Google Pixel Tablet review

Google’s first pill since 2018’s Pixel Slate has lastly arrived, however the Pixel Pill is a transfer in a very new course. It comes bundled with a Charging Speaker Dock which makes it simply as a lot a sensible show as it’s a common Android pill. 

Android tablets have definitely had their ups and downs over time, from the highs of the Nexus 7 which Google constructed with Asus to the lows of appalling efforts from the likes of Alcatel.

They nonetheless have a spot out there however with iPads nonetheless being the standard go-to selection, has Google provide you with a nifty method to stand out? 

The Pixel Pill is undeniably attention-grabbing, despite the fact that we’ve seen docking tablets just like the Lenovo Good Tab P10 previously. In some ways, the Pixel Pill is a Google Nest Hub Max the place the display comes off however it’s additionally very completely different, too. 

For the correct consumer, it is going to be an actual boon however for others, it gained’t make sense in any respect.

Design & Construct 

• Pill and dock bundle 
• Matt nano-ceramic coating 
• Three colors in some markets 

On the entire, the Pixel Pill appears to be like and feels as I anticipated since Google first teased it final 12 months. In truth, it’s extra premium than I assumed, largely because of its uncommon nano-ceramic coating. 

This provides it a beautiful tactile texture that feels good to the touch – it’s a bit just like the underside of a mug the place there’s no glaze however not as tough. Its matt end appears to be like clear and trendy and provides the Pill a very good quantity of grip. 

It’s suitably skinny and lightweight at 8.1mm and 493g, solely marginally greater than the most recent common iPad which has a equally sized display. Not everyone seems to be a fan of a bezel across the show however it’s lots smaller than the Nest Hub Max’s and provides you area to carry the slate with out interfering. 

A fingerprint scanner resides within the energy button and works properly in the event you get a very good scan (I did mine a second time to enhance recognition). It’s value noting that there’s no bodily swap to disable the mics and digicam like on Google’s good shows so that you’ll want to make use of the short settings shortcut for every.  

The Pixel Pill comes bundled with the Speaker Charging Dock – there’s no possibility to purchase the Pill by itself, although you possibly can decide up extra Docks. The Dock is available in an identical color and is very like the bottom a part of Nest Hubs, lined in cloth and with a grippy rubber base. 

Each are well-made and the pill is constructed with over 30% recycled supplies (based mostly on weight) and the aluminum chassis is 100% recycled. 

Magnets enable the Pixel Pill to simply snap onto the dock and the 4 steel pogo pin contacts on the again of the slate join the 2 collectively seamlessly. It’s a neat system till you come to take the pill off. 

Curiously, this isn’t one thing Google offers any directions for (outdoors of the journalist reviewer’s information) so it was a little bit of trial and error for me till I developed a method. Merely decide the pill up and the dock comes with it, push it down and it slams into the floor it’s on. There are rubber toes on the underside fringe of the pill to reserve it from injury, although Google tells me they’re to assist with leaning it in opposition to issues. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Ultimately, I discovered one of the simplest ways is to grip the pill on the highest edge within the center or with each palms at both finish, and push away utilizing the highest of the dock as a pivot level. This permits the 2 to separate with out a lot drama. It will be good to carry onto the dock with the opposite hand, however it’s obscured behind the pill an excessive amount of. 

This provides the phantasm of the pill floating whereas docked which is kind of good however isn’t essentially the most sensible. It’s additionally value noting that the angle of the display is extra upright than the Nest Hub good shows. I didn’t discover it an issue on my desk however it’s not supreme when it’s on a kitchen worktop if you end up wanting down on the show. 

If need a extra versatile stand, you should buy the Google-approved Wasserstein Adjustable Stand for Google Pixel Pill for $39.99. It lets you swivel and tilt the dock and pill collectively. Google additionally has an official case full with kickstand which doesn’t should be eliminated to nonetheless use the dock for $79/£89.

Within the UK, the Pixel Pill is available in two colors: Porcelain and Hazel. I’ve examined the latter which I personally choose, largely as a result of it has a black bezel across the display somewhat than white. Within the US, it’s additionally obtainable in a 3rd colourway known as Rose which I’d describe as pastel peach.

Display & Audio system 

• 11in LCD panel 
• Quad pill audio system 
• Docking station offers full-range driver 

As is turning into fairly widespread for tablets, Google has gone for an 11in show right here. It’s technically 10.95in while you take the rounded corners under consideration, however that minuscule sacrifice is value it for aesthetics. 

It’s suitably crisp at 2560×1600 in decision and has a large 16:10 facet ratio. Different particulars embody an anti-smudge coating and help for USI 2.0 stylus pens – that’s the most recent model from the Common Stylus Initiative. 

Google has opted for an LCD panel right here somewhat than OLED, which on paper isn’t pretty much as good however I’d say most customers gained’t discover the distinction or be dissatisfied. The Pixel Pill loads vivid – I measured it at 523 nits which is greater than the five hundred Google quotes – wealthy and vibrant to supply an pleasurable expertise, even when OLED can present higher distinction and color copy. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

LCD tech additionally helps with battery life which I’ll come to later. Lastly, the Ambient EQ characteristic additionally discovered on Google’s Nest Hubs makes use of a light-weight sensor to mechanically regulate the brightness and color temperature based mostly on the environment and works very properly.  

By way of audio, there are two choices right here because the pill itself has a quad-speaker array with two drivers on both facet (when in panorama mode) whereas the docking station has a 43.5mm full-range driver. 

The audio from the Charging Speaker Dock is affordable. It’s not ‘room-filling’ as Google suggests as a result of that might require pumping the quantity and introducing lots of distortion and a harsh tonal shift.  

I discover it too bass- and mid-range centered, so it has a slight boomy sound and you’ll’t regulate the tone. It appears like an inexpensive radio and I’ve examined loads of funds Bluetooth audio system that sound significantly higher. 

It’s unusual as a result of contemplating the Nest Hub Max is basically the Pixel Pill however mounted to the dock, that gadget has a significantly better sound system with two tweeters and a woofer making a fuller and extra dynamic sound. Google ought to have simply repurposed this right into a magnetic dock particularly given the asking worth of the Dock as a separate accent. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s value noting that when the pill is undocked, you possibly can’t use the docking station as a speaker, not by way of Bluetooth, Google Forged or in any other case. When docking and undocking, any audio taking part in will mechanically transfer between the 2 audio programs. 

Specs & Efficiency 

• Tensor G2 chip 
• 8GB RAM 
• 128- or 256GB storage 

The Pixel Pill is powered by Google’s personal Tensor G2 chipset, the identical one discovered within the Pixel 7 smartphones. There’s 8GB of RAM and this mix is greater than as much as the duty of operating issues each day. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The one selection you must make is whether or not to purchase 128- or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. With cloud storage (all Google customers get 15GB at no cost) and streaming companies, I’d say most customers can be high-quality with the smaller quantity however have a give it some thought as a result of there’s no microSD card slot right here so as to add extra. 

Elsewhere, there’s Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and an ultra-wideband chip “for correct ranging” although Google doesn’t clarify precisely what this implies. Observe that’s there’s no 4G or 5G mobile mannequin. 

It’s immensely extra highly effective than Google’s Nest Hub good shows and benchmarks properly up in opposition to premium rivals such because the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and OnePlus Pad. I’ve definitely not had any efficiency points with the Pixel Pill throughout my time with it.

On the images entrance, the Pixel Pill has entrance and rear 8Mp cameras and, they’re first rate sufficient for the sorts of belongings you’d use a pill digicam for. Colors are vibrant and there’s cheap element in good lighting until you should crop right into a small part. The front-facing digicam has a portrait mode and when used for Google Meet, the software program mechanically adjusts the picture for lighting and framing.

Battery Life & Charging 

• 27Wh battery 
• Mediocre charging velocity 
• No USB-C adapter/cable provided 

Contained in the Pixel Pill is a 27Wh battery and Google says you’ll get 12 hours of video streaming. That’s a pre-production take a look at streaming 1080p video by way of YouTube at a set 82% display brightness.  

I haven’t discovered it to be fairly that good within the real-world however it’s not too far off. Utilizing it as a video child monitor for an hour appears to sometimes wipe off round 10% of the battery. In our traditional PCMark for Android battery take a look at, the Pixel Pill lasted a powerful 14 hours and 19 minutes.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Charging is a barely sophisticated state of affairs right here. On the one hand, it’s easy because the Charging Speaker Dock – because the identify offers away – will cost the gadget at any time when it’s docked. It can do that at a reasonably gradual 15W fee supplying you with simply 21% cost from lifeless in half-hour.

The Pixel Pill does even have a USB-C port for conventional charging however there’s no wall adapter within the field and Google doesn’t state the charging velocity of this methodology. The equipment part of the shop does counsel its personal 30W charger, however this doesn’t imply it is going to cost at that velocity. 

In truth, Google has informed me that it’ll take the same time to the docking station (2-3 hours to full) and gave me a suggestion of an 18W charger.

Software program & Options 

• Android 13 
• Hub Mode 
• Google Forged 

As you’d anticipate, the Pixel Pill ships with Android 13 and, being Google’s personal pill, is the pure vanilla version at a base stage with the Materials You UI as per Pixel telephones. 

There are just a few additions which can be particular to this gadget that make it serviceable as each a pill and a Nest Hub-style good show. Fortunately that is extra than simply the Google TV widget that’s on the house display by default. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The principle aspect is known as Hub Mode; the standing the Pixel Pill is in when hooked up to the Charging Speaker Dock. There’s a satisfying animation and notification sound while you dock and undock. 

It’s to not be confused with how the Subsequent Hub good shows work as they run Fuchsia OS as a substitute of Android. Maybe it’s as a result of I’ve three Nest Hubs dotted round the home and use all of them virtually each day, however I discover Hub Mode on the Pixel Pill a bit lackluster.  

Fuchsia OS is customized made for good shows and has an intuitive interface with tiles for all types of data and content material in addition to fast entry to settings like display brightness. 

Nonetheless, Google’s chosen to go down a distinct route right here by supplying you with a small collection of options, however then it’s basically an Android pill on a stand when you unlock it (which you’ll be able to’t do along with your face, frustratingly). 

One of many predominant issues Hub Mode does is provide you with a screensaver with a selection of choices together with Google’s climate forecast full with charming frog or Google Images integration turning it right into a digital picture body. 

I discover it massively disappointing that some options discovered on the Subsequent Hub Max are lacking right here. They’re made attainable on the Max utilizing its front-facing digicam so there’s no cause why the Pixel Pill shouldn’t be capable of do the identical issues. 

Ben Patterson/Foundry

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The Subsequent Hub Max can recognise customers with Face Match to offer you a personalised expertise and the digicam may also be used for gesture instructions similar to holding your hand as much as pause/resume music. In the meantime, the Nest Hub 2nd-gen has Sleep Sensing inbuilt by way of Soli radar which is nowhere to be seen on the Pixel Pill.

You do get hands-free Google Assistant – although that’s no large deal – in addition to good house controls for devices like lights and thermostats when you’ve got them and that is accessible by way of a shortcut within the nook of the screensaver or lockscreen. It’s not rather more than a shortcut to the Google Residence app, although. 

A singular promoting level is that the Pixel Pill is the primary ever pill with Google Forged built-in. It means you possibly can ‘forged’ content material out of your cellphone or different units to be performed on the pill. Numerous apps are supported together with Netflix, Spotify and BBC iPlayer. 

That’s what you’d anticipate from a sensible show, however it’s a disgrace Google limits this performance to when the pill is in Hub Mode. I might positively discover it helpful  in varied conditions to forged to the pill when it’s elsewhere – similar to when my daughter is on my lap and I need to put an episode of Bluey on the pill however can’t attain. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

General, it’s a disgrace {that a} large promoting level of the Pixel Pill – docking it and utilizing Hub Mode – is mediocre, particularly when you must purchase the gadget bundled with the dock, which is over costs as a separate accent. 

On the flipside, the actual fact it’s operating full-blown Android means you possibly can set up nearly any app you need, and Google has optimised a collection of apps for the Pixel Pill together with Meet, WhatsApp, Netflix, Spotify, Images and extra. You may even feasibly get a Bluetooth keyboard and use it like a small PC.  

One of many plus sides of going with Google is a minimal of 5 years of safety updates. You must also anticipate three years of OS updates, though Google’s replace web page for the pill presently says till at the least June 2023 which is clearly an error. 

Worth & Availability

• Bundled dock
• Optionally available further docks
• Two storage capacities

There are simply two fashions of the Pixel Pill obtainable to select from and costs begin at $499/£599 for the cheaper possibility. This will get you 128GB of storage, however you possibly can double that for $599/£699. 

Google’s worth does embody the Charging Speaker Dock however, and right here’s the sticking level, there’s no approach of shopping for the pill by itself. It’s all or nothing right here which is a disgrace for anybody who has been ready for an Android pill like this (maybe you’re a Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch consumer who desires to finish the trio) however doesn’t care concerning the dock. 

You should buy it from Google and BestBuy within the US and Google and Amazon within the UK.

It can little question put lots of potential consumers off when you think about the most recent iPad (Tenth-gen) is $449/£499 – albeit with 64GB storage – and the nonetheless wonderful Ninth-gen mannequin continues to be obtainable for $329/£369. 

The excellent news, in case you are into the docking system and have a wholesome financial institution stability, is that you would be able to buy further docking stations for $129/£139. This implies you possibly can have them positioned across the house and transfer the Pixel Pill as you go about your day. 

Nonetheless, that worth is approach over the percentages and makes the ecosystem off placing – particularly when you think about that the Nest Hub 2 is $99.99/£89.99. The maths simply doesn’t add up. 

Try our chart of the perfect tablets for extra choices.

Verdict 

The Pixel Pill is a tough buyer and the irritating factor is that it doesn’t should be this manner. 

I actually wished to like this gadget – as each a fan of older Google Nexus tablets and the Nest Hub vary of good shows. And in varied methods, I do love the Pixel Pill; primarily when it comes to its design and construct together with premium efficiency. 

Nonetheless, Google has created an unnecessarily sophisticated system right here by making you purchase the pill with the Charging Speaker Dock, overcharging for extra docks and limiting the good show expertise in comparison with, specifically, the extraordinarily related Nest Hub Max. 

Because it stands, the Pixel Pill ecosystem is a little bit of a tough promote. 

Specs

• Android 13
• 10.95in LCD display, 2560×1600, 16:10
• Tensor G2 chip
• 8GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• Quad audio system
• 3 mics far-field
• Fingerprint Unlock with energy button
• Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Extremely-Wideband chip for correct ranging
• Google Forged
• Pogo pin connector for speaker dock
• USB-C
• Twin 8Mp cameras
• 12 hours video streaming
• 8.1mm
• 493g