Google has provided more details about the Google Pixel Tablet device coming next year. While the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Watch were the focus of the October 6 Made By Google ’22 event, toward the end of the presentation a few minutes were dedicated to the largest Pixel mobile device yet. Details on the device itself continue to be thin on the ground, but what really stood out is a clever speaker dock for the Pixel Tablet, which transforms the big-screen device into a giant Nest Hub.
The speaker dock looks exactly like the back of a Nest Hub if you took the screen off, with the top containing magnets that hold the Pixel Tablet securely in place and wirelessly charge it. Described as a device that, “works in your hands and in your home,” the dock reimagines how a tablet gets used. Instead of spending its time in a drawer or face down on a table when not being used, it does everything a Nest Hub does, including showing a feed from your Google Photos account, interacting with Google Assistant, playing videos, and showing the time, date, and weather.
Pull the tablet free of the magnets and it’ll be charged and ready to go. Inside the Pixel Tablet is Google’s new Tensor G2 processor, the same one used for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, along with the latest version of Android complete with the Material You design and customization options. Google called it, “the best way to experience Android on a tablet,” and said all the special Tensor G2 features from the Pixel 7 range, such as photo editing, Google Assistant, and video call enhancements, will be available.
Earlier in the presentation, Google talked about a new nano-ceramic coating used for the back of the Pixel Tablet’s aluminum chassis. Inspired by the texture of porcelain, there are small ceramic particles infused into the back panel’s coating for a soft, matte, textured feel. Google has always pitched the soft design for its Nest products just right for use in the home, so the combination of the Nest Hub-like speaker dock and matte, textured tablet sounds great.
The speaker dock certainly adds a new dimension of usefulness for an Android tablet, which as a whole continues to live in the shade of Apple’s superior iPad range. Google says it was created due to the fact that 80% of tablets never leave the house, but if it’s one of the remaining 20% destined for life outside the home, too, controlling smart home devices may become awkward if it’s the sole Home device and someone else wants to switch on the lights when you’re out-and-about with it.
The Pixel Tablet is coming in 2023, but no exact date has been provided. It’s possible it may get an official launch around the Google I/O developer conference traditionally held in May, or possibly later to coincide with the release of Android 14 around September.
