1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Features

The Google Pixel Tablet is here, and it’s a huge disappointment

By
This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage

A week before the Google I/O, I wrote about how the Pixel Tablet could be the make-or-break point for the Android tablet category. Using a non-iPad tablet for anything more than content consumption is a bummer. I expected Google to work on it and emphasize collaborating with developers to optimize apps for Android tablets.

But as it turns out, the Pixel Tablet was my biggest disappointment from Google I/O 2023.

Recommended Videos

Google knows Android tablets are bad

Google

Using the OnePlus Pad recently threw all the Android tablet issues to my face. They come at you overwhelmingly – blown-up mobile apps, no optimization for even Google’s own apps like Docs, and almost zero developer support.

I tuned into Google I/O 2023 with high hopes to see the changes Google is bringing to Android tablets with the launch of its Pixel Tablet. The company said something along the lines of, “Over the last year, we have redesigned Android for big screens.” That may be true, but nothing like that has shipped to users’ hands. I’ve yet to come across any Android tablet with a “redesigned” interface that works for big Android screens.

It seems like Google has accepted that Android tablets can’t be anything more than content-consumption devices. You can browse and watch videos on one, and that’s about it. Do you want to type words or do some office work on the go? Sorry, Android tablets aren’t made for that.

It’s a bummer for people like me who want their tablets to double as their second work machines. Instead of working to improve the app situation, Google has taken a backseat and is now working on doubling your tablet as a smart speaker – a smart move by all means.

Not making a keyboard case for its Pixel Tablet further solidifies my argument that Google is fine with pushing Android tablets as content consumption devices. Doubling your Pixel Tablet as your smart assistant at home is a neat feature, and bundling the speaker dock at $499 is a much-appreciated move. But Google not pushing Android on tablets forward is a disappointment.

The glaring problem remains

Google

For years, Android on tablets has remained incompetent when compared to the iPad, and it seems like that will continue. If you want a tablet you can get some work on, iPads are the way to go. They let you watch videos, browse and shop online, have optimized apps for their size, and you can even create content with full-fledged Mac software on the higher-end iPad Air and iPad Pro.

By contrast, Android tablets let you watch videos and browse or shop online – that’s about it. There’s not one thing an Android tablet can do that an iPad can’t (except for a tablet-optimized Instagram app).

After Google I/O 2023, it’s clear that Android tablets are no competitors to iPads when it comes to demanding more than media consumption from your tablet. That may be fine for some people, but it’s not for me.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Prakhar Khanna
Mobile Writer
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
Why you need to be excited about the Google Pixel 8a

This is going to be a busy year for Google Pixel devices. In less than a month, Google is expected to launch its first new Pixel of the year with the Google Pixel 8a. Following that, we're expecting a Google Pixel Fold 2, possibly another Pixel Tablet, the Pixel 9 series, and a Pixel Watch 3 later in the fall.

There's plenty to look forward to with all of those Pixels, but if you ask me, I think the Pixel 8a is the most promising of the bunch. In a year when Google has exciting upgrades planned for its flagship and foldable phones, Google's budget-focused omodel is what's really on my mind.
Google is at its best with cheaper phones
The Google ixel 3a XL (left) and Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

Read more
Something strange might happen to the Google Pixel Fold 2

Google Pixel Fold 2 render SmartPrix / OnLeaks

It seems the “Pixel Fold” line is dead at Google after merely a single outing. Instead, Google is planning to fold it into the mainline Pixel series of flagship phones. According to Android Authority, which cites software builds targeting Google’s upcoming phones, the next Google foldable might go by the name "Pixel 9 Pro Fold" rather than the expected Pixel Fold 2 branding.

Read more
Here’s how Apple could change your iPhone forever

Over the past few months, Apple has released a steady stream of research papers detailing its work with generative AI. So far, Apple has been tight-lipped about what exactly is cooking in its research labs, while rumors circulate that Apple is in talks with Google to license its Gemini AI for iPhones.

But there have been a couple of teasers of what we can expect. In February, an Apple research paper detailed an open-source model called MLLM-Guided Image Editing (MGIE) that is capable of media editing using natural language instructions from users. Now, another research paper on Ferret UI has sent the AI community into a frenzy.

Read more