s at this tablet’s core, and I like it. I could easily see the Pixel Tablet being a casual grab-a-tablet option in a living room where someone could just pick it up as needed and check a few things, watch a video or play a game.
I miss Google’s work focus on the Slate, though
I miss some of the ideas Google was going for on its previous Slate tablet, which was more of a Chromebook with Android benefits. The Pixel Slate made a keyboard and trackpad one of its big included features. This time, the Android-focused Pixel Tablet has gone the other way, toward a sharable, video-and-game-playing, app-browsing tablet, but without any great ideas for how to add a keyboard or access to ChromeOS-type features in a new, helpful way. Anyone who wants a Chromebook will still want to get a Chromebook — or a laptop. You could add a keyboard here, or a stylus, but your mileage won’t be any different than on another Android tablet. Plus, with other options from Samsung, OnePlus and Amazon, keyboard accessories are already there — or even included.
There’s a USB-C port on the Pixel Tablet, even though the dock charges with its own proprietary plug and pin connector.
James Martin/CNET
Yes, it could be a home hub, too
I didn’t test the smart home features of this tablet, but you can connect Google Home devices and services just like you’d do on a Nest Hub. That’s the Pixel Tablet’s greatest success as a device, and where Google pivoted this time with its design. Voice response via its microphones was fast, and I was able to play music, ask questions, play audiobooks and launch YouTube videos quickly with voice commands. Once my kids realized this thing could play videos, they gathered around it like a small TV. It could be a great kitchen option, especially since the tablet hovers when in the dock (avoiding contact with counter surfaces). The dock angle won’t adjust beyond its slightly elevated angle, but I found it easy enough to glance at when on a table or counter.
A great start for Google’s return to tablets
Don’t stop, Google: Keep building off the Pixel Tablet, add a keyboard case, and maybe lower the price a bit (with a case and the 256GB storage option, which costs an extra $100, you’re suddenly pushing towards $700). But this is the Google tablet you’re probably looking for, despite the price. The only question is whether Google commits to its software and performance over time. Google tends to suddenly change focus on product lines, especially its tablets. But the Pixel Tablet is a great addition to its device lineup and a perfect nonphone option. Keep it around, please.
