The Google Pixel Tablet is quite an underrated device. Not only does it come with Google's Pixel launcher and super fast Android updates, it’s also incredibly useful if you want a slate that seamlessly links with your smart home.

So when I tell you that you can pick up the Pixel Tablet for just $279 at Amazon, you might want to pay attention. That’s $120 off the usual price of $399, and one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen this device go.

If you need more storage space, the 256GB model is $359, down from $499 — a $140 savings.

The Pixel Tablet is an excellent device. For starters, it shares many of the same attributes as Google Pixel phone series. The Tensor G2 chipset is a little old, but it still supports a bunch of great AI features, including photo editing and speech recognition.

We also found that the 11-inch display with 2560 x 1600 resolution was pleasantly crisp in our Google Pixel Tablet review. Not only does content look great on the tablet, it also has some pretty wide viewing angles.

Camera quality is generally excellent too, for those of you that actually want to take photos with a tablet. You’re also looking at around 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, according to our custom battery test, which beats out the similarly-price iPad 10th generation.

Smart home users can get a lot from the Pixel Tablet as well, since the optional speaker dock can turn the display into a bonafide smart home hub — complete with Chromecast capabilities and smart home controls.

Sadly, the discounted models don’t come with the dock, and you’ll have to pay $399 if you want to buy both devices as a bundle.

Or, if you decide you want to buy the dock later, you can pick one up by itself at the Google Store for $129.

Google's Pixel tablets are either mostly dead or maybe continuing. Toward the end of November, two different reports came out claiming that Google had cancelled the Pixel Tablet 2 or axed the Pixel Tablet 3.

As of this writing, there is no Pixel Tablet 2.

Either way, it seems that Google may abandon its tablet plans with either the Pixel Tablet 2 or Tablet 3 being the last Google tablet.

Now Android Authority reportedly has the specs for what would have been the Pixel Tablet 2. At a glance, it seems like a modest but welcome series of improvements including expanded connectivity.

The sequel tablet was supposedly going to feature a tablet-version of the Tensor G4 processor, that last one built in partnership with Samsung. Next year's Pixel 10 is supposed to feature an in-house designed Tensor G5 manufactured with TSMC.

It would have been a big upgrade over the Tensor G2 with faster processing and battery efficiency.

Google apparently was going to create a cellular variant featuring a 5G Exynos Modem 5400, the same as in the Pixel 9 phone lineup. A non-cellular Wi-Fi only version would have also been available.

On the connectivity front, the Pixel Tablet 2 was going to come with Thread, a network protocol for Internet of Things devices. This indicates stronger support for a smart display and smart home controller.

Outside of that, the LCD panel looks to be the same size but would have an upgraded 120Hz refresh rate and be slightly brighter. Similarly, the front and rear cameras would get slight upgrades to 10MP lenses with autofocus on the rear camera.

The original Pixel Tablet was fine as a tablet but not as a laptop replacement. The sequel was allegedly going to have DisplayPort support up to 4K.

According to Android Authority, Google was also planning accessories like a detachable keyboard and stylus, something very much lacking from the original.

Overall, most of the updates are nice-to-haves and would have made for a pretty decent tablet. Though, reportedly, Google is worried that the tablet wouldn't sell.

For now, either the Pixel Tablet 2 and the Pixel Tablet 3 are both cancelled, or one of of them is and the other will come out at some point.

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A recent report has indicated that Google could be canceling the Pixel Tablet 3 and any future tablets.

Google's Pixel tablet range has had a bit of a turbulent history, with Google announcing it was stopping production of tablets back in 2019. However, it then teased the Pixel Tablet in 2022, which was then released in 2023. Sadly, it seems history is repeating itself, as a new report has indicated that Google is stepping out of the tablet market.

This news comes from a recent exclusive by Android Headlines regarding the future of Google's tablet. The report cites multiple industry sources close to the project who confirm Google is not going forward with the Pixel Tablet 3.

Supposedly, Google made this decision last week, with the personnel previously assigned to the Pixel Tablet 3 being redirected to other initiatives in the company.

This change would mean a major shift in Google's hardware roadmap, although it's reported that Android will still work on tablet software. In truth, the decision makes a certain amount of sense. There is currently a push in the foldable market, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold was one of the best foldable phones recently released. I would expect this would be an area Google will focus on, especially as Apple has yet to join the foldable market.

This news would also mean that the Google Pixel Tablet 2 will be the last of the brand. While the rumors regarding the next tablet have been pretty minimal, there were indications that it will be visually similar to the past tablet, but with the addition of a possible keyboard cover. While it won't be as impressive as the proposed changes for the Pixel Tablet 3, which aimed to be a laptop replacement, we expect it will still be as serviceable as the original Pixel Tablet.

Google canceling a hardware project is surprising, but the circulation of the information seems to point out that this is set in stone. However, we will have to wait for the next Google I/O to see what this means for the company. In the meantime, check out our list of the best tablets to see which might be worth grabbing this Black Friday.

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If you're looking to protect your privacy online or access content blocked in your country, then you might be considering one of the best VPNs. But there are a number of browsers and apps that have their own dedicated VPNs – Google is one of those.

Up until now, VPN by Google, was available exclusively for Google Pixels 7 or later, but that might be changing. With the upcoming release of Android 15 QPR2, VPN by Google will likely be available for the Pixel Tablet. Users have reported being able to use the VPN thanks to the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 update

When VPN by Google was first rolled out, it was briefly installable on the Pixel Tablet but was soon disabled server-side by Google and marked as incompatible on the Google Play store. However, following the rollout of the beta, the VPN service appears to be pre-installed. The Google Play Store also no longer lists the tablet as incompatible with the VPN. Google has not officially commented on the update, but it is unlikely that this is a mistake.

What is VPN by Google and is it any good?

VPN by Google does not offer a lot in the way of features. It's a fairly simple VPN, designed to protect your privacy when browsing on your device. It encrypts your data and hides your activity for third-parties, but it really is a back-to-basics VPN.

It's similar to Apple's iCloud Private Relay which is available to iCloud+ subscribers. This is similar to a VPN, encrypting traffic and masking your IP address, but like VPN by Google, it is very basic and only masks your traffic in Safari – you're left unprotected in other browsers. Like Private Relay, VPN by Google also doesn't allow you to change your location, which is a core feature of VPNs.

Its predecessor Google One VPN was free to Pixel users and included in a Google One subscription, which initially cost $9.99 per month before being lowered to $1.99 per month. If you have a Pixel phone or tablet, then it's a nice free bonus, but if you're looking to purchase a VPN, there are far superior products for not a lot more per month.

What's more, many have pointed out that Google has built its business on wanting to know everything about you, which led some to question how much its own VPN can be trusted. It's somewhat contradictory that a company like Google is promoting a product which protects your privacy.

What are your alternatives?

Unless you are an avid Google fan or a Pixel user, then there are plenty of better alternatives to VPN by Google.

There are plenty of good Android VPNs out there, with all the top providers offering an Android app. After reviewing dozens of VPNs, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark are our favourites, but Proton VPN and Private Internet Access are also strong products.

Installing one of these on your Android phone allows you to browse privately and securely – a must if you often connect to your local coffee shop Wi-Fi. They're all included in our best streaming VPNs list as well, so if you enjoy Netflix or Amazon Prime on your phone, you can't go wrong with one of these VPNs. All offer protection on multiple devices so you can protect more than just your phone.

Surfshark is currently offering one of the best Black Friday VPN deals at $1.99 per month, the same price as a Google One subscription. So if you were looking at subscribing just for the VPN, then Surfshark is a far better option. You can connect and protect an unlimited amount of devices and it's the fastest VPN we've tested.

Anything for free?

If you're not looking to spend any money, we've got you covered here as well. Free providers don't offer as many features as their premium counterparts, but they can still give you a decent amount of protection for no cost.

PrivadoVPN Free is one of the best free VPNs, boasting good levels of privacy and ease of use, as well as speeds that rival many of the paid services. If privacy is your biggest concern, then you may be better off going with Proton VPN Free. It can't match Privado for overall performance but grants maximum privacy and unlimited data.

The introduction of VPN by Google to Pixel Tablet is a nice little extra if you already own a Pixel device or are subscribed to Google One. But if you're looking for one of the best VPNs, then there are plenty of alternatives out there.

With the Pixel Tablet 3 tipped to emerge in 2027 with designs on being a possible laptop replacement, Google only has a smallish window to get the second generation slate out the door. Rumors of what to expect from a Pixel Tablet 2 have been pretty light, but a Google insider talking to Android Authority has given us a few pointers of what to expect when the device hits store shelves.

When it first came out back in 2023, one of the few criticisms we had in our four-star Pixel Tablet review was the lack of official productivity accessories, and that could reportedly be one of the things addressed with its successor. 

The source claims that the company is currently prototyping a keyboard cover which attaches to the tablet via pogo pins on the rear of the device while folding to prop the tablet up on a table like a laptop. This sounds a lot like other keyboard case accessories, such as the OnePlus Pad 2’s implementation pictured below.

You may remember that around the original tablet’s release that there was a suggestion Google was working on both official stylus and keyboard accessories for the device, but these never emerged. When quizzed on their absence by Android Authority, the source claimed that they were ultimately scrapped over quality concerns — hopefully the same thing won’t happen for this prototype keyboard case. 

From a software perspective, Android is certainly in a better place to support serious productivity now. The site notes that in the 16 months since the Pixel Tablet was released, a long list of upgrades have been implemented — from desktop windowing support to a revamped keyboard shortcut menu. Given the sequel’s release date is still up in the air, it’s possible plenty more quality-of-life improvements could yet arrive before it goes on sale, too.

Google Pixel Tablet 2 biggest rumors 

While the source says that the basic design of the Pixel Tablet 2 won’t be all that different from the first one, barring the possible relocation of the camera and some buttons, there are a couple of likely upgrades on the inside pencilled in.

The first is an improvement to the tablet’s camera. No details were provided, but we can expect an advance on the quality of photos and/or video taken by the 8MP, f/2.0 1/4-inch sensors found on the original — not a priority with a tablet, but nice to have. 

More importantly, from a general performance perspective, we’ll also see the age=ing Tensor G2 processor replaced by something newer. Though it’s not clear how much newer just yet..

The recently released Google Pixel 9 included the Tensor G4 chip, but it’s possible that the tablet will get the upcoming G5 depending on when it goes into production. Early reports suggest 2027’s Pixel Tablet 3 will have a cheaper version of the Tensor G6, though, so perhaps Google will opt for the G4 to ensure the difference between generations will be as pronounced as possible. 

Having been a no-show at the recent Made by Google Fall event, there’s no firm release date for the Pixel Tablet 2. In the past, a May release to coincide with Google I/O would seem likely, but with the Pixel 9a reportedly due as soon as March, it may be in early adopters’ hands sooner than you think.

Android 14 has quietly added a new means to swap between tablet apps while using a keyboard. Pressing Alt+Tab on either a wireless keyboard or USB equivalent connected to a tablet (or other large screen) running Android 14 will now present you with a small horizontal strip of apps at the top of the screen. 

The strip can show up to six apps you can cycle through. The currently selected app is highlighted with a grey line around its preview. It can also quickly switch to the last app used by pressing and releasing the Alt+Tab keys. It's also possible to view all of the recently used apps by continually pressing Tab while holding down the Alt key until you reach the “show x more apps” card at the end of the strip and then releasing the Tab key.

In Android 13, pressing the Alt+Tab keys on a keyboard would merely bring up a recent screen. It was possible on this screen to move from app to app by pressing Tab while holding down the Alt key, but there was no visual cue to show you which app you were selecting. 

Pressing Alt+Tab also wouldn’t switch you to the most recently used app, it would simply flash the recent screen and then return you to the current app.

This handy little productivity hack originated from developer Huy Minh, who first noticed the change while testing an Android 14 QPR2-based custom ROM on a Raspberry Pi 5. They also noticed this new UI appears in Android 14 QPR1. In a report by Android Authority, with the help of developer Maxr1998, it’s confirmed that the new UI also appears in the initial Android 14 release. 

This new change has gone relatively unnoticed, possibly due to a lack of consumers using keyboards with their tablets. However, it was recently reported that Google could launch a new pen and keyboard for its Pixel tabs so it couldn’t have been discovered at a better time. While Android 14 was relatively light on tablet-focused features compared to the several improvements given to phones like the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8, it is good to know that there are still some hidden gems.

Google is preparing for the Google I/O event later this month, and with it will come a host of new information about upcoming features and products. Chief among these will hopefully be more information on Android 15 for both phones and tablets. Keep an eye on our Google I/O hub to keep up with all news and rumors as we hear them.

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Earlier this week, we heard news that Google could revamp the way it sells the original Pixel Tablet. That means selling the tablet and its dock as separate products, rather than a bundle. But on top of that, we may also see the tablet get the accessory support it sorely needs to take on the impending wave of iPads — specifically an official stylus and keyboard. 

According to leaker @MysteryLupin, Google is set to release an official Pen and Bluetooth keyboard for the Pixel tablet. They claim that the two accessories will be available in Hazel and Porcelain coloring, and will retail for “around €100." 

That’s €100 each, apparently, and it’s claimed that there won’t be a bundle of tablet and accessories. Altogether, you will be spending around €800 based on newly-rumored pricing, or €949 if you also wanted the Pixel Tablet speaker dock as well.

At first glance, this seems steep. But considering the Apple Pencil 2 costs as much as €149 in Europe, and the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard costs €299, a €100 price tag for the new accessories may not be that unreasonable. It all depends on what kind of hardware and features Google is offering.

A keyboard akin to Apple’s Magic keyboard, complete with a floating stand mechanism could be worth it. But if Google comes at us with a basic Bluetooth keyboard, even if it’s attached to a case, then there's an ocean of cheaper alternatives.

It's difficult to gauge how U.S. pricing might look, because the Pixel Tablet is considerably more expensive in the EU than it is over here.

We don’t have any additional details, so we can’t really comment any further right now. If this rumor is legitimate then we’ll likely find out more at Google I/O on May 14. However the fact that one of our biggest criticisms of the Pixel Tablet was the lack of official productivity accessories, here’s hoping Google doesn’t let us down.

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Google I/O 2024 is coming up fast, and as usual we’re expecting some kind of hardware announcement — including the mid-range Google Pixel 8a. One thing we may not be seeing is a fully-fledged Pixel Tablet 2, because Google is reportedly planning a refresh of the original Pixel Tablet.

That’s according to a report from Dealabs, who claims Google will be changing the way it sells the Pixel Tablet. The key change seems to be that Google will be selling the tablet by itself, which means no charging dock. It’s not clear whether it’ll be possible to still buy the two as a bundle in future, but we assume the charging dock will remain on sale as a standalone accessory. 

As for the tablet itself, that may not be changing at all. According to Dealabs the tablet will still be available with the same 128GB and 256GB configurations. It’s also reported that Google will be sticking with the same Porcelain and Sage Green color options currently available in the EU. My guess is that, should this refresh happen, Google will stick with the existing colors in other regions too, which means Porcelain, Rose and Hazel in the U.S.

Of course the most important detail here is the price. Dealabs claims that a 128GB Pixel Tablet will cost €609, which is €70 less than the current tablet/speaker bundle. A 256GB tablet will apparently cost €729, which is a price drop of €50. A standalone Pixel Tablet dock currently sells for €149, so you better be really sure that you only want the tablet before you pick one of these up.

The Pixel Tablet is considerably more expensive in the EU than it is in the U.S., where prices start at $499. So guessing how the price might change here is a little difficult. However, considering the Pixel Tablet dock sells for $129 on its own, it makes sense that the price difference will be less than this. Perhaps around $60 at most, which would make purchasing the two together a much better deal.

The report doesn’t mention anything about internal changes, but it sounds like this may be more of a marketing change than any tangible upgrade. So while it’s not the Pixel Tablet 2, this change may give you a way to purchase one of the best Android tablets without having to pay extra for a dock you may not want.

The release date is still unknown, however, but if these changes are happening we expect them to be announced at Google I/O 2024 on May 14. The status of the Pixel Tablet 2 is still unknown, but it looks like we won’t be seeing it this summer.

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Google really wants you to buy a Pixel Tablet. The search giant wants you to get one so badly that it's willing to give you up to $450 for your iPad if you put it towards the smart display/tablet hybrid on the Google Store. Even if you have an older iPad (within the last few generations), Google will give you way more trade-in than you'd traditionally get for it.

Not only is Google offering extra money for iPads, but the company will pay handsomely for your Samsung devices too. At the minimum, Google will give you $250 for your iPad or Samsung tablet if you purchase a Pixel Tablet with said money. On the high side, you can get $450 for new models like the iPad Pro (6th gen).

Even for an older model like the Apple iPad (6th gen) or Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, Google will give you $250. You'll have a hard time finding anywhere else that'll offer that much for a tablet that old. If you happen to have the latest iPad Pro, and for some reason you don't want it anymore, you can trade it in for $450, which will cover all but $50 of the cost of the Pixel Tablet.

What makes the Pixel Tablet good?

In our Pixel Tablet review, we gave the Pixel tablet a respectable four out of five stars. We were big fans of the dock and the fact that the tablet can find a second purpose when not in use as a smart home hub. 

"The Google Pixel Tablet is a good tablet to have around the house—especially with its speaker dock/charging station. But you’ll want to look elsewhere if you’re looking for a laptop replacement," the review states.

It's not a perfect tablet, but when you can get at least half of it paid for by trading in your older iPad or Samsung device, it becomes a much nicer value proposition. Those in the market for something different should definitely consider this deal, and you might want to act soon. Google says the high trade-in values will end on April 13, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT. That's just a few days to decide, though we don't know how much Google will drop the trade-in values after that time.

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It’s now been over a decade since the first iPad launched and even after all that time, even the best tablets remain the most divisive of all the gadgets you can buy.

Unlike our smartphones which we check countless times each day or the laptops and computers we rely on for getting work done, you don’t really need a tablet. Instead, they’re more of an optional accessory that’s nice to have, especially for people that want to open apps or watch videos on a larger display.

There is a big problem that tablet owners like myself constantly deal with though. As we use our phones almost 24/7, we rarely, if ever, forget to charge them. The same can’t be said for the best iPads or the best Samsung tablets. Just how many times have you picked up your tablet when you do want to use it, only to realize it isn’t charged?

While most of the best phones now support wireless charging, this isn’t the case with most tablets. This is kind of ironic though, as even if you do have to manually plug your phone in, you’re not going to forget to do so. Besides apps that aren’t optimized for larger screens, this is my biggest gripe with tablets. There was one tablet that launched this year that managed to solve this problem in the most elegant way possible though.

A tablet you can’t forget to charge

Earlier this year, I had a chance to go hands-on with the Pixel Tablet and while I didn’t realize it at the time, Google’s first Android tablet in years deserves a lot more credit than it got back when it launched in June. In our Pixel Tablet review for instance, we weren’t impressed with its average performance and for me personally, I just couldn’t come to terms with its launch price of $499. Fortunately though, thanks to holiday deals, you can now pick up the Pixel Tablet for $100 off its normal price.

Unlike other tablets where you need to buy all of the accessories after the fact, the Pixel Tablet ships with the best accessory for it right in the box. With the included charging stand, you don’t need to worry about having to plug it in. Instead, the back of the Pixel Tablet is magnetic as is the charging stand and you just place the tablet on it when you’re done using it. 

I know it may sound like I’m making a big fuss over something simple but if you’re tired of always picking up a dead tablet, you’ll understand just how important having an accessory like this can be, especially when it doesn’t cost anything extra.

The Pixel Tablet’s charging dock has a few more tricks up its sleeve though. Not only does it boost the tablet’s audio capabilities but it also turns the device into a quasi smart display. However, without the Pixel Tablet, the dock can’t work like one of the best Google Home speakers or do anything else on its own.

I couldn’t see the tablet through the smart display

When the Pixel Tablet was first announced, I really thought it could replace the Nest Hub Max under my monitor. You see, I realized last year that I wasn’t fully utilizing all of the space under my ultrawide monitor which is why I decided to put one of the best smart displays there. I really liked this setup as it gave me a second screen where I could see quick, glanceable info or even check in on the feeds from my home security cameras. 

In my initial testing though, the Pixel Tablet was more of a tablet than it was a smart display and as such, I wrote it off and picked up a budget Android tablet instead. That tablet came with its own problems and in the end, I decided to get the Lenovo P11 Gen 2. While I’ve been pleased with its performance and it did come with a case and detachable keyboard, I’ve been using it less often than I had hoped for. The reason — as you may have guessed — is that it’s never charged when I want to use it.

Although I paid a lot less for it than I would have if I had bought the Pixel Tablet, now I find myself wondering if a tablet with a charging dock might have been the better option. Sure, $499 is quite expensive for a secondary device but not having to worry about remembering to charge the Pixel Tablet could be enough to justify its higher cost. 

Tablet buyer’s remorse is all too real

In contrast to the best laptops, tablets are much less expensive and due to that, it’s a lot easier to pick one up on a whim. As someone who has now tested out three different tablets in this year alone, I wouldn’t recommend going down that route. 

If you are in the market for a tablet upgrade or maybe your first tablet, you want to think long and hard about how you’re going to use it before pulling the trigger. This way, you won’t end up with buyer’s remorse later on, once you’re no longer able to return your tablet. There are some good picks among the best cheap tablets if you just want a secondary device though. However, if you’re looking for a full-on laptop replacement, it’s worth spending a bit more to get the specs, screen size and accessories you really need.

While we haven’t heard anything about a Pixel Tablet 2 yet or even a smaller, cheaper Pixel Tablet Mini, I hope that Google doesn’t call it quits on the Pixel Tablet just yet. The device had a lot of promise before launch and I think if the search giant had initially released it at this lower $399 sale price, it could have really taken off. Likewise, if the Pixel Tablet was marketed as a tablet first and a smart display second with identical functionality as the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, smart home aficionados like myself would have been a lot more open to it. Only time will tell but for me personally, I could end up picking up a Pixel Tablet after all, especially if its price drops closer to $300 in the future.

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The Google Pixel Tablet is already very similar to a Nest Hub Max, albeit one that happens to be a full Android tablet as well. The list of available features isn’t identical, though, and the Pixel Tablet is missing a few things. But things can change, and two key Nest Hub Max features may make the leap to the Pixel Tablet.

A Google app update (via 9to5Google) suggests that “Look and Talk” and Quick Gestures may be coming to the Pixel Tablet in a future update. These would both add some much-needed functionality to the tablet when it’s stowed away in its charging dock — and effectively in “Nest mode”.

Look and Talk gives you the ability to talk to Google Assistant without prompting it with a wake-up command. Provided you’re within 5 feet of the device, all you need to do is look at your tablet and start barking out commands. None of the hassle of saying “Hey Google” to get things done, unless you happen to be across the room. 

Quick Gestures is a little similar, but uses physical movement instead of actual words. So if you need to keep quiet, or don’t feel like talking, you can control certain aspects of your device. Stop timers, snooze alarms, control media playback and more, with the wave of your hand. 

These aren’t exactly what you’d call must-have features, but they are nice to have. Considering Google positioned the Pixel Tablet as a portable kind of Nest hub, and the relative simplicity of both features, it’s rather strange that they weren’t included at launch. 

Considering the charging dock, and the tablet’s ability to function as a Nest-style device, is one of its standout features, any improvement to that function can only boost the Pixel Tablet’s chances of success. Especially since it’s clearly been built as a more casual device, rather than a productivity powerhouse.

It’s better late than never, as they say. Though it’s unclear when these two features may actually arrive on the Pixel Tablet. But if it arrives soon, it may be one more reason to keep an eye out for any Pixel Tablet discounts in the Black Friday sales.

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Google threw its support behind the right-to-repair movement last year by teaming up with iFixit to offer DIY repair kits to fix busted Pixel phones. Now, the two are at it again, expanding their partnership to include the Pixel Tablet. 

As spotted by 9to5Google, iFixit now offers several authentic parts for Google tablets available for purchase as well as repair guides on key components. As always, some of these replacement parts don't come cheap. But it's still encouraging to see the company behind some of the best Android phones out there make it easier for users to take the repair reins into their own hands.

If your Pixel Tablet screen gets busted, you can now buy a genuine replacement for around $200 at iFixit. It's one of the most expensive components available for sale because it includes an 8 MP front-facing camera. A replacement for the tablet's rear case sports a $200 price tag as well, but it also comes with three microphones, antennas, a power button with fingerprint unlock and volume controls. 

Other parts that don't pack as much tech under the hood are more affordable. The USB-C port on your Pixel Tablet not working anymore? iFixit's got a replacement for $25. You can snag a replacement for each of the tablet's four speakers as well as the rear camera for $25 a pop too. While a new battery will set you back $67. 

Head to iFixit to find a full list of all the replacement parts for the Pixel Tablet on offer. In addition to the parts themselves, iFixit has step-by-step instructions that walk you through how to replace the following Pixel tablet components: battery, enclosure, rear camera, screen, speakers, and USB-C Port. 

The process is fairly straightforward. You start the teardown by heating up a portion of the tablet screen to remove the adhesive there — iFixit recommends using a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate — and separate the screen from the back plate. It can seem intimidating for amateur self-fixers, but it's the easiest way to get at the device's guts. Once that's done, all that's left is the simple but tedious task of unscrewing and unplugging components, swapping in their shiny new replacements and putting the thing back together. 

Considering this is all to fix a device that starts at $500 for the 128GB version, obviously deciding whether it's worth the time and money to perform a repair or say screw it and put that money toward an upgrade is going to come down to personal preference. In our Pixel Tablet review, we called it a handy device to have around the home that not only undercuts the 10th-generation iPad by $50, but also adds a unique charging dock to boost its audio capabilities, turning the tablet into a pseudo-smart home hub.

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Google casting can be a great way to get content from your phone onto a larger screen, but all the messing around with menus means it can be a little bit fiddly. It turns out Google may have a better way to do it, and it looks like the Pixel Tablet may be the first device to offer it.

This feature first popped up online a few weeks back, when Mishal Rahman discovered a setting that lets you initiate a casting session by holding your phone close to your Pixel Tablet. The specifics of how this works weren’t really clear, but now Rahman has returned with a more detailed look at how the process works.

The feature itself is referred to as “Hold close to cast”, and the specifics should eventually be found in the Devices & sharing section of the Settings menu. The feature involves holding your phone close to the Pixel Tablet to initiate the cast, provided they’re both on the same private Wi-Fi network.

'Private' being the crucial thing there, and it means this feature may not work if you’re using a public Wi-Fi network — such as ones you may find in a hotel or office. The menu also notes that this isn’t going to work with all media apps, presumably because this is a feature that may require developers to opt in and update their apps accordingly.

It’ll be interesting to see if this technology makes it to other devices in the near future, if only to make the process of casting a lot easier. Whether we’re talking about smart home hubs, tablets, TV screens or even Chromecast with Google TV, the idea of using proximity instead of menus to make the connection is very appealing.

The question is, how long it might take for this to roll out? Android Police speculates that the proximity-based part of this system is powered by the Pixel Tablet’s UWB chip. We’re starting to see flagship phones slowly gain UWB support, but asking for that from other devices, especially TV screens that people tend not to upgrade very often, is going to take some time.

But we can still hope, especially if the Pixel Tablet proves that it’s a valid alternative to the current menu-based casting process. But we’ll have to wait for that to roll out to users first to see whether the feature works as intended. 

Frankly, I can’t wait for the day when getting content from my phone or tablet onto a bigger screen is pretty-much seamless.

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Part Android tablet, part smart display, the Pixel Tablet is truly a unique device that aims to make us reconsider just how useful one of the best Android tablets can be.

Besides the included magnetic charging dock that transforms it into one of the best smart displays, Google has also added another lesser-known feature to the Pixel Tablet: USI 2.0 support.

Unlike the best Samsung tablets that only work with the company’s proprietary S Pen, the Pixel Tablet can use any USI 2.0 stylus for writing, drawing and even navigation both as a tablet and while docked in Hub Mode. Another great thing about USI 2.0 styluses is that they just work out of the box, with no pairing required.

While the Universal Stylus Initiative originally created the USI 2.0 protocol to improve the stylus experience on the best Chromebooks, Google is the first company to add support for it to an Android tablet. Hopefully though, other tablet makers will follow suit.

After swapping my smart display with the Pixel Tablet, I’ve spent the past week trying out three different styluses it. Based on price, features and usability, this is the stylus I recommend you pick up to go alongside Google’s new tablet.

As I’ve written about USI 2.0 styluses and my experience using them with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 in the past, the Universal Stylus Initiative sent me a Pixel Tablet along with a couple of them to try out.

Price and specs

While I already own the Lenovo USI Pen 2 (top), I also got to test out the HP Rechargeable USI Pen (middle) and the Penoval USI 2.0 Chromebook Stylus (bottom). In terms of pricing, the Lenovo stylus is the cheapest of the bunch at $50, followed by the Penovoal stylus at $60. The HP stylus is the most expensive at $77. All three of these styluses work right out of the box with the Pixel Tablet and there was no setup required.

Stylus design

When it comes to their design, the Lenovo USI Pen 2 is the outlier since it has a clip at the top to attach it to a shirt pocket as well as a tubular tip, whereas the Penoval USI 2.0 Chromebook Stylus and the HP Rechargeable USI Pen both have conelike tips. All three styluses have 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. 

I found that the HP Rechargeable USI Pen felt the lightest in my hand at 13.6 grams and the Penoval USI 2.0 Chromebook Stylus was a smidge heavier at 15 grams. The Lenovo USI Pen 2 was the heaviest of the bunch at 16.5 grams. The additional length of the Penoval stylus helped distribute its weight a bit more evenly though, and it was the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time.

Although there isn’t any pairing required, these are all active styluses, which means they do need to be recharged occasionally. While the Penoval stylus has an exposed USB-C port at the rear, the HP stylus has a concealed port that can be accessed by sliding off the back of the pen. Meanwhile, the Lenovo stylus uses a AAAA battery just like Microsoft’s older Surface Pen. Swapping out the battery on the Lenovo stylus is more of a hassle and while both of the other styluses have a USB-C port, the one on the Penoval stylus has fast charging and can be fully charged in 50 minutes.

As for storing your stylus when you’re not using it, the HP and Penoval ones have magnets that allow you to attach them to any metal surface while the Lenovo stylus doesn’t. Fortunately, there’s a magnetic strip on the back of the Pixel Tablet just under its rear camera that works with all three styluses for keeping them close to Google’s tablet.

Another key difference between the Penoval and HP styluses and the one from Lenovo is their shape. The Lenovo USI Pen 2 is thicker than the others and bears a closer resemblance to a pen while the Penoval USI 2.0 Chromebook Stylus and the HP Rechargeable USI Pen look more like pencils and are closer in terms of design to the Apple Pencil. The Penovoal stylus is also the longest and is a bit more curved than the HP stylus, which has a flat edge on one side.

Stylus performance

Now that I’ve gone through their similarities and differences, here’s what I found after testing all three styluses using Google Keep. While they all work with the best note taking apps, I figured I’d use Google’s own note taking app to keep things simple.

In order to start writing with a stylus in Google Keep, you first have to tap on the paint brush icon in the lower left corner. This creates a new note and gives you a blank canvas to write or draw on.

To conduct my testing, I used each of the three styluses to take notes on projects I’m working on for future stories. Despite my terrible handwriting, they all got the job done and let me use the Pixel Tablet in a completely new way. 

I also spent a fair bit of time drawing lines with each stylus and found that while the Lenovo and HP ones have a fair bit of drag, the Penoval one was the smoothest. This makes sense, as its pen tip is designed slightly differently than the others. The Lenovo one has a nub for a tip and the HP stylus also has a nub albeit at the very end of its conelike tip. 

My favorite stylus for the Pixel Tablet

Based on my experience testing all three styluses, if I had to pick one as a new Pixel Tablet owner, I would choose the Penoval stylus. Its additional length and more rounded design made it the most comfortable to hold and its pen tip is slightly ahead of the HP stylus and a major improvement over the one on the Lenovo USI Pen 2. 

Price is also a factor in my decision; I believe it’s worth paying the extra $10 over the Lenovo while the HP stylus is priced a bit too high for what you get. Still though, the retractable USB-C charging port on the HP stylus is a great feature.

Looking ahead

Regardless of which stylus you end up picking up for your Pixel Tablet, the best thing about the USI 2.0 standard is that you’ll be able to use it across multiple devices. For instance, I got the Lenovo USI Pen 2 to use with my Chromebook Duet 3 but it works flawlessly with Google’s new tablet. 

As USI 2.0 adoption becomes more widespread, we’ll also likely see other device manufacturers add it to their tablets as well. Although it hasn’t happened yet, the Universal Stylus Initiative’s protocol could also make its way to smartphones too. 

This would be great, as those looking for a smartphone with stylus support only really have two options at the moment. They can pay a premium for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy S23 Ultra from Samsung to get a phone with fantastic specs, or go the budget route and pick up the Moto G Stylus 5G from Motorola with only one year of OS updates. If USI 2.0 becomes the stylus standard for smartphones, we could all have a Galaxy Note experience with the best Android phones.

By releasing the Pixel Tablet with USI 2.0 support, Google has gone a long way towards making this a reality and who knows, maybe the Pixel 8 will work with all three of the styluses I tested here. For now though, I’m just happy that I can use the same stylus with the Pixel Tablet and my Chromebook.

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I'm always looking for ways to improve my work from home setup to be more productive, which is why I added a smart display under my monitor last year. Unlike a traditional dual monitor setup, the Nest Hub Max underneath my monitor is controlled independently and allows me to easily control my smart home with just my voice while working remotely.

Even though the Nest Hub Max is one of the best smart displays you can buy today, Google recently released its long-awaited Pixel Tablet which aims to combine the best parts of an Android tablet with a smart display. Thanks to the Universal Stylus Initiative, I recently had a chance to swap out my Nest Hub Max with a Pixel Tablet to see whether or not Google had managed to do just that.

While most people will likely have the Pixel Tablet and its accompanying dock set up in their kitchen or perhaps even in their living room, I’ve spent the past week using it underneath my monitor to see if Google's smart display/Android tablet hybrid is really all it’s cracked up to be. 

Here are my initial thoughts on the Pixel Tablet after using it for a week along with whether or not I’m going to pick one up for myself to replace my Nest Hub Max.

An easy swap for the full Android experience

If you already own a Nest Hub Max and have it set up somewhere you really like in your house and want to upgrade to the Pixel Tablet, you’re in luck as both devices use the exact same power cord. I haven’t seen any of the Pixel Tablet reviews I’ve read mention this so I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to rearrange my standing desk to swap out my Nest Hub Max.

One thing that struck me almost immediately after I finished the swap was the fact that the Pixel Tablet’s display actually rests a lot closer to the top of my desk than the Nest Hub Max does. Still though, this is a small price to pay for the much slimmer bezels on the Pixel Tablet, though I do wish Google had made its dock a bit taller.

Once I began working with the Pixel Tablet under my monitor, the convenience of having the full Android 13 experience right there at my fingertips really struck me. Google’s smart displays certainly have their limitations and if you’ve ever used one before, you’ve likely run into a roadblock when trying to get answers to certain questions. If this happens with the Pixel Tablet, all you have to do is to unlock the device and then you can bring up Google Search to find whatever answer you’re looking for.

Another key difference that sets the Pixel Tablet apart from the best Android tablets is stylus support. Google’s latest tablet supports any USI 2.0 stylus and while the Universal Stylus Initiative sent over several styluses for me to test out, I’ve been using my trusty Lenovo USI Pen 2 from my Chromebook Duet 3 with the Pixel Tablet. 

Besides taking handwritten notes and sketching, I really enjoy using a stylus for browsing Google Discover, particularly when I’m on the lookout for news stories to cover each morning. If you haven’t tried out a USI 2.0 stylus with one of the best Chromebooks yet, they’re incredibly convenient to use since there’s no pairing required.

While you can take the Pixel Tablet off its dock and use it like a regular Android tablet, I’m primarily interested in seeing how it performs as a smart display and a second screen for quickly accessing apps and other information while working at my desk. Since I use two-step verification to secure my Google Account, I found it really handy to be able to use the Pixel Tablet for authentication when signing into Gmail on my desktop without having to take out my smartphone. I also liked having quick access to Google Calendar and all of my other Google apps with just a tap.

As for the Pixel Tablet’s smart display features, I wasn’t nearly as impressed, though with a few tweaks and maybe a couple of updates, Google’s Android tablet could offer an experience similar to the Nest Hub Max when docked and in Hub Mode.

Not quite the best of both worlds

When in Hub Mode, the Pixel Tablet displays the time along with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score, though it does cycle between this and the current temperature. There’s also a small home icon in the lower left corner that lets you control all of the smart home devices you have set up in Google Home.

The Pixel Tablet’s Home section uses the same UI found in the new Google Home app. It’s a lot cleaner looking and it also makes it easier to control your smart lights and other devices. Unfortunately though, the Pixel Tablet’s Hub Mode doesn’t allow you to swipe to the left to access other tabs like Media, Communicate and Family in the same way that the Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub do.

When the Pixel Tablet was first announced back at Google I/O 2023 alongside the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold, I really thought it would use the same UI that owners of Google’s smart displays are already familiar with. Sadly, this isn’t the case. Hub Mode on the Pixel Tablet is less interactive than StandyBy mode in iOS 17. You can use it to control your smart home devices, check in on your security cameras, play videos from YouTube and to ask Google questions, but that’s about it. 

I will say though that watching live feeds from my home security cameras on the Pixel tablet’s 2560 x 1600 LCD display looked absolutely gorgeous. One of the main reasons I like having a smart display (and now the Pixel Tablet) underneath my monitor is to be able to easily check in on my toddler and on my home while working from my desktop. The Pixel Tablet certainly didn’t disappoint here but I would love to be able to do more in Hub Mode without having to unlock the device.

A better tablet than a smart display

As it stands now, the Pixel Tablet is a much better Android tablet than it is a smart display. This is probably fine for most people as the versatility of a tablet is likely going to be a whole lot more useful than a smart display. 

One of the reasons I prefer having a smart display on my desk and underneath my monitor is their price. While the Nest Hub Max goes for $229 and is often heavily discounted on Black Friday and during other big sales, the Pixel Tablet costs $499 which is quite a bit more, especially if you want to use it the way I have been for the past week.

The Pixel Tablet does have one neat little trick up its sleeve though. The tablet’s magnetic back that allows it to attach to the included Charging Speaker Dock can also be used to attach it to a metal refrigerator. This is great if you want to watch a few videos in the kitchen while cooking or look at a recipe without having to unplug and move the dock.

I plan on spending a bit more time with the Pixel Tablet and testing out all of the different styluses the Universal Stylus Initiative sent over with it but once I send the device back, I don’t think I’ll be permanently swapping out my Nest Hub Max for a Pixel Tablet anytime soon. However, if Google reads this (who knows they might) and decides to make the tablet’s Hub Mode experience closer to the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, I might reconsider my decision.

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With the release of the Pixel Tablet last week, Google took the unusual but refreshing decision to host a community Q&A on its first tablet since the Pixel Slate.

The Q&A has some pretty interesting insights, and to Google’s credit, it doesn’t appear to have moderated away criticism about missing features and the unexplained price hike that users outside the US have endured.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity for the Pixel Tablet involves the bundled dock. When combined, the Pixel Tablet and its dock become a smart screen, but many users are annoyed that the dock can’t be used as a speaker when the tablet is elsewhere.

That, it turns out, is because the dock doesn’t contain WiFi or Bluetooth, meaning it can’t connect to anything without the Pixel Tablet to breach the gap. 

Google’s support team justified this in pricing terms: “Not making the speaker dock a Nest Mini allowed us to focus on the best experience for the tablet and dock together, and to also offer the dock at a lower price for customers.” 

That answer presumably refers to the bundle itself, given a standalone extra dock comes in at $129 — $29 more than the Nest Audio, and $79 more than a Nest Mini.

Given the Pixel Tablet behaves like a Nest Hub in lots of ways when docked, other users asked why it wouldn’t act as a Nest Cam. 

“Ultimately we decided that due to the narrower width of the front camera and because the tablet wouldn’t always be on the dock, we would not pursue this use case at launch,” a company representative responded. 

On the subject of cameras, another question was on why the Pixel Tablet relies on fingerprint biometrics, rather than supporting Face Unlock. That’s down to the lack of DPAF on the front-facing camera: “It will unfortunately be tough for Pixel Tablet given the specs of the front camera,” Google’s support team responded.

The good news is that, in some cases, the shipped features will be expanded upon. Nest doorbell alerts, for example, are “coming soon” as are more Hub Mode features: “this is only the beginning– stay tuned for more!” 

UWB will be coming later, for one thing. “It will be used for future features that allow the tablet to communicate with other UWB-enabled devices, like Pixel 7 Pro,” Google wrote. “We don’t have any news to share now, but stay tuned for updates :)”

In terms of accessories, the company said that it would be working on increasing “the choice of covers you’ll have available over time.” There was no mention of an official stylus or keyboard, but there are some hints elsewhere that such extras could be on the way. 

It sounds like a cellular model won’t be coming, however. “Pixel Tablet is focused on a great tablet experience in the home, where tablets are used the most,” a Google rep wrote, while highlighting they remain “great on the go” if you’re able to connect to WiFi.

One of the biggest bones of contention for users outside the U.S. is the enormous pricing discrepancy. While the Pixel Tablet sells for $499 in the U.S., it goes for £599 (~$762) in the U.K. and Є679 (~$742) in Europe.

Google defended this discrepancy, arguing that the difference comes down to sales tax, which is included outside of the U.S., but that clearly doesn’t tell the whole story. The Pixel 7a is also $499 in the U.S., but that somehow translates to a price of £449 (~$570) and Є509 (~$557) across the Atlantic. The Q&A has so far ignored at least two follow-up questions highlighting this point.

While the question and answer session has been going for a few days now, Google’s community managers still appear to be posting responses in the last few hours, so if you’ve got something Pixel Tablet-related that you want to get off your chest, you can join the discussion here. 

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The Google Pixel Tablet is a great device, but it’s got a few issues buyers should be aware of. As we noted in our Google Pixel Tablet review, one of the biggest drawbacks is the fact there aren’t many productivity accessories available. Thankfully, a new leak offers some hope in that department.

We’ve heard various tidbits about the possibility of the Pixel Tablet getting a keyboard and stylus over the past few months, but nothing was ever really concrete. Until now, at least, thanks to developer Pratyush discovering a few crucial lines of code in the newly-released Pixel Tablet factory images (via Android Authority).

Specifically, a URL to the latest version of the Pixel Retail Demo app was found in the “PixelSetupWizardOverlay” APK. Once there Pratyush discovered strings directly referring to “Keyboard for Pixel Tablet” and “Pen for Pixel Tablet”.

The app doesn’t feature any images of the accessories, or even any actual details regarding pricing or hardware. But this is still an actual Google app referencing the existence of both products — suggesting something is happening behind the scenes.

We heard something similar late last month from leaker Kamila Wojciechowska — though she referred to a “Stylus for Pixel Tablet” rather than a Pen. Unfortunately, she didn’t go into any detail about the devices, and we were left wondering how likely it was they’d arrive in the near future.

Now that we have seen details from an official Google source, even if it is little more than a couple of lines of code, we’re a little more optimistic about the Pixel Tablet’s future prospects.

The Pixel Tablet works well as a smart home companion, especially thanks to the speaker dock that lets it switch back and forth between being a tablet and a new kind of Nest Home Hub. But as we noted in our review, it’s not the strongest contender in the performance department — which is going to impact its usefulness as a productivity device.

Offering a keyboard and stylus isn’t likely to change those shortcomings, but that doesn’t mean the Pixel Tablet couldn’t benefit from them. Especially if Google wants its newly-launched tablet range to make it as one of the best Android tablets, and compete with the likes of Apple’s many iPads and the Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Google has in store for us, and whether we’ll be seeing the Pixel Tablet’s keyboard and stylus in the near future. Considering how long we had to wait for the first generation Pixel Tablet, I certainly hope we don’t have to wait until the launch of the Pixel Tablet 2.

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The long-awaited Google Pixel Tablet is almost here, with Google I/O confirming we’ll be able to buy the tablet on June 20. But while I/O revealed a lot about what the tablet can do, there were some noticeably absent features: namely keyboard and stylus support. Well they might still have a chance of appearing in the near future.

Leaker Kamila Wojciechowska revealed a load of early Pixel Tablet details at the start of the year, and is now back teasing the “Keyboard for Pixel Tablet" and “Stylus for Pixel Tablet”. She doesn’t go into any detail about these two things, only expressing disappointment that Google would delay the tablet for so long only to release it in a seemingly-unfinished state.

Kamila implies that both keyboard and stylus accessories may be made available in the near future — though it's unclear when. If indeed that’s the case, it could give the Pixel Tablet the stuff it needs to better compete with Apple’s iPad. Maybe not the iPad Pro series, which is powered by the same M-series chips as Macs and MacBooks, but certainly the likes of the iPad Air.

Of course the Pixel Tablet’s main feature is something even Apple doesn’t offer — the option to use the tablet as a smart home display. That’s aided by the charging dock, which connects to the back of the tablet magnetically and functions as a speaker. This effectively turns your Pixel Tablet into a Next Hub each time you place it down to recharge.

There have been rumors that Apple could launch its own smart display, merging an iPad experience with the HomePod speaker. It is unclear whether there will be an option to remove the tablet and use it like a regular iPad. However it has been rumored that this sort of feature could come to both the iPad and iPhones in the near future. Albeit without the special charging dock, to the best of our knowledge.

But despite the lack of smart home-centric technology, the iPad does offer keyboard and stylus support — even on the dirt-cheap entry level models. Samsung and OnePlus also do this on the best Android tablets. So without more productivity-focussed options Google may struggle to make the Pixel tablet relevant.

In the meantime you can read all about what the Pixel Tablet can do in our Google Pixel Tablet hands-on, ahead of the official release on June 20.

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The Google Pixel Tablet is arguably the most exciting Android tablet in years. What distinguishes this slate from the best Android tablets is that it also functions as a smart home hub. 

The best iPads have long dominated the tablet market due to their ease of use and better compatibility with third-party apps. Slates like the iPad Air 5 and iPad Pro M2 are some of the best tablets out there for these reasons and more. With that said, the Pixel Tablet has several features that iPads can’t match, based on our Pixel Tablet hands-on.

Below, we’ll go over four ways the Google Pixel Tablet beats the iPad.

The Pixel Tablet is easy to charge 

The Pixel Tablet comes bundled with its Charging Speaker Dock. This peripheral provides the tablet with many features — not least of which is keeping the slate charged when you're not using it as a tablet on the go.

That might not sound monumental, but having a tablet that’s always charged for when you need it most can be a lifesaver. Best of all, the dock is free — meaning you’ll no longer have an excuse for a dead tablet. 

Better sound through Google's charging dock 

The Charging Speaker Dock gives the Pixel Tablet a big audio boost that can deliver up to four times more bass and overall louder sound compared to the tablet’s built-in speakers.

Considering how tablet speakers aren’t always the best, this is a great feature that can turn the Pixel Tablet into a pseudo home stereo system. And if you're watching movies (more on that in a bit), the better and louder audio quality will serve to enhance the experience.

Smart home control features

One of the Pixel Tablet’s main selling points is that it can be used as a smart home control panel. True, you can use iPads as a form of smart home control, but that might require you to go down the third-party or DYI route. With the Pixel Tablet, you get smart home functionality right out of the box.

You can control Google Home-compatible devices and other smart home devices via the Pixel Tablet when it’s in Hub Mode. This gives you a convenient way to control lights, adjust the thermostat or see the feed from a video doorbell. The slate’s large display also allows for a better view of what you have connected and where.

The Pixel Tablet has built-in Chromecast

Since Google Chromecast is built into the Pixel Tablet, you'll be able to cast videos and music from your phone to the tablet when it’s in Hub Mode. Best of all, this feature works with the best Android phones and the best iPhones.

Apple has AirPlay, which is similar to Chromecast. However, since it was originally created for Apple devices, AirPlay has limited compatibility with devices and apps outside of the Apple ecosystem. In that sense, Chromecast has an edge over AirPlay.

Pixel Tablet outlook 

When paired with the Charging Speaker Dock, the Google Pixel Tablet opens up a world of new features and functionality. The dock truly is the Pixel Tablet's secret weapon the iPad can’t match. It can deliver louder sound via its speakers; charge the slate when it's not in use; turn the tablet into a smart home hub and enable the slate to function as an entertainment center. Google’s new tablet has a lot going for it.

That said, we’ll need to test the Google Pixel Tablet to see how it stacks up during everyday use. The Pixel Tablet launches on June 20 so it won’t be long until we deliver a full Pixel Tablet review.

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As someone who primarily uses Apple tech, I was surprised to feel a bit of jealousy towards the Google Pixel Tablet. As I watched its full unveiling at Google I/O 2023, I saw plenty of little things that made sense. 

A speaker base that it docks with, and a kickstand for the back, (courtesy of a neat case). While slick, neither of these two things felt like something that Apple should be ashamed it hasn't hit yet. And, then, Google dropped a feature that I felt revolutionary — at least to the Apple user in me. 

In the passing moments, though, I've realized that my favorite Pixel Tablet feature isn't actually that new in the overall world of tablets. Amazon Fire tablets and Samsung Galaxy tablets have also offered this feature. So, yes, the best Android tablets have held something over Apple's head for quite some time, and I think it's time for a change.

The Google Pixel Tablet understands the family

That feature is simple: the Pixel Tablet will support multiple users. Profiles can be protected by a PIN code, and allow each user to have their own apps, theme and privacy. Which is ideal for families, as one Pixel Tablet could be enough for the household, or at least until Junior needs to have theirs every minute.

When Rose Yao, Google's vice president of Product Management, announced this feature in the middle of her presentation I heard a smattering of applause and a few yelps and woos. And that made me realize I wasn't alone in waiting for Apple to catch up.

For those who aren't in the Apple eco-system, this might be shocking to hear, but Apple has yet to roll out support for multiple users. For as much as I love the iPad, this still feels like a shortcoming. 

I get that Apple probably wants each family member to buy their own iPad, but I have two reasons why that's not a great idea. First: iPads (especially the Air and above) are not cheap. As Apple continues to push the iPad Pro, one has to wonder why this device that has the power and apps to replace a laptop can't also have multiple users.

Secondly, buying multiple iPads when one could do the trick is simply wasteful. Apple constantly touts how green it is as a company. So while it can refine how it makes and packages its iPads, cutting down the amount of iPads a family has to buy could also reduce waste.

Of course, I'm sure Apple doesn't see multiple iPad households as wasteful.

Will Apple care about Google's upgrades?

The big question here, of course, is how much attention is Apple paying to Android tablets? Amazon Fire tablets and Samsung Galaxy tablets have long offered multi-user support. 

Fortunately, it seems like Apple has been thinking about how the iPad can grow. For example, there's a rumored hybrid iPad/Homepod that sounds like the Pixel Tablet's Charging Speaker Dock. I don't know if Apple would ever include a kickstand, which would hurt its accessory-selling business, but that would be good too.

But, please, Apple: consider adding multi-user support. I'm sure you can find a way to make it clean and Apple-like. You may sell slightly fewer iPads at first, but those tablets will become more valuable to those who use them.

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The new Google Pixel Tablet and the Google Nest Hub Max look so similar on the outside that you might mistake one for the other at a quick glance. Each features a large display sitting atop an angled speaker base. 

In fact, you might think the biggest difference between the two Google devices — aside from their $270 price difference — is that the Pixel Tablet's display can be removed from its base, while the Nest Hub Max's cannot. 

But that's about where the similarities end. Below, we'll go into more detail about the Pixel Tablet vs. the Nest Hub Max to see which is best for your home setup.

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Price

The Google Nest Hub Max costs $229, and has been available since September, 2019. 

You can now preorder the Google Pixel Tablet for $499, and will ship in May or June 2023 (Amazon's listing has June 20 as the ship date for the tablet). Its price includes the dock, but a second dock costs an extra $129.

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Display and audio

The Nest Hub Max's 10-inch 1280 x 800-pixel touchscreen is decent for a smart display, or even for a tablet that costs around $200. However, the Pixel Tablet's display is both larger (10.95 inches) and crisper (2560 x 1600), which should make for much better visuals when watching movies. 

Audio might be a different matter. The Pixel Tablet has four speakers built into the tablet itself, plus one full-range 43.5mm driver in its dock, which provides some extra oomph when the tablet is sitting in its dock.

The Nest Hub Max, by comparison, has two 18mm 10W tweeters and one 75mm 30W woofer. So while they're fewer in number, they're larger in size. When we reviewed the Nest Hub Max, we were impressed with its audio — in fact, we felt the bass might have been a little too boomy. So while we haven't heard the two devices side-by-side yet, this might be one area where the Nest Hub Max has an advantage.

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Cameras

The Google Pixel Tablet comes with two cameras, one on the front, and one on the back — as you might expect. Both cameras have a resolution of 8MP, an f/2.0 aperture, a 1/4-inch sensor, and an 84-degree field of view. 

Because it's not meant to be picked up, the Nest Hub Max has a single, 6.5MP front-facing camera for video calls. However, its camera has a much wider 127-degree FOV, which means that it can better capture what's going on in a room.

Both devices' cameras have auto-framing capabilities — that is, when you're on a video call, the camera will digitally pan and zoom on its own to make sure that you remain in the center of the frame. 

The Pixel Tablet benefits from the fact that it's an Android tablet, and has many camera features you'll find on Google's smartphones, such as Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Long Exposure, Panorama, and Night Sight. 

However, the Nest Hub Max's camera can also pull double-duty as a security camera. It's not as robust as the Nest Cam (Indoor), but it does give you a second set of eyes in your house. And the Nest Hub Max supports gesture control, so you can play and pause music and change the volume by making motions with your hands — it's really helpful when you're in the middle of cooking dinner and don't want to dirty the display.

Lastly, the Nest Hub Max's camera has a physical switch that disables both the camera and microphone on the device. 

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Interface

Another big difference between the Pixel Tablet and the Nest Hub Max is their respective operating systems. While both are based on an Android kernel, what you can do with each is miles apart.

The Pixel Tablet runs the Android operating system, so you have full access not only to all of Google's apps (Gmail, Chrome, Google Photos, YouTube, etc.), but anything else that's available in the Google Play Store. You can also move around apps, widgets, and more on the tablet. 

The Nest Hub Max, on the other hand, is much more limited in what you can load onto the device and how you can use it. Rather than a wide-open interface, the Nest Hub Max has an array of tabs at the top that can't be reordered or changed: Photo frame, Your morning, Home control, Media, Communicate, Games, Family, and Discover. 

Both tablets will let you stream video from a number of sources, including YouTube and Netflix, but only the Pixel Tablet has native apps for many other streaming services; you'll have to use the Nest Hub Max's Chromecast feature if you want to view Hulu, for instance.

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Smart Home and connectivity

As it's the newer device, the Pixel Tablet has somewhat better connectivity options than the Nest Hub Max. It has faster Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 5) and a newer version of Bluetooth (5.2 vs. 5.0). Will you notice that much of a difference right now? Probably not, unless you have a Wi-Fi 6 router in your home.

Both devices also support Chromecast, so you can send audio and video to them from your smartphone — a handy feature.

However, the Pixel Tablet isn't the smart home hub the Nest Hub Max is; that's because only the Nest Hub Max has Thread support, which means it can act as a hub for Matter smart home devices. In fact, if you want to control Matter-enabled smart home devices using a Pixel Tablet, you'll need something like the Nest Hub Max first (cheaper options also include the Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, and Nest Audio).

Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max: Which should you get?

If you're looking for a more tablet-like experience — where you can sit on the couch and surf through videos and emails, and then carry the device into the bedroom — then the Google Pixel Tablet is the better, if more expensive option for you.

However, if you want something that can serve as a central hub for your smart home devices — and don't mind leaving it in one place — then the Nest Hub Max is the more economical choice. 

More from Tom's Guide

• Google I/O 2023: Everything that was announced
• Best smart displays
• What is PaLM 2? Everything you need to know about Google's new AI model

The Google Pixel Tablet ($499) is potentially the most exciting Android tablet coming out this year. Unveiled during Google I/O 2023, the first-ever Pixel Tablet will function as both a standard tablet and as a smart home hub. The latter use case could make it a core component for folks who use Google’s applications and devices.

We’ll have to test the Pixel Tablet to see how it stacks up against the best Android tablets. But based on what we’ve seen so far, there are several reasons to be excited about this device. Conversely, there are also reasons you may want to skip it. Below, we’ll detail the pros and cons of getting the Pixel Tablet.

Reasons to buy

Charging Speaker Dock included

The Pixel Tablet comes bundled with the Charging Speaker Dock. This peripheral — which is included free of charge — is the secret weapon the iPad can’t match. When paired with the Pixel Tablet, the Charging Speaker Dock turns the slate into a smart home hub.

As Google demonstrated at I/O 2023, the Pixel Tablet magnetically attaches to the dock. When it does, the slate enters Hub mode. From there, you can use it hands-free through voice commands and configure it to serve as a media hub or even as a photo frame. You’ll be able to adjust your lights, lock doors and see if packages have arrived all from the slate when it’s in Hub mode.

Google claims the dock’s built-in speakers pump out “room-filling” sound and deliver four times the bass of the tablet. Considering how Google is pitching the tablet with dock as a digital media hub, this should serve as a great way to listen to music or watch videos.

Functionality with the Charging Speaker Dock effectively makes the Pixel Tablet into a portable Google Nest Hub — which is an exciting prospect. We’ll need to test this for ourselves to see how well it works, but we applaud the idea. After all, who doesn’t like devices that serve multiple functions?

Elegant and smart design 

The Pixel Tablet is every bit as elegant as Pixel phones like the Google Pixel 7a. Its rounded aluminum chassis and matte nano-ceramic coating give the device an air of sophistication. The three available color options: Hazel, Porcelain and Rose — only serve to make an already fetching device appear more distinguished.

The tablet measures 10.2 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches and weighs just over a pound — which makes it just slightly larger and heavier than the iPad 2022. That means you shouldn't have trouble carrying it around inside your house or when you’re outdoors.

One design choice I appreciate is the built-in stand on the back of the tablet. This will be useful when using the slate when you're out and about. It’s also nice that folks don’t have to purchase a separate peripheral like an Apple Smart Folio to prop this tablet up.

Center of a Google ecosystem 

If you frequently use Google’s applications and devices, the Pixel Tablet could serve as the center of the company’s ecosystem.

Google claims to have optimized over 50 of its own apps for the 11-inch display on the Pixel Tablet. We’re not sure how many third-party developers are doing the same, but it’d be great to see them jump on board. Google also claims that the Pixel Tablet is the first slate with built-in support for Chromecast. When the tablet is in Hub mode, you’ll be able to cast media right from another device.

As the first tablet to pack Google’s Tensor G2 chip, the Pixel Tablet features similar software and AI-like functionality seen in Pixel phones. This includes the protection afforded by the Titan M2 security chip and effects like Magic Eraser from Google Photos. These features, and more, should help the Pixel Tablet feel like a true Google device.

Reasons to skip

You don’t care about smart home features 

Integration with the Charging Speaker Dock seems to be the Pixel Tablet’s main selling point. However, if you don’t want or need smart home functionality, the tablet and its dock won’t be particularly useful. This is especially true for folks like me who live in apartments they can’t convert into a smart home.

If you’re already married to a smart home platform such as Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit, you might not be inclined to switch over to Google’s system. Having the Pixel Tablet function as both a slate and smart display is nice, but even that might not be enough to get people to ditch Alexa.

You don’t want or need an Android tablet 

Without the Charging Speaker Dock, the Pixel Tablet is just an Android tablet. If you’re in the market for such a device, you can opt for the OnePlus Pad, which costs $20 less than the Pixel Tablet. The $249 Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 is another solid option that’s even more affordable. And of course, if you’re a fan of Apple slates like the iPad Air 5 or iPad Pro M2, you likely won’t give the Pixel Tablet a second glance.

Again, we need to test the Pixel Tablet ourselves to see what it has to offer. But based on what we know, it might not offer much as a stand-alone Android tablet. That would make it a hard sell even to Android aficionados.

Outlook

It’s tough to say whether or not the Pixel Tablet will be the ultimate smart home device Google wants it to be. If the slate and its dock work as advertised, it should provide an excellent hub for all your Google apps and products. But as we said, these same features might not mean much to certain consumers.

The Pixel Tablet will release sometime in May 2023. We’ll have a full review posted soon, but in the meantime, be sure to read our Google Pixel Tablet hands-on preview to hear our initial thoughts on the upcoming slate. Stay tuned for more!

More from Tom's Guide

• What is PaLM 2? Everything you need to know about Google's new AI model
• Bing with ChatGPT vs Google Bard: Which AI chatbot wins?
• How to use Google Bard

While new hardware was announced at Google I/O 2023, it was the company's AI initiatives that took center stage for much of the two-hour presentation. As was hinted at in a last-minute leak, Google used its annual developers conference as a platform to spell out its AI plans. Most significantly, it showed how its AI would be used to reimagine its search engine, which will potentially change how people look for and find what they need. 

We also say how Google's AI initiatives will also impact Workspaces (Google Docs, Gmail, Slides and Sheets), Google Photos, Google Maps, and its other online products. 

And, of course, we saw Google debut the Pixel Fold — its first foldable phone — as well as the Pixel 7a, a new sub-$500 phone, and the Pixel Tablet, which has a clever new docking station. 

It’s a lot to keep track of, but we’re on the scene in Mountain View, Calif., for this year’s Google I/O. Follow along with this Google I/O 2023 live blog for the latest rumors and updates on Google’s announcements.

What we saw at Google I/O 2023

Here's a quick rundown of what was announced at Google I/O:

Google Bard and AI: As predicted, we saw the debut of PaLM 2, a new version of Google's Pathways Language Model which is the driving force behind the company's AI tools like Bard. The updated model focuses on coding, math and creative writing, and there's already a specialized version that can aid in medical diagnosis. 

PaLM 2 has four submodels (Unicorn, Bison, Otter and Gecko) designed for different use cases, and is already powering 25 different Google products, including Android, YouTube, and Workspace apps such as Gmail, Google Docs and more. 

Google previewed some of the ways that AI would be used for some of its products; for example, it's been testing out Help Me Write, which can compose entire emails for you in Gmail. 

If you've been itching to try out Bard, good news: The Bard waitlist is gone. 

Google Search: Most significantly, Google Search is being reimagined using AI, so that you can type in more natural-language queries, and Google will return a more conversational answer, rather than a series of links. It will also allow you to ask contextual follow-up questions to further refine what it is you're looking for. It's a radically different approach, and one that could upend anyone who relies on Google Search to reach consumers. So, like everyone. It's currently being tested, which you can try if you sign up for the waitlist.

Google Maps: A slick new immersive view is coming to Google Maps. Now, when you plot a route in the app, you can get a neat 3D flyover of the route, which will give you a bird's-eye look at where you'll be going. And, you'll also be able to add traffic, weather and air quality data to the route, too.

Google Find My Device: Similar to Apple's Find My feature, Google is also working on device location tracking. Like iOS, it will use Android devices to help you find your stuff — be it phones, tablets, or earbuds — wherever you may have left it. It will also work with third-party trackers — Tile and Chipolo were confirmed — and Google also noted that an anti-stalking feature would be included. There was no timetable on when it would be released, though.

Android 14: The first Android 14 beta came out last month, and we're expecting the finished version to be ready sometime toward the end of summer. However, nothing really new was announced at Google I/O. Still, you'll want to check out the new features coming to Android 14.

WearOS 4: Google did announce the developer preview for WearOS 4, the next version of its smartwatch operating system. Key features of the new OS include better battery life, new watch face tools, improved accessibility features, and a new text-to-speech engine that should be faster and more reliable. 

Google Pixel Fold: Google finally introduced its first foldable phone. The Pixel Fold  Pixel Fold unfolds like a book to reveal a large 7.6-inch, 2208 x 1840 pixel display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The cover display is 5.8 inches in size, but has a wider aspect ratio than you'll find on the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4. The Pixel Fold is also the thinnest foldable, at 0.2 inches thick when open. 

The Pixel Fold's rear cameras include a 48MP rear camera, 10.8MP ultrawide camera and a 10.8MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom and 20x Super Res Zoom (digital). The front has a 9.5MP front camera and there's a 8MP inner camera. 

Google Pixel Fold pre-orders start today (May 10), and the phone starts shipping in June. Verizon's release date is June 27. The Pixel Fold price starts at $1,799 for the 256GB model and goes up to $1,919 for 512GB.

Google Pixel 7a: The Pixel 7a uses the same chipset — the Tensor G2 — that powers current Google flagships, including the Pixel 7. The 7a packs two rear cameras —a 64MP (f/1.89) main and a 13MP (f/2.2) ultrawide — as well as a front-facing 13MP camera for selfies and such. It has a bright 6.1-inch OLED (2400 x 1080, 429ppi) display with a 90Hz refresh rate. At $499, the Pixel 7a is priced to compete with Samsung's Galaxy A54. But before you decide which of these budget phones is best, you'll want to check out our Google Pixel 7a review. 

Google Pixel Tablet: Google teased us about a tablet at last year's I/O before giving us a full-on preview in the fall. And now, we know how much it costs and when it will be released: It's a very reasonable $499 — which includes the magnetic docking station — and is currently available for preorder; it will ship this month, too. 

Other Google hardware teasers: We were hoping for teasers of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel Watch 2, but sadly neither made an appearance at the show.

It's tempting to think of Google I/O as the Android show — after all, this is a developer conference and I/O usually provides a platform where Google can tell app makers all about the changes coming to Android phones via the Android update that's coming later in the year. 

At Google I/O 2023, Android is probably taking a backseat to all the hardware news and AI talk that's going to dominate this year's event. But there's still probably an Android 14 preview in our future. In case you missed it, Richard Priday covered the 5 biggest Android 14 features we hope to hear more about at Google I/O.

Probably the most anticipated announcement at Google I/O figures to be the launch of the Pixel Fold — something Google has already told us will happen via a tweet last week teasing the phone’s release.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the interest in Google’s foldable phone is that it finally means competition for Samsung, which has had the market for the best foldable phones all to itself up until now. Whatever Google announces today will certainly invite comparisons to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 that’s expected to arrive in a few months time.

You’d think Google would have its work cut out for it, taking on a foldable that’s already up to its fifth generation. Yet, Mark Spoonauer writes that there are some ways the Pixel Fold can beat out the Galaxy Fold — and it all comes down to design and cameras. 

Google has never been particularly good at plugging leaks, especially where its phones are concerned. So it should be no huge surprise that some people got hold of the Pixel 7a early, and posted their initial impressions online.

There's one hands-on video from YouTuber munchy, which goes into great detail about the Pixel 7a and what it has to offer. The hardware nerds out there may also be interested in a complete teardown of the phone from PBKreviews, and focusses on the physical hardware you wouldn't normally see.

There isn't much in these videos we haven't already heard in other leaks. But it does seem to corroborate a number of those rumors, including the 90Hz refresh rate and the size of the Pixel 7a's battery. Though there do appear to be a number of inconsistencies, which suggests Google may still have a few surprises in store for us. But we'll presumably find out more on that later today. 

A safe bet on what’s going to happen at Google I/O is that you will hear the word “Bard” so many times, it will lose all meaning to you by this afternoon.

Google Bard is the search giant’s answer to ChatGPT, and it’s being used for things like answer questions or planning out events, trips and parties. Google seems to be pushing Bard as a natural extension of its search tools, and one of the ways it can do that is by getting more people to use that. If only Google made phones and a mobile operating system that could put Bard in front of more people…

As it turns out, reports have circulated that’s exactly what Google plans on doing — starting with the addition of Bard to Pixel home screens, possibly in the form of a widget. Is that something we could find out about today? It’s going to be a packed Google I/O keynote after all.

A lot of pre-I/O attention has focussed on the Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold, with good reason. But they aren't the only hardware products we expect to see, since the Pixel Tablet should also make an appearance — and it looks like it's almost ready to be released.

How do we know? Because Amazon Japan jumped the gun, and posted its listing for the tablet a few days early. The listing also revealed the sort of specs we should expect, with the tablet apparently running on the Tensor G2 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, a 10.95-inch LCD display with 2560 x 1600 resolution, and a 27Wh battery. There are also apparently two 8MP cameras (one on the front and back) complete with f/2.0 aperture.

We don't know much about pricing in the United States, but the listing had a 80,000 yen price for Japanese customers. That works our at around $590, but variations in international pricing is a little more complicated than that. We'll no doubt find out more during the I/O keynote later tonight

If you're feeling a little impatient and can't wait for Google to officially announce its upcoming plans for Bard, you're in luck. A bunch of the key details have already leaked detailing most (if not all) of Google's AI-centric I/O announcements.

According to documents seen by CNBC, AI will be a key feature at this year's I/O conference. But we may not hear much about Project Magi, Google's plan to integrate AI with its search engine. Instead the documents detail various upgrades to the Bard AI chatbot and the PaLM 2 large language model that powers the chatbot.

In fact the upgrades could see the integration of multimodal functionality in Bard. That would allow the AI to handle input and output with something other than text — which would be a big step forward. 

One thing we're not quite so sure about for Google I/O 2023 is whether the Pixel Watch 2 will be making an appearance. While the watch itself isn't likely to arrive until later this year, there is a possibility that Google could tease the new smartwatch the same way it did with the first Pixel Watch last year.

We don't know much about the Pixel Watch 2 right now, so any glimpse we get should prove to enlightening — even if it's just to a small degree. We're certainly hoping to see an improved design, with smaller bezels, longer battery life, and more health sensors that can help the wearable compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple.

We’ve seen a lot of different Pixel Fold images out there, to the point where we know that Google’s adopting a similar design to the Galaxy Z Fold from Samsung — the phone will open up to reveal a larger screen, much like a book. Of course, rumors suggest Google has found a thinner design that makes its Fold a bit easier to carry around.

To give you an idea of what this might look, leaker Evan Blass has posted an image of a fully opened Pixel Fold. With the caveat that these images can be processed within an inch of their life, the lack of a noticeable crease is… intriguing. 

Just because Google I/O is just hours away hasn't stopped the leaks from hitting the net. In fact there have been a bunch of last minute leaks showing off a bunch of stuff that will stop being interesting once the keynote presentation begins. 

Like this alleged promo video from OnLeaks, showing off what looks like the Pixel 7a from every angle. It seems to be an official marketing video direct from Google itself, albeit with French captions. Nothing in the video is a major surprise, given the sheer amount of leaks we've seen already, but if you want an official-looking glimpse at the Pixel 7a ahead of launch, this video is your chance.

Google clearly has big plans for Bard, based on some of the leaks we've heard, but it could also be making the leap to Android homescreens. As with so many other new features, word is that this will kick off with Google's own Pixel phones.

According to a report from 9to5Google, based on code in the latest Android app APK, it looks like Google could launch a homescreen widget with direct access to Bard. The report claims this will be a Pixel exclusive "at the start", but it may not stay that way for long. After all if google wants Bard to succeed in the face of competition from ChatGPT and Bing AI, it's going to need to find a way to get users engaged.

Unfortunately we don't know what else will be involved with this widget, and whether it could offer more than one-tap access to Bard. Hopefully things will be elaborated on during the I/O keynote later tonight.

If the leaked Pixel 7a promo wasn't enough for you, then maybe this leaked Pixel Fold promo will help satiate your appetite for Googly news. Believe it or not this one was posted on the official Google Pixel Twitter account, though it's not clear whether this was deliberate or some sort of mistake.

Regardless of how the video ended up online, it's the contents that are more interesting. Apparently Google will be partnering with the NBA, and this video is designed to advertise that partnership — as well as the features and capabilities of Google's first foldable phone.

It also gives us a good look at the phone's design, including its super slim profile, camera bar and the unfortunately chunky bezel around the inner display. 

We're also expecting Android 14 to be a major topic of discussion during the I/O keynote presentation, alongside some of the new features that should be coming to Android phones in the next few months. 

We already know about some of those features, thanks to the Android 14 beta, but there are a few more we're expecting to see during the I/O keynote later today. That includes the rumored split ringtone and notification volume sliders,  a predictive back gesture, app cloning, and more details about passkeys — the latest attempt to ditch passwords, the split ringtone

Of course with the expected launch of the Google Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, we want Google to talk more about its work optimizing apps for larger screens. Because that's something it hasn't done a great job of in the past.

While a lot of focus is on the Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold, they may not be the only smartphones on show at Google I/O 2023. In fact, if last year is anything to go by, we may end up getting our first look at the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro — which we're expecting will formally launch sometime this fall.

Despite the fact the phones aren't going to arrive for a few months, we might have already learned some key details about both phones. Case renders suggest that the trademark Pixel camera bars are here to stay, though the Pro may end up ditching the curved display in favor of a flat one. Then of course there's the Tensor G3 chipset, which might unlock even more AI-centric features — including video unblur.

Don't expect much to be announced today, since the most we're likely to get is a quick look at the design. But it is one more thing to get excited about.

Should Google reveal a Pixel 7a today, the new budget phone is going to invite inevitable comparisons to Samsung’s Galaxy A54. What’s the Galaxy A54, you’re asking? Better read our Samsung Galaxy A54 to familiarize yourself with why the Pixel 7a has such a high bar to clear.

The Galaxy A54 costs $449, the same amount Google charged for the Pixel 6a. Samsung’s phone has a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s adopted the main camera used by the Galaxy S23. We actually think it takes better pictures than the Pixel 6a now, as you can see for yourself in our Galaxy A54 vs. Pixel 6a camera face-off.

Cameras are such a big part of the Pixel A series identity, that we’re eager to see how Google answers the Galaxy A54. Word is Google has a camera improvement of its own planned for the Pixel 7a, so we’re interested to find out if that rumor is true.

We're now just three hours away from Google I/O 2023 and news has currently slowed to a trickle. So let's take a moment to recap some of the exciting phone leaks we have seen in the lead-up to Google's big day.

First, there's already hands-on footage for the Google Pixel 7a, a phone that hasn't even launched yet. Check out this YouTube video to see the new budget Android phone from every angle.

And speaking of videos, Google accidentally leaked a Google Pixel Fold promo on the official Google Pixel Twitter account. The video has since been pulled, but check out our coverage of the Fold leak to see this sneak peek of Google's first foldable.

Google Bard is expected to get quite a few updates and upgrades today, with the highlight being rumored multimodal capabilities. This is when you can feed the AI chatbot images or videos instead of just text (or vice versa). We've seen some previews of this in GPT-4 and Bing Chat and it's clearly the next big thing in AI.

But for the moment, Bard is pretty limited in what it can do. Still, we've given the Google chatbot a few tests to see what it is capable of. 

So if you want to see what Bard can do now, check out our Bing with ChatGPT vs Bard face-off. And if you want to test out the chatbot yourself before I/O, make sure to look at our guide on how to use Google Bard.

We have a new Pixel Fold leak!

SnoopyTech on Twitter has posted a new Google Pixel Fold promotional video that looks like it's a leak of an official Google promo. The video touts several features of Google's first foldable phone, including multitasking, a lay-flat foldable screen and the ability to display at multiple angles for optimal viewing. It also makes the bold claim of being the "thinnest foldable," which officially puts Samsung on notice.

And that's not all the video teases. While the video shows off multitasking on multiple screens, the fine print claims that dual-screen support won't come until Fall 2023. But the biggest news might be that we may finally have a release date. according to this leak, the Pixel Fold will finally be available on June 27. Stay tuned for the official announcement later today.

Tom's Guide has officially arrived at I/O. We will have multiple staff members on-site at I/O to bring you all the latest news and updates today. So make sure to stay tuned to us here and on Twitter throughout the day.

Well, we thought news had slowed to a trickle but now it's a downpour. We have yet another Google promotional video leak — and this time it's the Google Pixel Tablet.

The leaked video comes yet again from SnoopyTech, though this one sadly doesn't include a release date. Instead, it highlights the versatility of the Tablet, which lives on an included speaker dock when it's not in your hand. The video also promises HD-quality video calls and the ability to transfer content between your Pixel devices.

While the Tablet's speaker dock looks great, I can't say the same for the chunky bezels on the Pixel Tablet. I'm sure the tablet will still look great, but giving up some bezel for a bit more screen size would have been a welcome sight. Maybe the next generation will slim things down a bit.

If Google wants to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold as king of the foldables, it's going to need to do a couple of things. Luckily, we already thought of three ways the Pixel Fold can beat the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The biggest thing would be a tougher, thinner design. Based on the leaked promotional video we just saw, the thin part seems to be locked down if the Pixel Fold truly is the "thinnest foldable." But it remains to be seen how the hinge holds up  — though it's reported to be the "most durable hinge on a foldable."

Aside from that, the big upgrades we'd like to see are a camera that can hold up with the best camera phones and a more usable outer display. Personally, the cameras on foldables are a big reason I haven't made the switch, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what the Pixel Fold brings to the table.

Hello from inside the Shoreline Amphitheater! Google I/O is just about an hour away and we are ready to see what Google unveils today. Make sure to follow along here and on our social media accounts — including TikTok!

Philip Michaels here, live from Mountain View. Thanks to my colleagues Tom Pritchard and Malcolm McMillan for keeping our Google I/O 2023 live blog going while I made it through security to my seat at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. 

This is my vantage point for the rest of the day, and a view of the venue about an hour ahead of showtime. Don't let the empty seats fool you, though — there's a big crowd of Google I/O attendees and developers outside about to be let in to fill the lower bowl of the amphitheatre.

This is the 15th anniversary of Google I/O, incidentally, and Google is marking the occasion with a post on the history of its developer conference. Even if that sort of thing doesn't intrigue you, at least you can learn the origin story behind the I/O name to thrill on-lookers at your next party or get-together.

If you need some last-minute leaks to whet your appetite ahead of the Google I/O keynote, leaker Yogesh Brar tweeted out some first impressions of the Pixel 7a. Based on the tweet, it sounds like the Pixel 7a shares a lot in common with the Pixel 7, right down to the performance. (Not surprising, since both phones are supposed to have a Tensor G2 chip inside.) 

Brar also confirms that rumor about the 90Hz refresh rate on the Pixel 7a's display. "Bright & Fluid," he tweets.

We've got a full account of those Pixel 7a hands-on impressions, along with a leaked video apparently showing off a TV ad for the new phone.

If you want another hint that we're probably going to see hardware at Google I/O, here's a possible clue I spotted upon arriving at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. At past I/Os here, Google has roped off a section outside the main stage as a press area where we can file our reports from the event. That areas back this year — but it was roped off prior to the keynote and we were told it won't open up until afterward.

My best guess? That's going to be a demo area for whatever hardware Google announces, which right now we're anticipating to certainly be the Pixel Fold and probably include the Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet. 

Or I'm completely wrong, and that area's closed off because there's just a really good post-keynote lunch spread being assembled.

We're obviously focused on the new hardware and the likely Bard announcements, plus whatever Android 14 news comes our way. But apparently we'll be getting some ChromeOS updates during this keynote, too, if the tweet from Google for Developers is anything to go by.

Top Pixel 7a rumors include a 90Hz display, wireless charging, a Tensor G2 chipset and a much improved camera setup. "Doesn't that sound a lot like the Pixel 7?" you may be wondering. And you are correct — based on the Pixel 7a rumors, the new phone could be very similar to the Pixel 7 Google released last fall.

Find out just how similar in our Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7 comparison based on what we know headed into the keynote.

Just so you can feel like you're here in Mountain View, here's the Google I/O preshow featuring AI-generated video and Bard-suggested visualizations.

Google's CEO checks in ahead of the start of Google I/O keynote. Also, I told you that amphitheatre would fill in prior to the keynote.

Yes, that's a duck with lips dancing on stage prior to the Google I/O keynote. Yes, it makes sense in context. Just go with it.

More pre-show shenanigans, posted by Kate Kozuch, who's sitting right behind me.

And we're underway, with a video preroll where Google says that it's goal is to make AI helpful for everyone. 

"AI is having a very busy year," Sundai Pichai says. "So let's get started."

We start with Gmail, and a recap of features like Smart Reply and Smart Compose, which both use AI to auto-generate emails.

The next step is Help Me Write. An example is you get an email after a cancelled flight offering you a voucher. You can use Help Me Write to compose a letter that asks for a refund instead, pulling in flight information and other data.

Maps is next up. Google is adding Immersive View for routes that shows you your entire planned trip in advance. Once you select a route, Immersive View shows you a birds eye view of the route. (Pichai is showing a bike ride, but presumably this works for driving and walking, too.) You can also see how whether is going to change over time.

It's launching in 15 cities by the end of the year, with a rollout beginning over the summer.

And now Google Photos and AI. You've already seen examples of this with Magic Eraser. A new version called Magic Editor is coming later this year.

Not only can you use AI to erase unwanted objects, but you can also edit and adjust photos more easily, changing the lighting and even the perspective of the shot.

For the record, it took 9 minutes of the keynote to make me uncomfortable with what Google's proposing with AI.

Anyhow, Magic Editor is coming to Photos later this year.

"Making AI helpful for everyone is the most important way we can advance our mission," Pichai says. This will happen in four ways

• improve knowledge and learning

• boost creativity

• do it responsibly

• make sure it's equal for all.

As expected, Google is introducing PaLM 2, its new language module platform. There are four models, the first of which is Gecko, which can work on devices that are offline. The example Pichai is using involves debugging and coding.

Now we're talking about Gemini, which is a multi-modal tool that's not yet available. 

Google is detailing ways to do AI responsibly, which includes watermarking synthetically-generated images. Metadata can also provide more information, and Google's going to ensure all its synthetic images have clear metadata.

Bard is now running on PaLM 2, which means its math, logic and reasoning skills have leapt forward.It can participate in code generation and debugging, and it's learned 20-plus programming languages. In fact, coding has become one of the most popular things people have been using Bard for.

Here's a closer look at Maps and Immersive View for your routes.

Back to Bard: Tools are coming to Bard that will let you tap into extensions. This will start with Google apps. In the next few weeks, Bard is becoming more visual both in responses and prompts.

Ask for the must-see sights in New Orleans, for example, and you'll get images of those sights along with text.

Google Lens' capabilities are coming to Bard in the coming months. Upload a picture of your dogs, and Bard can generate funny captions. I don't think the WGA writers on strike have anything to worry about based on the examples that flashed on the screen.

Pretty cool example of using Bard to do research on colleges that can show the findings on Google Maps and then import that information into Google Sheets so that everyone can review your findings.

Third-party integration with Bard is coming, too.

Bard is now open to 180 countries and territories. No more wait list. And Japanese and Korean language support is coming, too.

In fact, Google says it's on track to support 40 languages soon.

Time to talk about Google Workspaces and the ways AI is improving those products. Help Me Write is already a part of Docs and Gmail, and people have been using it in creative ways, Google says. The example we're seeing involves generating a job description using Help Me Write that you can then post on a job site.

The AI extends to Sheets, too, where AI generates a table for a dog-walking business that can schedule appointments, complete with client information.

Trusted tested are going to be able to try these AI-powered features across the Workspace apps in a few months.

Intrigued by PaLM 2 and want to find out more? Here's our PaLM 2 explainer.

There's a tool called Duet AI, which features a Sidekick for Workspaces where you can use AI prompts to write notes or create presentations. Say you forget to prepare speaker notes for a presentation. You can use the Sidekick prompt to auto-generate speaker notes for each slide. You can insert and edit to convey what you intended. So it's a feature that's clearly intended as a collaborator and time-saver.

We're moving on to search and the potential of adding generative AI to Google's search offerings. Google is showing off an integrated search page, highlighted by an AI-generated snapshot that summarizes findings. Links are included in the snapshot to drill down. And there are links further down the page that highlight portions of the AI-generated search results.

Google says generative AI will makes searches "smarter and simpler." 

Here's an example: a search for a good bike with a five-mile radius that's good on hills. The ensuing results pull from Google's Shopping Graph, producing what Google says are fresh relevant, results. Those appear right below the AI-generated summary.

A conversational mode can let you ask follow-up questions.

From Twitter, my colleague Mark Spoonauer has some thoughts on what we're seeing from Google here.

Think of all this as "search super-charged," the Google executive on stage tells us.

While Google highlights Google Cloud's role in AI — frankly outside of the scope of our coverage — here's a closer look at how Help Me Write can generate complaint letters on your behalf.

More talk of some business-focused Google Cloud news gives us the chance to share some more videos of the features Google's already talked about. Here's a look at Google search with generative AI and follow-up questions.

As we begin our second hour of AI Talk, we're now looking at how PaLM 2 can be used by developers. The PaLM API is being integrated into Firebase and Colab. 

We're getting a live demo of Project Tailwind, an AI-powered work and study prototype. "It's helpful for anyone synthesizing information from different sources that you choose," the Google executive says.

Google is talking social responsibility for AI and among the questions they ask themselves are "Will it be socially beneficial?" and "Could it lead to harm in any way?" Apparently, Google is adding ways to check the veracity of images. The company is also citing the metadata it mentioned earlier. 

It's good that Google is looking at ways to minimize the spread of bad information — especially if its tools make that more possible — but we'll have to see just how effective Google's efforts are to make sure AI isn't missused.

And now we're turning to Android. You can start paying attention again, consumers.

First, though, we are getting a look at AI's role in Android, which includes a recap of how AI is used to protect Android users from spam messages and calls.

We're going to look at Android's ecosystem of devices, starting with tablets and watches. Tablets, first, as Google talks about how it's optimizing app for larger screen devices. (Included in there was a teaser for the Pixel Tablet — your day is coming, friend.)

As for watches, Wear OS will see a native version of Whatsapp this summer. 

Find My Device is getting a update to support more devices. Leave your earbuds at the gym and other nearby Android devices can help find them via the Find My Device network. Makers of key trackers are participating in this effort, too.

Google is introducing Unknown Tracker Alerts, to let you know when a tracker your phone doesn't recognize is reporting on your location.

These changes are coming later this summer.

An update on RCS — there are now 800 million people using it. There should be 1 billion later this year. This is a shout-out to Apple to adopt RCS so that everyone can message each other, and those hateful green bubbles finally disappear.

Android customization is getting a does of generative AI as well. In Messages, you can tap a message and then choose how you want to sound — your message is then tweaked by AI to fit that mood. (Could be handy if you've ever wanted to text in iambic pentameter, as apparently, there's a Shakespeare option.)

Lock screen clocks are getting more customization features, and there's a lock screen shortcut coming that will help that out. Emoji wallpaper is coming where you pick your favorite emojis to generate your own customized wallpaper, picking patterns and colors as well.

There's other examples of using AI to generate wallpapers — prompt your phone to create something from "photos of city by the bay in a post-impressionist style" for stylized San Francisco shots. That's coming in the fall, which would seem to imply it's an Android 14 feature.

And now here's Rick Osterloh, so we're about to see some hardware after a brief recap of the Tensor G2 chip that came out last fall and brings on-device, personalized AI to mobile. Among the highlights are Direct My Call for managing phone calls, Pixel's Recorder app and its ability to recognize different speakers, and the AI-driven photo processing features of Pixel device cameras.

Flash back to the Magic Editor feature coming out later this year — that's going to be available to Pixel phone users first, apparently

We've got a hardware announcement — the Pixel 7a. It's got the Tensor G2 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 72% bigger main camera sensor among other features.

It's available today, and it'll cost $499. That's $50 more than the Pixel 6a. Buy it from the Google Store and you can pick an exclusive Coral color from the three colors that will be available to everyone else.

But what about larger screen devices? Let's talk about the Pixel Tablet, which we've seen at past Google events. But to recap — 11-inch display, premium aluminum enclosure, and a Tensor G2 chip, among other features. Tensor has been optimized for video calling and photo editing, both features you'll appreciate on a tablet.

The tablet is getting a charging speaker doc, so that your tablet has a home when it's not in use. Basically when docked, it's a smart screen where you can display pictures, play music and control smart home devices. But you can unlock it, too, and get access to Android apps.

Pixel Tablet also has Chromecast built-in, so you can cast things from your phone to your tablet and watch from the dock or on the go.

There's a case, too, with a built-in stand. You can dock with the Pixel Tablet inside the case, too.

There are three Pixel Tablet colors. You can order it today, and it costs $499. That price includes the charging stand.

Rick Osterloh is back to talk about foldables. It's exciting to see foldables take off, and see how Android is driving that, he says.

So Google has its own foldable now — the Google Pixel Fold. It's a Tensor G2-powered phone that unfolds into a tablet. You've got a front display and a larger 7.6-inch interior screen that Osterloh calls our "thinnest phone yet." That's with the device unfolded, obviously.

Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 water resistance provide the durability assurances. Google's also touting the zoom lens as the best zoom on a foldable, and points out that you can partially open up the phone to have it act as its own tripod. It's the "best foldable camera system," Osterloh says, while Samsung undoubtedly pouts.

I'm intrigued by the dual interpreter mode that Google is touting for the Pixel Fold, which seems to use the multiple screens to have you carry on a conversation in real-time with someone in another language. Foldable phones need to justify their reason for existing and this is a big step toward doing that.

We're also getting a look at how apps can take advantage of the expanded interior screen, with apps running side by side, a split screen keyboard and a tabletop mode (think of Samsung's Flex mode) where playback is on one half of the screen and controls are on the other.

Yes, we can see a crease in that Pixel Fold screen.

You can preorder Pixel Fold today. It ships next month. Rick Osterloh specifically didn't mention the $1,799 price, but preorder the foldable and you get a Pixel Watch, so there's that.

And Sundar Pichai returns to wrap up a two-hour, AI-heavy affair. I'm sure there will be more to say about these assorted products, so don't close the tab on this keynote just yet.

Who wants to read a Pixel 7a review? I know I would.

Our Google Pixel Fold hands-on review is live, and this is an impressive first foldable phone from Google. It's the world's thinnest foldable, and Google claims the 180-degree fluid friction hinge is the most durable on the market. We also love the wide front display that's easy to use and the multiple usage modes, including, tablet, tent and tabletop.

In short, this is one versatile foldable phone, but it's also $1,799. And we're not fans of the large bezels. See our first impressions for much more info. 

While the I/O keynote saw the announcement of WhatsApp for Wear OS, Google buried the lead: Wear OS 4 was confirmed via a blog post on The Keyword. The new software version is becoming available to developers, and promises battery life improvements among other user-facing improvements compared to Wear OS 3.

Our Google Pixel Fold video hands-on is live on YouTube. See my hands-on impressions!

Here's the gist. The Pixel Fold shines with its wide front display and super thin design. I also like the multiple usage modes — include tablet top and tent — and the 7.6-inch main display is great if you want a mini tablet in your pocket.

Just watch out for the big bezels and the very big $1,799 price. 

When one company like Apple so thoroughly dominates the tablet market, how do you make your device stand out? In the case of the Google Pixel Tablet ($499), it’s by literally including a stand. 

The Google Pixel Tablet not only undercuts the 10th-generation iPad by $50, but it also adds a unique charging dock that also boosts the tablet’s audio capabilities and turns it into a smart home hub of sorts. 

The Pixel Tablet is also powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chip, the same processor that’s used in the company’s flagship phones, which enables some neat features, such as photo editing and speech recognition. But before you go out and drop $500, you’ll want to read the rest of my Google Pixel Tablet review and how it stacks up to some of the best tablets on the market.

Google Pixel Tablet review: TL;DR

Buy it if:
You’re looking for a capable tablet to have around the house with above-average audio.

Don’t buy it if:
You want a tablet to do a lot of typing

Pixel Tablet review: Price and availability

The Google Pixel Tablet was first introduced at Google I/O 2023. It was available for preorder as of May 10, and is widely available as of June 20. The tablet is offered with two storage sizes: A $499 model has 128GB of storage, while a $599 model has 256GB of storage. Both versions have 8GB of RAM, but there’s no memory card slot, so the storage you choose is the storage you’re stuck with.

Both models are available in Porcelain, Hazel, or Rose, and include one charging dock. Additional charging docks cost $129 a piece. If you’re planning on traveling with the Pixel Tablet, Google is selling the Pixel Tablet Case accessory ($79), which has a handy metal stand that folds out from the back, and makes it easy to prop the tablet on a table.  

Aside from the case, Google doesn’t offer any other accessories for the Pixel Tablet; the fact that it’s launching without a keyboard or stylus is a curious decision, considering its main Android rivals all ship with a keyboard case. Then again, given our lukewarm feelings on both the Galaxy Tab 8’s and the OnePlus Pad’s keyboards, maybe omitting this might be the right call.

Pixel Tablet review: Design 

In its dock, the Google Pixel Tablet looks very similar to the Google Nest Hub Max, albeit slightly larger. (The Nest Hub Max has a smaller screen, but its base is larger than that of the Pixel Tablet.) The Pixel Tablet sits on its fabric-covered base at a slight angle, so it’s easy to view when you’re sitting down on your couch — the tablet’s wide viewing angles also help in this regard. 

The Tablet’s bezels are about a half-inch wide — roughly the same as the 10th-generation iPad. The tablet’s case has a slightly rough texture that’s not gritty enough to be unpleasant, but helped keep the tablet secure in my sweaty hands. As a benefit, it doesn’t show fingerprints at all.

Speaking of which, the Pixel Tablet’s power button doubles as a fingerprint reader, so you can unlock the device without having to enter a PIN code. The tablet can remember up to five fingerprints per user. Although the setup process was a little finicky — a result of the sensor being very narrow — the tablet unlocked quickly whenever I pressed my finger to the button.

When held in landscape mode, a volume rocker and power button sit along the top edge on the right. The power button has a built-in fingerprint reader, so you can unlock the tablet without needing to type in a code. Along each of the narrow sides are two speakers, and on the left side in the middle is a USB-C port. Sorry, no headphone jack. 

Centered in the top bezel is the tablet’s front-facing 8MP camera. I tend to prefer the camera in this spot, rather than along the narrower size, as was the case on older iPads; When I’m chatting with someone on a video call, it feels more natural to hold the tablet in landscape mode. 

The tablet is held in place on the base via magnets; I found it was easiest to remove the tablet by tilting the top of it backwards until it released from the base. It doesn’t take much effort, but the base does shift around slightly.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Display

The Google Pixel Tablet’s 11-inch 2560 x 1600 display was pleasantly bright and crisp. When watching Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on the Disney+ app, the bright crimsons and jade greens in the village of Ta Lo really popped off the screen. Its viewing angles were also very wide; I could sit well off-center of the screen and still be able to see all the colors accurately. It’s great when you’re watching a movie with a companion, or trying to have a video call and cram your entire family next to you.

As pleasing as the Pixel Tablet was to my eyes, its performance results on our display tests were middling at best. It was outshone by its closest rivals — its brightness of 433 nits was at least 30 below the next dimmest tablet, the Galaxy Tab 8 — and its sRGB gamut of 105.4 was lower than all but the iPad 10-gen (101.2). 

The only area where the Pixel Tablet outperformed its rivals was on the Delta-E test, which measures overall color accuracy. Its score of 0.05 (where closer to 0 is better) was near perfect. 

Google Pixel Tablet review: Cameras

Both cameras on the Pixel Tablet sport the same specs: 8MP, f/2.0, with an 84-degree field of view. They can both record video at 1080p/ 30 fps, which is good, but not as good as competing tablets. The iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, and the OnePlus Pad can all shoot 4K video.

One great feature on the Pixel Tablet is Continuous Framing; similar to the iPad’s Center Stage, Google’s camera will automatically pan and zoom to keep you in the center of the frame while you’re on a video call. I tried it out with a colleague, and he said it worked well, though if I moved around too much, it made him a bit dizzy. 

Like most chat apps, you can also add backgrounds, but the Pixel Tablet adds a few fun 360-degree backgrounds, so you can move the tablet wherever you want, and it can look like a tropical paradise behind you. Aside from a little silhouetting around my face, the effect was incredibly smooth.

Photos from both cameras were very good; images taken with the rear camera were sharp enough so that I could make out my dog’s name on his name tag, as well as the whiskers on his face. Similarly, I could see the whiskers on my face — including all the gray ones — when I took a photo using the tablet’s front-facing camera. 

Google Pixel Tablet review: Audio

From music to movies to games, I was more than pleased with the surprisingly powerful speakers in the Google Pixel Tablet. There are two speakers on each of the tablet’s shorter sides. If you hold the tablet in landscape mode and cup your hands, audio from the lower speakers will be redirected towards you; it’s a dramatic improvement. (However, if you hold the tablet too tightly, your hands will cover those same speakers, muting the sound tremendously.) 

As good as the Tablet’s speakers are, seating it in its dock — and activating its 43.5 mm full-range speaker — is like when Dorothy goes from the black-and-white Kansas to the full-color Oz. You’re suddenly treated to full-throated bass that makes everything a lot more satisfying to hear. 

However, the man behind the curtain is not all he’s cracked up to be. When in the dock, all of the audio comes out of the dock’s speakers. So you gain some bass, but lose treble in the process. For example, when listening to several Queen tracks, Freddie Mercury’s voice didn’t soar as much, but Brian May’s riffs rang out more. 

I played a few of the same tracks on both the Pixel Tablet and the Nest Hub Max, and found the latter delivered much better sound for its size. Songs were much fuller and evenly balanced; the Pixel Tablet sounded muddy by comparison. That shouldn’t be overly surprising, as the Nest Hub Max has two 18mm 10W tweeters and one 75mm 30W woofer. I think the Pixel Tablet’s audio would be much better served if it could use all of its speakers at the same time.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Interface

Out of the box, the Pixel Tablet runs Android 13, and Google has committed to at least five years of updates, so you know it won’t go obsolete any time soon. Android’s tablet interface isn’t a radical departure from previous versions, but it does have some nice features, including the ability to add active widgets to each screen (something Apple is only just now introducing with iOS 17), and the ability to run two apps side by side. You can even drag things from one app to another — such as adding photos to an email. Handy.

As a parent, I also liked that the Pixel Tablet lets you create up to eight different profiles, including profiles for your children. A child profile lets you set filters and age restrictions for various content, block explicit sites, or create a whitelist of sites. You can also adjust settings for the types of apps that are allowed, set time limits on when they can use the tablet, and more.

As part of the setup process, your child gets to create their own avatar and select from a dozen subjects they’re interested in — which range from everything from science to princesses. You’re then brought to the home screen where a bunch of cards are shown with things like apps, Dad jokes, and more. A nav bar at the bottom displays icons for games, books, videos, and Make (for which a YouTube Kids account is needed). It’s not quite as comprehensive as what you’ll get with an Amazon Fire Kids tablet, but Google is making an effort. 

Google Pixel Tablet review: Smart Home controls

As someone who tests a lot of smart home devices, I was especially interested to check out the Pixel Tablet’s new Home interface, and how it compares with the Nest Hub Max. 

Most significantly, you can set the Pixel Tablet to let you control smart home devices even when the screen is locked. A small Home icon appears in the lower left corner; tap this, and you can see all your connected devices, which appear as little widgets. Unfortunately, unlike the widgets on the Tablet’s home screen, these cannot be resized. 

These smart home widgets let you control your devices to varying degrees. For example, I could view a feed from my Nest Cam (Battery) and use its speaker to communicate with a person on the other end, but I would have had to open the Google Home app itself to turn the camera on or off. Similarly, I could control connected smart speakers, but only if something was already playing. Other devices give you greater control; I could change the temperature settings on my Ecobee 5th gen Thermostat and turn lights on and off.

In all, the smart home view is handy, but more work needs to be done. For starters, the Home view only shows device controls, and not things such as Automations (for that, you have to go to the Home app). Yes, you can initiate an Automation by saying “Hey Google…” but it would be nice to tap on the screen, too. 

Google has made strides recently to improve the depth of its Automations, but it’s still more limited than what you can do with Alexa or Apple’s HomeKit. 

And, while they may look the same, the Pixel Tablet isn’t a full-fledged smart home hub like the Nest Hub Max; for instance, the Nest Hub Max has support for Thread and Matter. For a more detailed breakdown, check out our Google Pixel Tablet vs. Nest Hub Max comparison.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Sharing

The Pixel Tablet has several features that help make it a more connected part of your home. If you have other Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers, you can make the Pixel Tablet part of your home’s entire system; that is, you can group it with other speakers so that you can have the same music playing throughout your house, or have music follow you from room to room. 

You can’t set the Tablet’s charging dock as the output for your TV, as you can with the Apple HomePod — nor would you want to — but being able to seamlessly play your favorite tunes throughout your house is good to have here, as it’s a standard feature on all other smart speakers.

Not only can the Pixel Tablet cast to other devices, but you can also cast to it — a first for tablets. However, the tablet has to be in its dock for this to work. So, if you have a song or video playing on your phone, you can easily transfer it to the Pixel Tablet.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Performance

While we praised Google’s Tensor G2 chip in our Google Pixel 7 review — it enables a host of features on that smartphone as well as in this tablet, such as Photo Unblur and live transcription via the Recorder app  — it doesn’t have the best showing when it comes to benchmark tests. 

On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the Pixel Tablet’s multicore score of 3,004 was about 200 points below the Galaxy Tab 8 and the OnePlus pad, and 1,400 points below the iPad. 

However, in our Adobe Rush transcoding test — which is the closest we have to a real-world performance test — the Pixel Tablet’s time of 49 seconds was on a par with the Galaxy Tab 8 and faster than the OnePlus Pad. Only the iPad’s time of 29 seconds was significantly shorter.

Still, unless you’re planning to do some heavy video editing, it’s unlikely you’ll see much lag in the Pixel Tablet. I played a number of games, including EA Real Racing and World of Tanks, and never noticed the tablet stutter or pause. One of my colleagues did note that there’s a very slight delay when switching from landscape to portrait mode; there’s a tiny pause before the tablet shifts its orientation.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Battery life

The Pixel Tablet is in the middle of the pack when it comes to endurance. On our battery test (web surfing via Wi-Fi with the screen at 150 nits), the Pixel Tablet lasted 11 hours and 56 minutes, one hour longer than the iPad, but about an hour less than the Galaxy Tab 8, and 90 minutes less than the OnePlus Pad.

Google Pixel Tablet review: The competition

Among Android tablets, the OnePlus Pad ($479) has an even larger 11.6-inch display with a faster refresh rate, a higher-resolution rear camera and costs $20 less.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is $100 more and has similar specs and a display with the same size and resolution, albeit with a fast 120Hz refresh rate. 

The Apple iPad (10th gen) is $449 — though you can often find it on sale — but that only gets you 64GB of storage, and it doesn’t support Stage Manager, Apple’s version of having two apps side by side. 

Of course, none of these tablets come with a charging dock/speaker, which is one of the biggest value propositions of the Google Pixel Tablet.

Google Pixel Tablet review: Verdict

With its speaker dock, Chromecast capabilities and smart home controls, the Google Pixel Tablet is designed to be more of a home companion rather than a productivity device. And that’s probably a good thing, as it might struggle in a more head-to-head comparison if you’re looking for a tablet to get stuff done.

But, if you’re looking for a tablet just to have around the house and mindlessly browse the web while you’re watching something on TV — and really, isn’t that how you normally use a tablet? — then the Pixel Tablet will get the job done. And, the Tablet’s charging dock/speaker gives you something you won’t find with the competition. At the very least, it’ll help ensure that its battery isn’t dead the next time you go to pick it up.

You'll want to know how to watch Google I/O 2023 and its live stream keynote on Wednesday, May 10. In addition to the usual deep dives into Google's software and a preview of the next big Android update, we're expecting to see new hardware — and lots of it. 

Developer conferences like Google I/O traditionally don't see a lot of product news, but Google turned that notion on its head last year, when we saw previews of new phones and a smartwatch from the company. That trend will continue at Google I/O 2023 — at least according to rumors detailing the company's plans.

In fact, Google has already confirmed that at least one phone will be on the agenda, announcing that the Pixel Fold will show up on May 10 — the same day as Google I/O 2023. So you're going to want to tune in for that preview, at the very least.

Whether it's Google's first foldable device or all the other announcements involving Android and hardware, there's a lot of potential news coming out of Google I/O that you're not going to want to miss. And you won't, if you follow our advice on how to watch the Google I/O 2023 live stream.

What is Google I/O?

Google I/O is Google's annual developer conference, where the people who develop products for Google's various platforms gather to find out about the company's plans, policies and new tools. 

Because Google makes a lot of different things — from Chromebooks to smart home devices — you're likely to hear about any one of a number of platforms. Android typically grabs the spotlight, but past I/O get-togethers have covered Chrome OS, Watch OS, Google search and more. Products like Google Maps, Gmail and other assorted chat clients can come up during the conference, too.

When is Google I/O 2023?

Google I/O 2023 will be held on Wednesday, May 10. This year's event takes place just on that one day, which is a change from the multi-day I/Os of recent years. While Google is hosting I/O as an in-person event at Shoreline Amphitheatre near its Mountain View, Calif., campus, the event is also streaming on the Google I/O website. Anyone who registers for free at that site can live stream Google I/O.

Typically, there's an opening keynote to start Google I/O in which company executives focus on the biggest announcements. Immediately after that opening keynote, there's usually a developer edition, which dives deeper into topics of interest to the developers who attend I/O. Google has confirmed that this is the plan for this year's installment.

How can I watch the Google I/O 2023 live stream?

The Google I/O conference, including the keynote, will be available from the Google I/O website. We imagine the home page of the site will carry the live stream, but you can probably find it in the Watch section, too.

Because Google also owns YouTube, the streaming website hosts the Google I/O keynote as well. You can follow an embedded stream right from this page.

The Google I/O keynote begins at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST on Wednesday, May 10. After the first keynote ends, a developer keynote will follow.

What can I expect to see in the Google I/O 2023 live stream?

If you haven't gathered by now, Google I/O keynotes tend to cover a wide array of topics. But we expect a few will get a greater share of the focus for Google I/O 2023.

AI-powered chat tools seem to be on everyone's mind these days, and that includes Google. Google I/O will give the company a chance to talk about Bard, its own chat client, and how that tool can aid other Google products like search, maps and productivity tools. In addition to going over how AI chatbots fit into its own products, you'd imagine Google may take the time to address concerns about the risks some people are citing with AI.

The Android 14 beta debuted last month, and Google I/O 2023 will be the company's first opportunity to give a public preview to a wider audience. Given the outsized role Android has played at past I/O editions, that's likely going to continue this year. We may even get greater clarity on the timeline for Android 14 development, as a finished version is expected toward the end of summer.

The real attention will be on Google's potential hardware news. After the Pixel 6a made its debut at the 2022 developer conference, we expect its successor, the Pixel 7a, to enjoy a similar treatment. That's especially true after Google India posted a teaser tweet suggesting a new phone would be available by May 11. Considering the rumors that indicate the Pixel 7a will go on sale around that time, we think it's pretty clear we're getting at least one new phone from Google.

But what will the Pixel 7a offer? If rumors are accurate, the new budget phone sounds a lot like the Pixel 7, right down to its Tensor G2 chipset. Tipsters also expect the Google 7a to get an upgraded camera setup, a display with a faster refresh rate and wireless charging. All of those things would be serious upgrades over the Pixel 6a, which may explain the rumors that the Pixel 7a will cost more than its predecessor.

The Pixel 6a wasn't the only phone to show up at Google I/O 2022. Last year, Google also gave us a sneak peak at the Pixel 7 to tout that phone's Tensor G2 processor. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll get a sneak peek at the Pixel 8 ahead of this fall's expected launch, but it wouldn't be unprecedented.

We're more likely to see another product Google has already announced at one of its events — the Pixel Tablet. Previewed extensively at last fall's Google hardware event, the Pixel Tablet is expected to offer an 11-inch display and a Tensor G2 chipset. It could also come with a Pixel Tablet Stand accessory, turning the device into a smart screen when it's charging and not in use as a tablet.

The biggest unveiling at Google I/O 2023 figures to a new addition to Google's hardware lineup. For years, we've heard rumors of a Pixel Fold that's designed to crash the foldable phone party currently dominated by Samsung devices. And now, Google has essentially confirmed that's what's going to happen.

The Fold is rumored to be a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, in that Google has gone with a design where a phone-sized device opens up to reveal a larger screen. The rumored specs have the folded-up Google device listed as shorter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with Google gambling that people want a more portable foldable. As with the other hardware on show, this one should get a G2 processor, too.

More from Tom's Guide

• Here's how the Pixel 7a can be the budget phone of the year
• 5 biggest Pixel 7a rumors so far
• Google Pixel Fold launch now looks imminent — here’s why

With Google I/O 2023 rapidly approaching it's no surprise we're seeing more leaks around the Google Pixel Tablet, and this one comes directly from Amazon.

Amazon prematurely posted a listing for the Pixel Tablet in Japan, as reported by Android Central (via WinFuture). The Pixel Tablet specs include a Tensor G2 chip — the same chip that powers the Pixel 7 series and the upcoming Pixel 7a — and a 10.95-inch LCD display with 2560 x 1600 pixels of resolution.

Other listed specs include 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage and support for Wi-Fi 6E. The Pixel Tablet also packs quad speakers, three mics and a USB-C 3.2 port. A 27Wh battery powers the tablet.

In terms of cameras, a 8MP sensor is on the front and back, complete with f/2.0 aperture and an 84-degree field of view. In addition, the Pixel Tablet is apparently compatible with USI 2.0 standard styluses, but we don't believe one will be sold by Google itself. 

The listing shows a price of 80,000 yen, which works out to $590. But that doesn't mean that will be the U.S. price for the Pixel Tablet. 

How the Pixel Tablet stands out vs. the iPad 

The Pixel Tablet is trying to stand out vs. the 10th gen iPad with its unique docking system. The charging dock keeps the tablet charged up when not in use and it offers a wide range of smart display features. 

You can use the Pixel Tablet to get hands-free help from Google Assistant from across the room, enjoy your favorite photos and control your smart home devices, such as your lights and smart thermostat.

Google spent a lot of time tuning the magnets in the dock just right so it's fairly easy to remove when you want but stays securely locked in place. And you get richer sound too when docked. 

We should get the final pricing and official specs soon. In the meantime, check out our Pixel Tablet hub for all the rumors and leaks and our Google I/O 2023 page for all the last-minute news. 

More from Tom's Guide

• Google PIxel 7a rumors and leaks 
• The Pixel Fold could beat Samsung's foldable — here's how
• 15 hidden Android features you need to know

It’s been a while since we had a good Google-designed tablet or a really compelling Android tablet. But that’s set to change with the Google Pixel Tablet. 

Set to be revealed in full at Google I/O 2023 on May 10, images of the tablet keep popping up with the latest coming from footage captured at the Milan Design Week event in Italy. And while the latest images show off a coral color (and not much else), my excitement for the Pixel Tablet is building. 

A tablet with Pixel-esque sensibilities, such as some custom features and a really clean user interface, is compelling enough on its own, but there's more. Google seems to have a plan to make the Pixel Tablet stand apart from the likes of the iPad Air. 

At the Google "Shaped by Water" installation in Milan, we got a good (and brief) look at the Pixel Tablet, which looks rather similar to the iPad Air. But while the Pixel Tablet has iPad-like Smart Connectors, these will work with the Pixel Tablet dock, which can convert the tablet into a smart device that's akin to the Google Nest Home Hub. 

Even in this hands-off preview alone, the Google Pixel Tablet looks to offer a fresh approach to Android tablets. 

The Pixel Tablet should offer a twist for the home

You can use iPads (and other tablets) as a form of smart home control device. But unless you’re willing to go down the third-party or DIY route, or make do with an Amazon Fire Tablet, it’s difficult to find a really neat way to incorporate a tablet into your smart home. This is particularly pertinent given that iPads can no longer be made into HomeKit hubs since the rollout of iPadOS 16.

So, Google has me intrigued with this tablet that looks to be focused on the smart home, with functions similar to smart hubs. It's a compelling concept.

I’m a huge fan of the Nest Hub. But it’s not exactly a portable device; it just hands out on my bedside table. As I spend most of my day at my desk, a lot of the functions of the Nest Hub get neglected. The closest I get to flexibility is using the Google Pixel 7 Pro with the Pixel Stand, but I find this to be tricky with the Pixel phone seemingly not always shifting into its home mode.

But the Pixel Tablet looks set to be the antidote to this situation by offering two modes in one. Sure, I can perform smart home controls on my iPhone 13 Pro with the Google Home app, but it’s hardly an elegant solution. This tablet's larger panel would allow for a better view of what I’ve got connected and where.

Outlook: Android should enable a better smart home situation

I’m also hoping that the relative openness of Android and Google’s smart approach to software will allow for better integration with a variety of smart apps and ecosystems. I’m not as au fait with smart home setups as my colleague Kate Kozuch, but I still feel there are too many siloed smart home systems that require switching between interfaces and apps to control it all. Instead, Google with all its AI and Assistant tech could make one platform to rule them all.

The other big potential at hand is for Google to create an Android tablet that actually feels like a joy to use, with apps that are optimized for slate-like screens. Even the best Android tablets have failed to do this. Google, with all of its experience, should be able to make Android apps running on the Pixel Tablet just work, even if on the developer side there’s been no optimization for bigger screens.

Ideally, a Chrome OS-like interface when the Pixel Tablet is docked with, say, potential keyboard accessories, would be icing on the cake. This would further enhance the flexibility and scope of the Pixel Tablet to transform from a standard tablet, into a smart home hub, and into a productivity machine. Of course, this could all be wishful thinking on my part.

So in the face of building Pixel Fold rumors, as well as the likely launch of the Pixel 7a, the device I’ll really be looking out for at Google I/O will be the Pixel Tablet. I think it could low-key be one of the more interesting devices of the year. Even more interesting: a fantastic Pixel Tablet could push Apple to do more with its iPads. And the team at Cupertino truly needs to innovate with the iPad again.

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Google’s upcoming larger-screen devices appear to be progressing nicely. Both the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold have just appeared in online videos in two very different contexts which reflects their current status. The former is something Google has shared itself, while the latter is a leaked clip of a device the company still hasn’t admitted is coming.

Pixel Fold video leaks

The Pixel Fold is the more interesting of the two, as despite being rumored for years, Google has yet to acknowledge it’s in the works. 

The leaks have been picking up steam in recent weeks, however, with a strong rumor that it’ll finally be made official at next month’s Google I/O developer conference. And now it seems we have video of an actual prototype to whet your appetite for the possibly imminent unveiling. 

The footage comes from the developer and reliable leaker Kuba Wojciechowski who has a strong track record when it comes to all things Google. 

While the clip doesn’t show any identifiable features that confirm conclusively this is a Google foldable, the curved edges appear to match the previous renders pictured at the top of the page. Wojciechowski told The Verge that the video was taken a month ago and that the captured handset is indeed the Pixel Fold (which may ultimately be called the Pixel Notepad).

There’s not a great deal you can take from the video, other than that the internal bezels look to be on the chunky side and it appears to require a bit of force to open up into tablet mode. Still, it’s early days and both could change before show time.  

Just yesterday there was a massive Google Pixel Fold specs leak, and we've got the key info. This includes a 5.8-inch cover display and 7.6-inch internal screen (both at 120Hz). You can also expect three rear cameras (48MP main, 10MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto) and a 9.5MP front camera. 

The bad news? The device is said to weigh a hefty 10 ounces and the price is allegedly $1,799, which would be the same as the pricey Galaxy Z Fold 4. 

Pixel Tablet appears at design exhibition

The secretive nature of the Fold’s leaked video couldn’t be more different to the Pixel Tablet clip, which was clearly sanctioned by Google itself. 

Google’s first tablet since the Pixel Slate has been trailed by the company for nearly a year since getting mentioned at last year’s I/O event, and here it’s part of its contribution to Milan Design Week. There, Google has an installation called “Shaped by Water” where many of its products appear including the unreleased Pixel Tablet, captured by Saori Masuda on Instagram.

You have to scroll to the last video to see it, but the Pixel Tablet appears on a table with assorted Pixel products including the Buds, Watch and various phones. 

For a pre-release device, the Pixel Tablet and its smartscreen converting dock have already been quite widely showcased, so there’s not much new from the video, though it is helpful to see three of its colors in the real world — a pinky coral shade alongside both a light and dark gray. Interestingly, it looks like buyers will have a choice of bezel colors with both a black and white version displayed in docked mode.

It feels like there’s a good chance that Google is gearing up for a full unveiling of both the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet at the upcoming I/O event, which kicks off in just over two weeks’ time on May 10. We’ll have full coverage here at Tom’s Guide as it happens.

In the meantime, check out our Google I/O 2023 hub for all the latest news and leaks heading up to the event. 

Pricing for the Google Pixel Tablet may have just been revealed by journalist and leaker Roland Quandt, who says the slate will cost between €600 - 650

If we convert that directly into dollars and pounds, then we get $658 - 713 or £529 - 573. However, due to tax differences between countries, it can sometimes help to look at the pricing of equivalent products in the same regions.

Looking at euro pricing for other popular tablets, we see that the 10.9-inch iPad starts at €579, and the iPad Air 2022 starts at €769. The cheapest Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 goes for €879, meaning whether you compare the Pixel tablet with its closest iPad or Android tablet rivals, it looks like it'll be only slightly cheaper. 

That's unfortunate given that the Pixel 7 series of smartphones are sold for quite a bit less than their rivals, and has helped Google increase its Pixel user base. Google's going to have to try harder than usual to persuade users that the Pixel Tablet is a worthy rival for the best tablets on sale today.

Quandt also mentions in the leak that the Pixel Tablet will be available in Porcelain or Haze colorways, and be offered in 128GB and 256GB versions. Previous rumors have indicated that Google's chosen to use a Tensor G2 chip and 8GB RAM in the Pixel Tablet, which should provide decent, but not outstanding, performance figures based on our tests on the chip with the Pixel 7.

Pixel Tablet Stand pricing also leaks

The Pixel Tablet Stand docking station looks to be just as important to the user's experience as the slate itself. Conveniently its price has also just leaked thanks to Amazon (via 9to5Google), which gives it as $129.

Adding that to the price rumored before, and it looks as if you'll be paying close to $800 for the full Pixel Tablet experience. Since the dock allows the tablet to be used like a smart display when not in active use, while also providing charging and a more powerful speaker, it's arguably a worthwhile purchase, even if it dulls the Google tablet's pricing edge even further.

Google first showed the Pixel Tablet off last year at Google I/O 2022, with more details emerging at the launch of the Pixel 7 series. So with Google I/O 2023 on May 10, we're now expecting it to debut fully a year after its first teaser. It most likely won't be alone on stage though, as the rumor mill is claiming we'll see the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a appear at I/O also.

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• Google Pixel 7a renders give us our first good look at Google's upcoming budget phone

Google first told us about the Google Pixel Tablet last May but, despite all that time, there are still a bunch of things we don’t know about it. Fortunately a new leak may fill in those missing gaps, and reveal some key Pixel Tablet specs. All courtesy of sources speaking to 9to5Google.

Those sources claim the Pixel Tablet will come with the Tensor G2 chipset and 8GB of RAM, alongside two different storage options. It’s not stated what those storage options are, but we suspect that 128GB and 256GB are the options we’re most likely to see.

Those sources also claim the Charging Speaker Dock, which has already leaked multiple times, will be included in the box. That means your Pixel Tablet can function as a Smart Home Hub without making you spend any extra money. Apparently the mysterious third button on the side of the tablet will be a privacy switch, as previously speculated, further cementing the device as a smart home display.

The tablet will connect to the doc via the rear pogo pins, which will supply power. Sadly the tablet will apparently not have a USB-C charging brick in the box, which will set you back an extra $25 if you don’t already have a suitable power source.

Colors and cases

Two more colors are also said to be coming, alongside the green and beige models that have already been seen. What those colors are hasn’t been divulged, but the tablet is said to have an “aluminum body with a nanoceramic finish” — supposedly akin to porcelain. 

Finally Google is said to be offering an official Pixel Tablet case, while the device itself will run on Android 13 — as we expected. 9to5Google claims that the sources didn’t divulge a release date, but another has tipped the device for a June release.

Expect to hear all about the Google Pixel Tablet at Google I/O 2023 on May 10, alongside plenty of other products. Recent rumors suggest the Google Pixel 7a will go on sale almost immediately after the keynote presentation, while the Google Pixel Fold may go on sale on June 27.

The event may also include our first look at the Pixel 8 series, plenty of details about the upcoming Android 14, and other major Google announcements for the year ahead. 

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We already know that the Google Pixel Tablet won’t just be a tablet. Google has confirmed it will be able to moonlight as a smart home hub, similar to a Nest Hub, thanks to a specialized dock. Now a new leak might reveal another feature that will let the tablet compete as a smart display — a privacy switch.

Leaker SnoopyTech shared two images of the Pixel Tablet, covering the front and rear of the device. Those images show off a number of details about the tablet, including three separate buttons on the right hand side. This will naturally include a power button and volume rocker, but what about the third? A privacy switch makes the most sense.

Privacy switches are a common feature on smart home speakers and displays, and it makes sense the Pixel Tablet would have one as well. The fact is, you don’t always want your smart home devices to be able to see or hear you at all times. So they tend to give you the option to switch off the microphone and camera in this manner.

Other features of note include two speaker cutouts on the left side of the tablet, surrounding a centered USB-C port. There’s also a single rear camera, which we knew about, and four metal dots. Those dots will no doubt be used to help connect the Pixel Tablet to its dock, or potentially other accessories, much like the Smart Connector on Apple’s iPad.

Interestingly there also seem to be two protrusions on the bottom of the tablet, and it’s not immediately clear what they’re for. Given their position it’s likely that they’ll also be playing some role in connecting the Pixel Tablet to accessories.

Though based on pictures we’ve already seen, including some from SnoopyTech, those myertay protrusions won’t help connect the Pixel Tablet to its smart home dock. It’s more likely that it has something to do with keyboards or some other kind of productivity accessory.

Google first unveiled the Pixel Tablet at Google I/O 2022, promising it would be launching at some point in 2023. So far we’ve heard nothing from the company on when the tablet might arrive. But, considering Google I/O 2023 is just a few short weeks away, odds are pretty high that it’ll make an appearance.

Sadly we don’t know when it might go on sale, or even how much it will cost, so we’re just going to have to be patient. Don’t expect the tablet to be alone at I/O, though. We’re also expecting appearances from the Google Pixel Fold, the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8 series and potentially another generation of the Pixel Watch.

That’s alongside the usual collection of Android announcements ahead of Android 14’s launch later this year. So sit tight, be patient, and we’ll bring you the latest Google Pixel Tablet and I/O news as and when we hear it.

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Google has quietly revealed that it will end support for some of the best smart displays as the search giant shifts focus to its own devices instead.

According to a support article on how to use the now-defunct Google Duo on a smart display spotted by 9to5Google, the company says that it will no longer update third-party smart displays from Lenovo, JBL and LG.

Without new updates, Google notes that “this could impact the quality of video calls and meetings.” However, as the proud owner of one of these no-longer-supported smart displays — the Lenovo Smart Display — I doubt anyone ever actually used them for video calls due to being forced to use Google Duo. 

I picked up the 10-inch version of the Lenovo Smart Display when it was first released and to this day, it’s one of the three smart home devices I can’t live without. It sits prominently on a countertop in my kitchen and I’ve found its larger display is perfect for watching YouTube videos or looking at my photos in Google Photos.

Even though Google won’t be sending out any more updates to my Lenovo Smart Display, I plan on using it for as long as I can.

Filling the gaps left in Google’s smart display lineup

Before Google released its own smart display in the form of the Google Home Hub (which was later rebranded to the Google Nest Hub), there were only third-party smart displays with Google Assistant from the company’s hardware partners.

Lenovo, LG and JBL were tasked with making the first smart displays using Google Assistant which were designed to go head to head with the original Echo Show. Despite leading the charge for the search giant as it looked to take on the best Alexa speakers, these third-party smart displays are being abandoned in the same way that many of Google’s best products have been in the past.

Even when the Nest Hub made its debut, its 7-inch display just couldn't hold a candle to the 10-inch Lenovo Smart Display. Its large size made it much better at being a smart home hub than a device designed for your bedside table.

Besides its large display and equally large speaker grill, the 10-inch version of the Lenovo Smart Display also had something else going for it — the bamboo paneling at the rear. Sure, you might not even see it but it was something that truly set this device apart from the competition at the time and this still holds true today.

While I’ve since picked up an Echo Show 15 which I’ve mounted to the wall near the door to my garage, the Lenovo Smart Display has remained a central fixture in my kitchen. In addition to being able to easily access YouTube on it, one of the main reasons I still prefer it to the Echo Show 15 is that Amazon’s largest smart display doesn’t play videos when mounted vertically — even with the recent Fire TV update installed.

I also now own a Nest Hub Max which I have under a monitor in my office. However, even though it has a 10-inch screen too, the speaker grill to the left of the Lenovo Smart Display and its larger bezels still make it feel like a much bigger device, which is perfect for in the kitchen.

Pixel tablet to the rescue?

While I plan on using my Lenovo Smart Display for as long as utterly possible, Google does have a plan for a larger smart display — but there is a gimmick involved.

As the best Android tablets just don’t seem to be flying off the shelves like they used to, the search giant plans to offer a combined tablet/smart display hybrid with its new Pixel Tablet. Unlike other smart displays which remain immobile, this new device will sit on a dock when being used as a smart display but you can also pick it up and use it as a tablet.

For most people, this will likely prove far more useful but for someone like me that has a home filled with the best smart home devices, I'm concerned. Adding a battery and all of the other things a smart display needs to be a tablet will surely drive up the price. When you want to have smart speakers or even smart displays in every room of your house, this added price will make it difficult to build out a DIY smart home on a budget.

With the economy being the way it is and smart home device fatigue setting in, Google’s pivot with the Pixel Tablet makes sense. But for me, I still prefer a wired smart display that stays in place, especially now that I have a one year old running around my home.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Pixel Tablet will actually deliver but we will hopefully get a much better look at the device and its capabilities at Google I/O 2023 in May. Even then though, my Lenovo Smart Display and others like it from JBL and LG did help pave the way for Google’s smart displays as well as the upcoming Pixel Tablet.

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At its October event last year, Google gave us the briefest of glimpses at its Pixel Tablet, confirming a long-standing rumor that the company would allow its upcoming tablet to moonlight as a Nest Hub. It's essentially aiming to be both a portable tablet and Nest Hub-like smart display in one.

Now SnoopyTech — a leaker with a decent track record — has provided product shots of the Pixel Tablet dock which the tipster calls the “Google Pixel Tablet Stand”. Whether or not that’s the official name isn’t made clear, but as utilitarian a brand name as it sounds, it sounds plausible given Google already makes a product simply called ‘Pixel Stand’.

As you can see from the pictures embedded in the tweet above, it really does look like somebody took a Nest Hub and cut off the screen.

For comparison, here’s what the Nest Hub Max looks like:

The fabric-covered stand/speaker combination has a flat pill-shaped surface at an angle which the tablet magnetically clips to while it charges on the four exposed pogo pins. A single port on the rear ensures the accessory is minimalist in the extreme.

Notably, it looks a lot like the pre-release Pixel Tablet and dock that popped up on Facebook Marketplace last year.

Meet Hub Mode 

Thanks to the latest APK dive from 9to5Google, we also have an idea of how the Pixel Tablet will function when attached to the dock. Digging into the Google Home app, the site found that the Pixel Tablet enters “Hub Mode” when docked, which enables features like the ability to cast content.

The site also found a string called “people_devices_hubmode_answer,” which appears to voice match to the owner of the tablet for voice commands. “Everyone else will be treated as a guest,” it adds.

It looks like the dock itself is treated as a speaker within Google Home, with the ability to assign it to a room as you would any other smart home device in the app. Hopefully, that means you’ll be able to buy more than one to dock the tablet as you move from around the house.

Ahead of the iPad and HomePod

The only thing we know about the Pixel Tablet’s release date is that it’s pegged for this year. But with Google I/O 2023 confirmed for May 10, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if it arrived sooner rather than later.

While Google won’t be the first company to create a dock that turns a tablet into a smart speaker — Amazon has experimented with ‘Show Mode charging dock’ which turns Fire Tablets into portable Echo Shows — adding a chunky speaker to the equation could be a game changer.

But it could have competition to come. Last year, it emerged that Apple is also experimenting with ways of turning iPads into smart displays for the home. 

That could be a big deal: While Apple really only has the HomePod and HomePod mini in the smart home space at the moment, there are an awful lot of iPads in the world — it’s the, after all.

If the Pixel Tablet’s release is imminent, then Google has a significant head start here, given the HomePod with screen has reportedly slipped to 2024. Hopefully Google's implementation with the Pixel Tablet will be strong enough to ensure Apple has to pull out all the stops with its own offering.  

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Update: Our Google I/O 2023 live blog is up and running. Follow along for all the big news. 

It's the day of Google I/O 2023, and we've got plenty to look forward to. Google's already confirmed the Pixel Fold is coming today, and we should also get a glance at the Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet and Android 14. Maybe we'll hear some things about Google's AI efforts too, such as the latest on Google Bard.

 kicks off soon, and Google has confirmed that the Pixel Fold will appear on May 10, so expect to hear plenty about this new foldable phone.

Google I/O will be a single-day affair this year, a change from the past when I/O took up a couple of days. It sounds as if the event will begin as always with a keynote, and that's where we're likely to hear about Google's latest product news and announcements. 

Here's more information about Google I/O 2023, including details about the event itself as well as what we're likely to hear during the opening keynote from CEO Sundar Pichai and other Google executives.

Google I/O 2023 latest news (Updated May 10)

• It's Google I/O day, but there are still Pixel 7a leaks coming out.
• Bard bombshell — Google AI plans just leaked ahead of I/O 2023
• Google’s AI search makeover just leaked ahead of Google I/O 2023 — what we know
• An Amazon listing has tipped the Google Pixel Tablet specs and price ahead of Google I/O. 

Google I/O 2023: Date and location

Google I/O 2023 will take place on Wednesday, May 10. That's in line with when Google normally holds its developers conference — last year's edition took place on May 11 and May 12, for example.

There will be an in-person event at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., a venue that's just down the street from Google headquarters. Most people will attend virtually, though since Google streams its developer conference.

The Google I/O 2023 website promises a kickoff keynote that gets underway at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT/ 6 p.m. BST on May 10. A developer keynote will follow afterward, diving into more detail on tools available to Google developers. You can find a full Google I/O 2013 schedule listing the different presentations.

The Google I/O 2023 agenda doesn't provide any specific details about what's in store on May 10. But we can make some educated guesses about what's on tap, given Google's past announcements and rumors about the company's current plans.

Google I/O 2023: Bard and AI

Google Bard is just the start of the company's grand plans for AI-powered search. According to a report in The New York Times, Samsung is considering ditching Google as the default search engine for its devices in favor of Bing. And Google is feverishly working on the next stage of its search engine which will integrate a chatbot. 

Dubbed Project Magi, Google has reportedly devoted a large portion of its staff to accelerating the implementation of AI into its search engine. And it will open up testing to one million users at first. 

Magi would include a mix of search results and search queries that could lead to a financial transaction, such as buying shoes or booking a flight, for example, and would still feature ads on their results pages.

The Times' report says that "the system would learn what users want to know based on what they’re searching when they begin using it. And it would offer lists of preselected options for objects to buy, information to research and other information. It would also be more conversational — a bit like chatting with a helpful person."

While initially it was expected that Magi would take a while to be unveiled, there's a chance we could see it officially announced at I/O 2023. A recent Wall Street Journal report leaked Google's AI search makeover and it's now expected that we see a totally revamped search engine at I/O this year. This new search engine will focus on AI integration, but will also take aim at social media apps like TikTok, which had been stealing market share from Search in recent years.

A different report claims that Google might integrate Bard onto its Pixel phones — something we could see at Google I/O 2023 with the number of hardware introductions reportedly on tap.

However, a report on May 9 may have leaked Google's entire AI game plan for I/O 2023. In this report, leaked documents indicated that Google plans to launch updates not only to Bard — including potential multimodal functionality — but that Google will unveil a new large language model (LLM) called PaLM 2 to power its AI tools. Google also could announce new AI integrations to Google Workspace apps such as Sheets, Slides and Meet according to these leaked documents.

Google I/O 2023: Android 14

The latest version of Android almost always gets a showcase during Google I/O, and we can't imagine 2023 will be much different. For this year's show, the focus will be on Android 14, the next version of Google's mobile operating system set to come out in late summer.

The first developer preview of Android 14 came out in February, followed by Developer Preview 2 just a day after Google set the date for I/O. We've now got an Android 14 beta that's available to download, too.

Even though that first beta is out, the I/O keynote traditionally serves as an excellent platform for alerting people to Android updates, new features and enhancements. We expect that to continue with Google I/O 2023.

Thanks to the Android 14 developer previews and the beta release, we already know some of Android 14's features. Highlights include app cloning, which allows you to use one app with different sign-in credentials, and a guest profile for using the phone app. Android 14 seemingly adds a predictive back gesture that brings up a preview of the page you're going back to when you swipe and hold. 

Google's also working on a more powerful photo picker, a new Health Connect app and expanded game controller support. In Developer Preview 2, we learned more about Google's plans to use passkeys in lieu of passwords, matching an effort Apple has made with recent software updates for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Google I/O 2023 will be our first chance to see some of these features in action and to learn about any other capabilities planned for Android 14 before its arrival toward the end of summer.

Google I/O 2023: Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold and more

While software is the focus at Google I/O, Google's not shy about its hardware plans, particularly in recent years. It's possible that's going to continue at Google I/O 2023 if only to deal with some lingering devices previewed last year.

Google Pixel Tablet: After previewing the Android-based Pixel Tablet last year, Google has yet to fully launch its next tablet. But a big Pixel Tablet leak not only revealed pretty much all the specs, but is a sure-fire clue that we'll see the tablet get launched at I/O 2023.

The Pixel Tablet appears likely to offer a 10.95-inch display with a Tensor chipset providing the engine. There's also some talk of a stylus shipping with the Pixel Tablet.

Purported video footage of the Pixel Tablet at Milan Design Week in April showcased it in three colors: a pinky coral shade alongside both a light and dark gray. Interestingly, buyers may have a choice of bezel colors with both a black and white version displayed in docked mode.

A separate Pixel Tablet listing on Amazon Japan has tipped the full specs and possible pricing, so it could be in the $500 to $600 range.  

Pixel 7a: The Google Pixel 7a should be Google's new value-priced phone (and possibly its last), and it's expected to hit retail stores as early as May 10, so it should be ready to go on sale by the time Google I/O 2023 rolls around. A subsequent tease from Google itself says the phone should be available the day of Google I/O. Leaked Pixel 7a specs, ads and hands-on give us a pretty good idea of what to expect, including fun-looking orange and pale blue colors. And early hands-on videos of the Pixel 7a have petty much ruined any surprises the phone could have up its sleeve. 

Nevertheless, a highlight for the Pixel 7a could be a display with a 90Hz refresh rate, though we're not certain if Google will want to reserve that capability for its regular Pixel flagship. There's also a possibility of an improved 60MP main camera, Face Unlock and wireless charging.

Read more on the Pixel 7a rumors that excite us.

Pixel Fold: One item we know will make an appearance at Google I/O is the new Pixel Fold. After the FCC signed off on the foldable phone, a Google tweet promised that the Pixel Fold will launch on May 10.

As you can see in the above teaser shot, the Pixel Fold will be a phone that opens up to reveal a larger screen similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and likely costs the same too. 

Speaking of the display, the Pixel Fold has been tipped to have the edge over the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, as it's expected to make use of "M13" display materials from Samsung Display, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to use M12. What advantages the M13 materials will bring isn't clear, but they could be tougher to resist more folds, as well as deliver better colors, contrast and brightness. A slew of Pixel Fold specs have purportedly been leaked so far along with official-looking renders that show off the device

Purported video footage of a Pixel Fold prototype has also come to light, showing off curved edges that appear to match previous renders. The internal bezels look to be on the chunky side, and it appears to require a bit of force to open up into tablet mode. 

Pixel 8: It's possible that Google could tease the design and topline features of the Google Pixel 8 at Google I/O 2023 without going into a ton of detail, just as it did for the Pixel 7 at I/O 2022. A full reveal would come later. We've already seen some leaked Pixel 8 renders and Pixel 8 Pro renders, so it could happen. 

Pixel Watch 2: Google could also tease the Pixel Watch 2 at Google I/O, as it's rumored that the Pixel Watch 2 will launch alongside the Pixel 8 later this year. Check out our Pixel Watch 2 hub for the upgrades we want to see. 

Google I/O 2023 outlook

With Google I/O 2023 rapidly approaching, we expect the pace of rumors to pick up considerably. Look for more details about potential hardware releases to emerge ahead of the keynote, as we prepare to get our first official glimpse at some new Google devices.

Google has been working on a Pixel Tablet to accompany the Google Pixel series, but while it's apparently been working on two versions of its slate, we may only see one launch according to tipster Kuba Wojciechowski.

It was previously rumored that there would be both a base version and a ‘pro’ model of the Pixel Tablet, but Wojciechowski has rebuked this claim, citing a Google code-commit.

Originally codenamed ‘Tangor’ and ‘TangorPro’, these monikers are supposedly assigned to a base tablet with the first generation Google Tensor chip and a supposed ‘pro’ model with the Tensor G2 chip that impressed us in the Google Pixel 7.

Kuba Wojciechowski now believes that the sole Pixel Tablet — destined to hit the market this year — would be the one with the G2 Tensor chip, and that the base model has been scrapped. 

What's more, Wojciechowski has provided alleged images of the tablet, which they also posted on Twitter. The images show the tablet on a dock similar to the Google Nest, with a rear camera in the top right corner, a front camera on the long side, and like recent iPad generations, no physical home button. 

Wojciechowski has also claimed some supposed specs for the Pixel Tablet. The tablet will supposedly feature 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage, and likely an LCD display. An OLED panel looks unlikely since Wojciechowski found evidence of a display driver that is “typically used for driving the backlight layer on LCDs.” 

While there is no OLED iPad currently, it does seem only a matter of time before Apple brings the technology to its tablets. If Google wants the Pixel to be established as one of the best Android tablets or to compete with Apple, future iterations will surely need to embrace OLED.  

The Pixel Tablet was first announced all the way back in May 2022, but other than one popping up on FaceBook marketplace, details on the tablet have been hard to find. Hopefully, Google will finally launch the tablet this year to provide the all-conquering iPad family some new competition.

Android 13 QPR2 is now in its second beta for Pixel phones and that means a slew of new features waiting to be discovered — if you know where to look. QPR2 beta 1 came out in December with the highlights being evidence of a clock customization system and screensaver that could show weather conditions, media and home controls, along with additional "At a Glance"-style information alongside the Pixel’s clock, in either regular-light or low-light situations.

This second beta also seems focused on increased customization, particularly on the lock screen. But the real showstopper is that Google is bringing its Material You theme to all your phone’s apps whether app developers like it or not. 

Android expert Mishaal Rahman posted a long Twitter thread recently on all the features he’s found so far in this new Android 13 beta and it looks like this new beta allows users to generate monochromatic Material You icons for any app, even if the developer has not provided a monochromatic option. 

It isn’t easy to access this feature — Google’s beta features for Android typically aren’t, and we don’t recommend testing them on your daily device. Plus, you will need to root your Android phone to do so. To turn it on, you’ll need to go into Settings and toggle “ENABLE_FORCED_MONO_ICON.” Once that is done, all apps that support the feature will turn monochromatic based on your current Material You theme.

But that’s not the only fun update that lets you express yourself on your Pixel phone. This latest beta also adds support for Unicode 15 emojis, increasing the emojis you can use while communicating with your friends.

Android 13 QPR2 beta 2: New Lock screen features 

Another big focus of this latest beta is improved Lock screen shortcuts. Android now appears to support the ability to customize shortcuts on the lock screen. The new beta source code shows the appearance of a "Shortcuts" page in the Lock screen display settings menu that will let you customize what Google is currently calling “keyguard quick affordances.” 

While this potential feature update is buried in the source code and not visible in the current beta, it appears that Wallet and Home Control shortcuts are the first shortcuts Google has in mind for lock screen access. There is also apparently a QR code scanner shortcut available but it is currently disabled by default and it seems a camera shortcut and a flashlight shortcut are slated for the future. According to Rahman, these shortcuts could be customizable in the same menu as the Lock screen clock.

Aside from these potential shortcuts, there is one other Lock screen feature hidden in the new beta. Rahman says that Android 13 QPR2 beta 2 now lets you control your smart home devices from the lock screen, but there’s a catch. The respective smart home app needs to support this feature for it to work. To turn on this feature for all eligible apps, toggle “Show device controls” in the Lock screen display settings menu.

Android 13 QPR2 beta 2: Tablet-focused features 

Pixel phones aren’t the only ones getting some feature updates in beta 2. The Google Pixel Tablet is getting a feature called “Dock defender” which pauses charging on the tablet when it is docked when the battery hits a certain percentage charged. Rahman indicates this percentage is likely 80% and is similar to the Pixel phones’ “Battery defender” feature. 

If you want your battery to hit a full 100% you can bypass this feature for now. However, these features are aimed at extending the life of your device’s battery and are worth considering. I use a similar feature on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra that caps my charge at 85% and I’ve managed to survive so far.

There is also a tablet-style taskbar that we saw glimpses of in QPR2 beta 1. This taskbar is movable and hideable rather than a permanent UI fixture and is now enabled by default in this second beta. While it is available on eligible Pixel phones, it felt to us like it was designed with the Pixel Tablet or rumored Google Pixel Fold in mind. It remains to be seen how much of an improvement it is — if at all — over the current Android taskbar on a normal smartphone 

Android 13 QPR2 beta 2: Productivity upgrades and other updates 

There are a few other changes in this latest Android 13 beta worth mentioning. First, if you have a work profile set up on your Pixel phone, the screenshots you take in an app running in your work profile will save in that profile’s screenshots folder rather than your personal screenshots folder. Definitely a niche change, but for those who use it the improved filing is likely a positive. 

Android 13 QPR2 beta 2 also brings a still-in-development screen-sharing feature. This feature allows you to share or record from just an app rather than having to share or record your entire screen.

Spatial audio also looks set to possibly come to the Pixel 7 when using the phone’s speakers rather than just when using headphones. The feature still appears disabled for now, but Rahman found a shared library that indicates Google is at least considering the upgrade.

Finally, eSIM upgrades hidden in the beta source code indicate that Pixel phones may soon get increased eSIM support. Rahman states that these changes could allow you to transfer an eSIM from an old Android phone, though it could be limited to just Pixel phones to start. While eSIM has some drawbacks, it also has some major advantages — especially when traveling.

If you want to experience everything Android 13 has to offer, you’ll need to get a Pixel phone. Specially, you’ll want a Google Pixel 7 or Google Pixel 7 Pro to ensure you get access to all the latest and greatest features. The Pixel 7 Pro in particular sits on our list of the best phones we’ve tested and there are tons of great deals available on it right now. 

Google has had a strong 2022 with the Pixel hardware line. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have been compelling refinements of the revolutionary Pixel 6 series; the Pixel 6a proved you don't need a whole lot of money to get Google's best features; and the Pixel Watch was a decent first try to introduce a smartwatch companion to these phones.

But now it's time to consider what next year's got in store for Pixel.

Based on news, rumors and some safe assumptions, we've put together this list of likely and definite Google Pixel hardware launches for the coming year. Take a look so you can mark your calendars extra early for the probable launch dates and what to expect from the Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8 and more.

Google Pixel 7a

The Pixel a-series is possibly Google's best overall product thanks to its well-chosen blend of features for a very reasonable price. We're currently on the Pixel 6a, so we'd imagine that come Google I/O in May, we'll have the Pixel 7a to try out.

About the only complaint we can level at the Pixel 6a is that its battery life isn't that good, something that seems to be common to all Google Pixel products. All we'd ask for otherwise is for Google to continue honing its photo processing software, add rumored features like a 90Hz display and wireless charging and to squeeze more power from its Tensor chips to shore up what's currently the top of our best cheap phones list. Just as long as it doesn't shift from its perfectly situated $450 pricing.

Google Pixel Tablet

Google's already told us about the Pixel Tablet, but there are a lot of unknowns still. We know it's coming in the new year, although we don't know when precisely.

It'll run on the same Tensor G2 chipset as the Pixel 7 series, seems to have a large display and a dock that lets you use the Tablet as a Nest Hub-like smart display. Plus there could be a Pro version coming at some point, too. Google's definitely targeted a different use-case to the best tablets on sale right now, and we're interested to see if that helps the Pixel Tablet stand out or just distracts from what people actually want their tablets for.

Google Pixel Fold

After years of rumors, May 2023's Google I/O may finally bring us Google's first foldable phone. Supposedly looking a lot like the Pixel 7, and containing some of the same internals like the Tensor G2 chipset and some of the cameras, the Pixel Fold could finally bring some competition to Samsung, whose Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models have effectively been the best foldable phones by default so far.

With stock Android now becoming better suited to tablet and folding devices, plus Google's habit of gracing their products with some Pixel-only software tricks, the Pixel Fold should be stuffed with good ideas. But as a first-gen foldable, the risk of hardware problems seems high. Let's hope Google's put just as much focus on the physical aspects of the Pixel Fold, as Pixels do have an unfortunate reputation for being unreliable and buggy at launch.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

Topping the list of Google's expected products in 2023 will be the follow-up to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 series, expected to arrive in the fall. And after the amazing quality of the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel 6 series before it, we have high hopes again for how these phones will turn out.

We should expect another pair of flagship-grade phones focussed on handy software tricks and simple-to-use but powerful photography. However, we'd like to see Google address the lacking performance and poor battery optimization of the Tensor series chips. If those can be ironed out, even if by only a little, then the Pixel 8 series would stand a much stronger chance of landing a hiring sport on our best phones list. 

The trick is pushing the envelope while keeping the pricing aggressively low.

Google Pixel Watch 2

Google finally brought out its first Pixel-branded smartwatch in October this year, and while it's not guaranteed we'll get a Pixel Watch 2 in 2023, it seems reasonable that Google would follow Apple and Samsung's example in bringing out a sequel.

The Pixel Watch is an attractive smartwatch full of features, thanks to the deep integration with Fitbit fitness tracking and Google Assistant. The two main things we'd like the Pixel Watch 2 to do is shrink the current model's chunky bezel, ideally by increasing the screen size, and to improve the battery life beyond a single day. That way it would easily jump up on our best smartwatches list.

It looks like the Google Pixel Tablet is the latest product to leak well ahead of its intended release date, thanks to an alleged prototype going up for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

Screenshots of the ad have been posted by ShrimpApplePro over on Twitter, alongside various images of the device. The ad lists the tablet for $400, which includes the speaker dock and charging cable. While there’s always the chance this is an elaborate hoax, everything in the ad does seem to line up with Google’s various teases over the past few months.

It looks as though the device has only just been set up, giving us an idea of what the Pixel Tablet’s default look is. Naturally you’ve got all the major Google apps there, like Chrome, Duo, YouTube and Gmail, and only 24GB of storage has been used — 22GB of which is for system files. 

The tablet offers 256GB of storage, but that doesn’t discount the possibility of a 128GB model. Battery life is estimated to last 16 hours at 70%, and Google has included a ‘taskbar’ of sorts at the bottom of the screen, letting you access multiple apps and the app drawer.

These images also give us a proper look at what the Pixel Tablet’s dock may look like. Unsurprisingly, it looks an awful lot like the dock from the Google Nest Hub, almost identical in fact. The only key difference is that the Pixel Tablet can be removed, which would further suggest that this is the Nest Hub with a detachable screen that’s been rumored for so long.

As someone who doesn’t use a tablet very often, I can see the appeal of this set up. Rather than letting the Pixel Tablet sit in a drawer for extended periods, you can keep it safe while it takes on the secondary role as a smart home hub — essentially becoming a Google Nest Hub. 

It’s a feature that’s been hinted at before, with mentions in Android’s base code and an update for the Google Home app. The advantage here is that the Pixel Tablet is a fully-fledged Android tablet as well, should you need it, with all the apps and services Android has to offer. The Pixel Tablet’s bezel, while pretty chunky by iPad standards, is much thinner than the Nest Hub as well.

As informative as this Facebook Marketplace listing may be, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Pixel Tablet right now. But I wouldn’t be surprised if this leads to a whole bunch more information appearing online. Whether that’s because someone buys this particular tablet and spills its secrets, or if more devices make their way out into the world. It wouldn’t be the first time Google misplaced a whole bunch of Pixel products months ahead of release.

We still don’t know when the Pixel Tablet will actually launch, just that it's coming in 2023. Here’s hoping this leak means we’re not that far off getting our hands on the real thing.

The Google Pixel Tablet ($499 to start) was unveiled at Google I/O 2023 this week, giving us our first true glimpse of the company’s new Android tablet. (Update: Check out our hands-on with the Google Pixel Tablet.)

While the 11-inch Pixel Tablet looks as portable as any iPad, Google is pitching it as a tablet designed specifically for (smart) home use. 

Every Pixel Tablet comes with a Charging Speaker Dock included, and when you pop the tablet in the dock it enters a special Hub Mode that lets you use it as a photo frame, a media player or a voice-controlled assistant via Google’s software suite. What's more, Google is taking a page from Samsung's playboook by pitching the new tablet as optimized to complement to its existing portfolio of Android devices, including the Pixel Watch and phones like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

It’s a fairly unique pitch for a slate, one the Pixel Tablet is well-equipped to deliver on thanks to Google’s well-established software ecosystem. The company is reportedly working to ensure Google apps like Google Meet, Google TV and Google Photos are optimized for the 11-inch display, and the Tensor G2 chip powering this device gives it the muscle to handle video calls, photo editing and tablet gaming.

Here’s everything we know so far about the Google Pixel Tablet, which looks to be a strong contender for one of the best Android tablets (and one of the best tablets period) of 2023. 

Google Pixel tablet: Specs

Google Pixel tablet: Price and availability

 The Google Pixel Tablet is available for pre-order right now via Google’s website for a starting price of $499 in the U.S. and £599 in the U.K., with units expected to hit store shelves in May 2023. However, its Amazon listing notes that it will ship on June 20.

You have your choice of three color options: Hazel, Porcelain or Rose.

The entry-level model comes with an 11-inch (2560 x 1600) 16:10 LCD display, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can pay more to double the storage to 256GB, and Google also sells a range of accessories for the tablet, including a $79 case with built-in stand that can be kept on the tablet while it’s docked. 

Speaking of docks, you can drop $129 for each additional one you want to buy, if you want to have multiple docks in your home.

Google Pixel tablet: Design

Measuring 10.2 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches and weighing just over a pound (17.4 ounces, to be specific), the Google Pixel Tablet is just a smidge larger and heavier than the base iPad 2022. With its rounded aluminum chassis and matte nano-ceramic coating there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a tablet, and the light-up Google logo on the rear lets you know where it came from.

There are 8MP cameras on the front and rear, as well as 3 microphones and four speakers inside the tablet. You’ll find the power button and volume rocker along the upper-left edge when holding the tablet like a portrait, and the power button has a fingerprint reader built into it for security. There's a also a physical privacy switch you can use to disable the microphone and camera.

Google Pixel tablet: Display

The Google Pixel tablet sports an 11-inch (technically 10.95-inch, thanks to the rounded edges) 16:10 LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. That means it’s got a pixel density of 276 pixels per inch (PPI), which is slightly higher than the roughly 264 PPI offered by the screen on the base iPad. 

Google claims the screen can achieve up to 500 nits of brightness, which is comparable to the base iPad and pretty bright for an Android tablet. Of course, we’re eager to get one into our lab for testing so we can see for ourselves how the reality stacks up against the promise.

Google Pixel tablet: Cameras

Google’s Pixel Tablet packs a pair of 8MP shooters on front and rear. Both have the same field of view and image sensor size, and they’re both capable of capturing 1080p video at 30 frames per second (FPS). The one thing the front camera can do that the rear camera can’t? Portrait mode.

They also support a suite of software enhancements like video stabilization, photo-unblurring and Magic Eraser (in the Google Photos app) thanks to the Tensor G2 chip.

Google Pixel tablet: Battery life

Google claims the Pixel Tablet can last up to 12 hours while streaming video, though that number was arrived at via internal testing streaming 1080p YouTube videos via Wi-Fi.

Will you get similar battery life when using the tablet at home, or out and about? We can’t say for sure, but when we get one in for testing we can’t wait to put it through our own battery testing regimen to see how it holds up.

Google Pixel tablet: Software

Google is pitching the Pixel Tablet as a slate that does double duty as a smart home hub, so the fact that it supports a wide variety of Google and Android software is a key selling point.

Notably, Google claims to have optimized over 50 of its own apps for the 11-inch display on the Pixel Tablet, and hopefully we’ll see more developers doing the same as the device moves through the market. The company also claims this is the first tablet with built-in support for Chromecast, and when it’s in Hub Mode (more on that shortly) you can cast media directly to it from another device.

This is also the first tablet to sport Google’s Tensor G2 chip and thus the first tablet to offer the sort of software and AI-like functionality usually seen in Google’s Pixel phones. That includes the protection afforded by the company’s Titan M2 security chip as well as fun effects like the afore-mentioned Magic Eraser in Google Photos.

Google Pixel tablet: Speaker dock and Hub Mode

Every Google Pixel Tablet comes with a Charging Speaker Dock included free of charge, which goes a long way towards selling the company’s vision of this slate as the centerpiece of your smart home. 

The dock has magnets designed to make attaching the tablet easy, and inside it has speakers that (according to Google) deliver up to 4x the bass of the tablet itself. 

When you dock the tablet it enters Hub Mode, at which point you can use it hands-free via voice commands and configure it to act as a media hub or digital photo frame. Google claims to have put some thought into how its apps work on the tablet in this context, doing little things like optimizing it to adjust screen brightness for ambient brightness automatically when acting as a digital photo frame, for example.

Google Pixel tablet: Outlook

The Google Pixel Tablet is priced like an iPad competitor, but the fact that it’s pitched as a slate that doubles as a smart home hub gives it a unique selling point. If it really works as well as advertised, it could compete favorably with both Apple's iPad and Amazon smart home hubs like the Echo Show 10. 

Now, we just have to wait and see if the Pixel Tablet can deliver on Google’s promises.

If it can, the Pixel Tablet looks like it could bring some stiff competition against the best tablets on the market in 2023. The fact that the Pixel Tablet is basically the same size, weight and price as the base iPad (yet comes with a speaker-equipped charging dock for free) makes comparing the two inevitable and exciting. Stay tuned for our full review of Google’s latest tablet to see how they stack up!

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Google will launch its Google Pixel Tablet in 2023 and while we know it is poised to be a two-in-one smart screen that can also become a smart home hub when docked on a speaker stand — what isn't known yet is how the UI will look and feel on the tablet.

Leaked images recently showed what Google Assistant and Discover could look like on the tablet. Now, on its relatively low-profile Workspace Updates blog, Google has just provided a GIF which may give us an early glimpse of what the upcoming Pixel Tablet’s UI will look like.

The update shows the company’s latest efforts in ensuring a “top-class user experience on large screen devices” and shows the arrival of keyboard shortcuts for the Keep app.

But as 9to5Google notes, the GIF above is 674 x 421, which scales up to 2,560 x 1,600. That’s the resolution that the Pixel Tablet will reportedly offer when it’s released next year. 

Notably, a post on the same blog from July showed another tablet UI update in Google Sheets for tablets. Its resolution? 512 x 320. If you multiply that by five you also reach 2,560 x 1,600.

It’s worth noting that other Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 also share the 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, but whether or not this was screen recorded directly from a Pixel Tablet prototype or something else, it still gives us an idea of how Google may want things to work.

The first thing of note is that across both, the status bar and taskbar are a lot taller than you might expect. In the former, icons and the time are further away from the screen edges than you see on mobile, and there’s a prominent account-switching icon on the Keep GIF. That suggests that Google views tablets as less of a personal device and more one that can be shared between family members.

The icons along the bottom of the screen differ between the two, but both have a shortcut for viewing your full app list. Notably, app windows appear to be embracing rounded edges too, even when you’re viewing two side by side, as in the second GIF.

When two apps are positioned like that, it also looks like you’ll be able to resize them, as the second GIF appears to show an app slider nestled between the two.

Add these GIFs to the tranch of screenshots found in the Google Search beta yesterday, and you’ve got a good taste of exactly how the Pixel Tablet will look and feel when it’s released.

We already know that said release date won’t be this year, as Google clearly earmarked it as a 2023 product when it was first revealed at I/O in May. Still, with 2022 drawing to a close that means we’ll get to try this for ourselves at some point within the next 14 months. You never know, it might be as few as three months. 

It is no secret that the Google Pixel Tablet is coming in 2023. Google mentioned it at the Pixel 7 launch earlier this month and confirmed that the Pixel Tablet will double as a tablet and a smart home hub. It will have a detachable screen that can turn into a smart display with a focus on smart home features once docked.

The tablet is expected to also be a lot more than a smart home hub though. When detached, it is expected to be a fully functioning smart screen. We don’t know all the features the tablet will bring just yet and while Google has given us just a glimpse at the interface of the tablet, leaked images from 9to5Google show how Google Assistant and Discover could look on it.

A teardown of the latest beta (version 13.42) of the Google Search app by 9to5Google shows interesting and potentially new designs on the tablet. 

Going by these images, it looks like Google is trying to give its tablet a fresh look rather than reusing designs from Chromebooks or the Google Nest Hub. The Assistant can be brought up using the same hotword and while the colorful “light bar” design that Pixel phones have is still there, the Assistant will show its answers neatly on the right of the screen. This leaves space for the current app to remain in view as well. 

Google Discover could make it to the Pixel Tablet — this is something that Chromebooks missed out on — and it is a convenient way to come across news articles and information. Like the Nest Hub, there is a greeting message followed by content spread out across the screen in two columns.

Many of Android 13’s new features will also make an appearance on the Pixel Tablet after Android 12L set the stage for the new Android 13 experience on tablets. The entire screen seems to be getting an overhaul with more information available at a glance and redesigned widgets. The tech giant shared some interface images at the Pixel 7 launch event that gives us a clue as to what to expect from the Pixel Tablet and how Android 13 will look on the screen. 

The tablet is expected to get stylus support and a split screen mode and the company says it is working with various developers on stylus and split-screen support for apps. Google has also committed to updating over 20 of its own apps to be more user friendly on large screen devices. There will be always-on access to a taskbar that runs along the bottom and we might even see drag-and-drop functionality between apps.

Google will soon join Apple in the race to have the best tablet after the iPhone maker recently launched its new line-up of iPads. However, both companies seem to be taking different approaches when it comes to their tablets. 

On one hand, Google seems to be in a good place to give us a new look with a tablet by utilizing the full potential of Android 13. It is not competing with the new iPad Pro (12.9 inch) but it could very well undercut Apple with new features and its price. On the other hand, Google also has a challenge at hand, keeping things different from its previous Android tablet attempts while making the Pixel Tablet slightly disparate from the Nest Hub in terms of looks, features and functionality. Google already has a novel idea to give us a two-in-one product, let’s hope it doesn’t fall into a confused product line-up.

We're tentatively hoping to hear more about the Google Pixel Tablet at Google's product launch event tomorrow, but we may have learnt something new about the upcoming tablet thanks to a less deliberate Google reveal.

An accidentally released "dogfood" (internal testing) version of Google Home was pushed out as a regular app update to certain users (via Android Police), complete with a warning that it's a confidential build not for public use. Fortunately, the app's APK file was copied before it was pulled, allowing Android expert Mishaal Rahman to examine the code for the app closely.

While it's fun to get an early look at Google's redesigned interface (which was announced officially yesterday), but the part we care about right now is the "Set up your dock" feature that Rahman discovered. The mention of a tablet in the set-up flow, and the lack of tablets currently on the market with dedicated docks make it sound an awful lot like an accessory for the Pixel Tablet. The tablet also had visible metal pins on its back during the Google I/O preview, which suggested accessories of some kind, and a dock would certainly fit the bill.

The references to “Dim lights with your voice" and "enjoy hands free controls" also suggest that Google intends for its Pixel Tablet to act as a mobile Nest Hub as well as a regular slate. That gives it a key advantage over the iPad family for smart home fanatics, as Apple's removing the ability to use iPads as HomeKit Hubs in iPadOS 16.

The other notable thing from the prematurely launched Google Home app is that it now lets you add Matter devices, which use the new united smart home standard that Google, Apple, Amazon and other smart home companies have developed together. There are no specific Matter-compatible devices on sale yet, but many of the best smart home devices will work with Matter, and therefore be controllable via this new Google Home app.

If we're lucky, Google will confirm this Pixel Tablet feature, and others, at today's Google October event. We know this presentation will be focussed mostly on the Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch, but we hope Google will have time to tell us more about its new tablet, and maybe even the long-rumored Google Pixel Fold.

Since the brief teaser at Google I/O, nothing official has been said about the Pixel Tablet, which is still due at some point in 2023. Now 91mobiles has a few details gleaned from the device as it reportedly enters its engineering phase.

The insights come from developer Kuba Wojciechowski, who has already spilled plenty of Pixel Tablet secrets, most of which pointed to it being a device targeting the budget end of the market (albeit with a possible Pro configuration also in the works). 

The latest details may push the Pixel Tablet from budget to mid-range. First of all it will apparently come with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, which certainly sounds like a lot compared to the Amazon Fire Tablet which can still be bought with as little as 16GB on the 7-inch version. 

You have to remember that Google has never included expandable storage in its Pixel phones, and that’s likely to be the case with the Pixel Tablet too: what you buy is what you’re stuck with forever. Even so, that’s right up there with some of the best iPads in terms of capacity. 

Secondly, the Pixel Tablet will apparently be bigger than you might expect with a reported 10.95-inch display. This makes a lot of sense when you consider it’s apparently set to moonlight as a Nest Hub when not in use. In short, a larger screen is easier to see across the room when docked, which certainly helps.

Two other minor points stand out from the report. Firstly, it will support WiFi 6, which is just as well as previous reports have indicated there will be no cellular or GPS sensors for tracking beyond your home’s WiFi. And secondly, Google apparently appears to be readying up its own USI 2.0 (Universal Stylus Support) stylus for the device, as well as supporting third-party styluses. If it’s not called the Pixel Pen, Google is missing an alliterative trick.

Previously, Wojciechowski has revealed that the tablet will use last year’s Tensor chipset paired with just 4GB RAM. That means that in terms of specs, it should offer slightly weaker performance than the $449 Pixel 6a, which has the same processor but 2GB more memory.

With Google’s pure version of Android 13, unencumbered with bloat and custom UIs, a more modest specs sheet could still run it well. And with plenty of storage and a big screen, the Pixel Tablet could carve itself a useful niche in the mid-range non-iOS tablet market. 

While the upcoming Made by Google event on October 6 is supposedly about the Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and new Nest devices, we’ll hopefully hear a few more details about the Pixel Tablet then too. Even if it’s just to find out exactly when in 2023 we’ll have one in our hands.

At the Google I/O 2022 event back in May, the company took the unusual decision to announce a product that wouldn’t arrive until 2023. The official unveiling of the Google Pixel Tablet was a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ style announcement, with just a promo picture and no specs to speak of. 

While Google has kept quiet about the Pixel Tablet ever since, developer detective work has indicated that we’re looking at a budget-to-mid-range device, with the same processor as the Pixel 6, less RAM than the Pixel 6a and the middling front-facing IMX355 sensor used on both sides of the tablet. That’s a bit disappointing for anyone looking for a Google solution to rival the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and iPad Pro.

But this could actually only tell half the tale, according to 9to5Google’s latest code dive. Examining Google’s latest beta release of Android 13, the site found references to a device called “tangorpro”. Tangor is the codename for the Pixel Tablet, and it’s sometimes shortened to “t6” in the code — which also makes the occasional references to “t6pro” telling, too.

Given that Google has introduced Pro versions of both the Pixel 6 and Pixel Buds, the possibility of two tiers for its upcoming tablet shouldn’t be too surprising, but what the actual differences will be remains largely unknown.

There’s only one hardware difference that 9to5Google has been able to glean so far: a different rear camera sensor. Unfortunately, the site can’t say what’s being used instead, only that it won’t be the IMX355 used on the regular tablet.

Other than that, it’s pure speculation. It could be purely cosmetic, with more premium materials used for the shell, or perhaps the Pro version could embrace a faster Tensor chip? Maybe the screen will be higher resolution, and it’ll pack more RAM? It could be any combination of these things, and we’ll just have to wait for confirmation from Google — if this advanced version ever does arrive in consumer's hands.

We may find out a little more soon: Google has an event scheduled for October 6. And while the company has already explicitly stated that this is for the Pixel 7 phones, Pixel Watch and “additions to the Nest smart home portfolio”, you wouldn’t put it past Google to give us an update on the Pixel Tablet. Especially when there’s a chance that the device will double up as a Nest Hub. 

The Google Pixel Tablet has been official since Google I/O 2022 — albeit with a long lead time. Google has already said that the company’s first tablet since the ill-fated Pixel Slate won’t be coming until 2023, but is yet to say anything about its specs and key selling points.

However, the developer Kuba Wojciechowski has managed to find some details about the tablet by digging through AOSP code, and taken together they point to a device that’s possibly targeting the low-to-midrange market, rather than the iPad Pros and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 tablets of this world.

Rather than embracing the latest version of the Google Tensor system-on-a-chip, for example, it seems that the Pixel Tablet is going to stick with the first-generation chip that powered the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. While these chips aren’t exactly slow, they will be over a year old by the time the tablet rolls around — and possibly a lot more if “2023” means “Holiday 2023."

Likewise, the tablet appears to have just 4GB RAM, which is on the low end — especially when you consider that the entry-level Google Pixel 6a managed 6GB in its $449 package. And while few use tablets for photography, it’s interesting to note that both the front and back sensors appear to be the IMX355 hardware from the Pixel 6’s selfie cam.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t appear to have support for GPS or cellular data at all. It’s probably Wi-Fi only, and clearly only intended for use around the house. “The code also confirms the lack of proximity and barometer sensors, as well as lack of support for ‘high-fidelity’ sensor processing,” Wojciechowski writes.

In fact, it may well be that the Pixel Tablet, while obviously handheld, is only intended for occasional portability. Wojciechowski finds evidence that earlier reports of an upcoming Google tablet moonlighting as a kind of detachable Nest Hub appear to be correct. 

“The code Google has added in their proprietary code over Android seems to also confirm the story,” he writes. “Google’s hardware team seems to have fully embraced the idea and designed the device around that concept.”

Like the keenly priced Tensor-powered Pixel phones, it appears that Google aims to avoid a direct fight with the premium end of the best tablet market, and instead compete in the midrange via some sensible if unorthodox design decisions. 

It feels a bit like reviving the Nexus spirit — devices that are well designed, with specs that are ‘good enough’ and with an appealing price. With the cost-of-living crisis beginning to bite, that strategy could well prove a masterstroke.

Update: Google Pixel Fold could have a unique camera design — here's the proof.

Google first teased the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at Google I/O 2022 in May with a sneak peek as to what the phones could look like. While we know that both devices are going to be powered by a new generation of Tensor chips, other details have yet to be confirmed.

A new leak is filling in some of those details, at least when it comes to the camera setup. And by the sound of things, the Pixel 7 is shaping up to feature the same camera sensors as the Pixel 6 before it. 

Leaker and developer Kuba Wojciechowski tweeted that the Pixel 7 could get the same camera lenses as the Pixel 6. If true, you'd expect the Pixel 7 to feature a 50MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide angle lens, the same as what the Pixel 6 offers.

In the subsequent Twitter thread delving into Pixel software, Wojciechowski uncovers the names of the sensors that could be found on the Pixel 7.

In addition to the Pixel 7 info, the leak also suggests the Pixel 7 Pro will use the same front camera sensor as the Pixel 6 Pro — a 11MP one. Pixel 7 could also upgrade to this selfie sensor instead of going with a lower-res one. The Pixel 6 had a 8MP selfie camera compared to the Pixel 6 Pro’s 11MP one.

The Pixel 7 Pro could also get a telephoto sensor change and might switch to the “Samsung GM 1” sensor from the previous Sony sensor. The leak notes that calls that strange “since both of the sensors are pretty similar in their performance.” It could possibly be done to ensure all sensors are made from the same company — in this case, Samsung.

While the new Pixels are not touted for a big camera upgrade, this may not be bad news. The Pixel 6 just got a big boost in its main wide angle lens. From the 12.2MP sensors that were found in the previous generation, Pixel 6 took a big leap with a 50MP camera. 

And like we noted in our Pixel 6 review, the cameras on the Pixel 6 are as good as ever and the low light prowess on the phone is incredible. It’s no wonder that it ranks as one of the best camera phones available. With the Pixel 7 getting the same lens, maybe Google has some software smarts up its sleeve for its flagship — like the Magic Eraser feature that debuted on the Pixel 6 and saw a refresh with this week's release of the Pixel 6a.

We already know that the camera bar on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is getting slightly retooled, thanks to information from Google during May's I/O event. Going by the images Google shared at Google I/O, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will feature a slightly retooled aluminum camera bar with more oval-looking camera lenses as compared to rounded ones on the Pixel 6. 

Google Pixel Tablet camera details

Wojciechowski didn’t stop with alleged details about the Pixel flagships, also posting info that claims about the camera hardware we might see on the Google Pixel tablet that is set to launch in 2023.

The Pixel tablet will apparently get 8MP cameras on the front and one on the back. By comparison, the iPad Pro models come with 12MP cameras on their front and back while the entry level iPad offers an 8MP rear and 12MP front camera.

 Google Pixel Fold camera 

As for the long-rumored Google Pixel Fold, there's some information from Wojciechowski, too, even though other rumors claim a foldable phone from Google has been delayed. 

Wojciechowski suggests that the Google Pixel Fold could get a 50MP main camera along with two 12MP sensors and an 8MP one. We'd assume the latter camera is the front one.

Next: The Pixel 7 range could come with this major Bluetooth audio upgrade

The Google Pixel Tablet got the briefest of first looks at the recent Google I/O developers conference, but in terms of specs and capabilities, we’re basically in the dark until 2023 when it’s due to be launched.

Unofficially, however, we may have just got our first interesting specification. It looks like the Pixel Tablet could offer stylus input, drawing parallels to the iPad’s Apple Pencil and the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s use of the S Pen.

Tech blog NuGiz spotted a Google tablet codenamed “Tangor” on the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) website under the certified products section. Given the Pixel Tablet is the only tablet we officially know that Google is working on at the moment (though there’s also the persistent rumor of a Nest Hub with a detachable screen), it seems likely that the device will allow stylus input.

And not just an official stylus, either. The whole raison d'etre of Universal Stylus Initiative is, as the name suggests, to create a standard for active pen input, meaning any supported stylus works with every certified device.

Integral or optional?

That’s actually something of a double-edged sword. On one hand universality can be a great thing — nobody seriously really wants to go back to the bad old days of when each device had their own bespoke charger, after all. 

But on the other hand, just supporting USI could mean that stylus input is an afterthought: just an alternative way of poking the screen when you want to give your index finger a rest. 

If it supports any USI approved stylus, then there’s no reason to think that Google will even bundle one with it. That suggests a far less integral experience than you get with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 where the S-Pen is right there in the box.

The Apple Pencil, of course, is entirely optional and only sold separately. But that’s designed by Apple and only works with iPads, meaning the functionality is set and the advantages are plain to see.

Of course, there’s a less pessimistic view. Google likes to make its first-party phones, tablets and laptops showcases of what Android and Chrome OS can do. That could mean that Google has all kinds of tricks planned for a stylus, and by working with USI it’s hoping to encourage other Android tablet makers to do the same.

We’ll just have to see what Google has in mind when the Pixel Tablet launches next year. 

Update: Google Pixel Tablet specs just got tipped — expect Tensor chip power.

Google is returning to tablets! The Pixel tablet was teased at the Google I/O 2022 press event, where the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch were also announced. Google did not reveal too many details about the Pixel tablet, but there's good news and bad news.

Here’s everything we know about the Pixel tablet so far. It's set to be launched in 2023, and it could very well be a strong iPad rival. Or could it? Looks-wise it is not impressive, but a big software redesign could help the Pixel tablet compete with the best iPads. 

Google Pixel Tablet: Uninspiring design

Judging the book by its cover, the Pixel tablet looks like nothing to write home about. The design looks cheap, with big bezels. The tablet itself looks thick and seems to have a plastic back. There’s nothing futuristic about the design, and we couldn’t find any similarities to the newly announced Pixel 7 phone, unlike Apple, which links the design language of the latest iPad Pro or iPad Air with the iPhone 13. The Pixel tablet looks like a simple streamlined slate with rounded edges, and not a tablet from the future.

Well, 2023 is still some time away, so we hope Google makes more improvements on this front. But, and there is a big "but" here — the Pixel tablet seems to have all the meat on the inside. 

Firstly, the Pixel tablet will be powered by Google’s Tensor chip, so you should expect strong performance along with uniquely Google experiences like super-fast voice recognition and Magic Eraser for photos. More importantly, the Pixel tablet it will have some serious upgrades on the software front.

Google Pixel Tablet: Inspiring software

Gone should be the days of Android tablets that feel like lame stretched-out phones. Google announced that the Pixel tablet will run on Android 13,  which will bring a big redesign of how the company’s software will work on big screen devices. The redesign is mainly around the tablet homepage and making apps fit together without wasting any space. Widgets are redesigned for the same purpose as well.

Google has committed to updating over 20 of its own apps to be more useful and usable on ‘big screen devices’ like tablets. This includes Entertainment Space and YouTube Music, and also third-party apps like Zoom, Facebook and Canva.

In terms of multi-tasking, you can now place two apps side-by-side and use them simultaneously. Google has taken a page out of iPadOS here and if there are two apps you use together a lot, you can re-open paired apps easily, too. 

The re-arrangement also makes settings a tad bit more convenient to access. Now, you just have to swipe down and all your settings will appear on the left and the notifications on the right. The layout is more clean compared to earlier, when notifications and settings appeared on top of each other. 

Bottom line: We're cautiously optimistic

Google marks a big return to tablets with the Pixel tablet. The last tablet they launched was the Pixel Slate in 2018, and after the disappointing showing the company announced a big cutback to their tablet development efforts in 2019. It is exciting to see that Google is planning a big comeback to challenge the iPad, and also Samsung devices like the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

Now, 2023 is a long ways away, but the Pixel tablet could have what it takes to make our best tablets list. However, it seems like the design needs more time in the oven. Until then, here are the best Android tablets you can buy right now.