If it feels like the Google Pixel Tablet was unveiled ages ago, that’s because it was. The tablet was first revealed at Google IO 2022 and later launched at Google I/O 2023 alongside the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a. With Tensor 2 and Android 13 onboard, it’s an ambitious foray into the tumultuous tablet market.
Here’s everything we know so far about Google’s first Android tablet in over half a decade.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new tablet from Google
- When is it out? June 2023
- How much will it cost? $499 / £599 / AU$899
Google Pixel Tablet release date and price
The Pixel Tablet went on pre-order on May 10 after Gooogle’s IO event. It will set you back $499/£599/AU$899 for the tablet, complete with the bundled speaker dock which is separately priced at $129 / £105 / AU$150. The Tablet will be delivered on June 20 and be available from Google’s online store as well as other major retailers.
The price sees it undercut the iPad Air in some regions, while matching it in others like the UK. It may be a tough sell, considering Apple’s lead over tablets, but Google’s pitch could win you over.
Google Pixel tablet design and display
The Pixel Tablet is a rather plain and minimalist affair, made of aluminum construction and paired with a neo-ceramic coating. From the design – which is a bit like a Google Home Hub without the stand – we would have assumed this to be a mid-range slate rather than a high-end one, so it could be more of a competitor to the basic iPad 10.2 or iPad Air (2022) than to the iPad Pro 11 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra had it not been for the pricing in some regions. The Pixel Tablet is available in Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose colors (or white, green, and pink). There’s no black variant being sold, though renders showing what an Obsidian or Charcoal Pixel Tablet would have looked like leaked online.
As for the display, it is a 2,560 x 1,600 10.95-inch one. It’s a 16:10 aspect ratio and it is rated for 500 nits brightness. There’s no special pen support like an iPad Pro, but you can use a USI 2.0 stylus for a close enough experience if you can find a pen. There was no hint of a high refresh rate as you’d find in tablets like the iPad Pro or the new OnePlus Pad, sadly.
Google Pixel Tablet special features
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When it ships, the Pixel Tablet will run Android – specifically Android 13, which is designed to work better for large-screen devices after building up Android 12L. Being a Google device, it’s also sure to get a lot of software updates – and promptly, too. Google will roll out Android 14 to the Pixel Tablet later this year to add support for generative AI features and further improve its tablet interface. The Tablet will remain supported for up to five years for security updates, and three for software updates.
The Pixel Tablet is also designed to work with a Charging Speaker Dock, which you can see in the image below. This turns the slate into a smart home device akin to the Google Home Hub or the Nest Hub Max. As the name suggests, it can both keep the Pixel Tablet charged and offers better speakers than the tablet itself.
The Pixel Tablet’s killer feature, if we could say that, is that ‘Hub Mode’. With Hub Mode, the Pixel Tablet stops being a personal tablet and becomes a control center for your home. You can control music, smart home devices, turn the Tablet into an album, and so on. Google supports a wide swathe of devices, other than Google’s own branded devices. Many of the best smart home devices (Amazon excepted) will be supported here. When you’re done using it as a hub, you can simply pop it off the Dock, sign in with your pin or biometrics, and it’s a private tablet again.
Google Pixel Tablet specifications
The Google Pixel Tablet is powered by the same Tensor G2 processor in the Pixel 7 and has 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, either 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Google says there are up to 12 hours of video watching for a full charge with its 27-watt-hour battery. As mentioned, you can charge it via the Dock, or you can buy a separate USB-C charger for it.
You’ll find a camera on the front and the rear, though it’s not clear that you should be using it for more than video calls and the like. An 8MP camera sits at the front, and a similar 8MP camera sits at the rear. There’s no (native) Facetime on Android, but there is support for Google Meet, WhatsApp, and other consumer apps. Sadly, Google isn’t using either of those cameras for face unlock as it does on the Pixel 7, 7a, and 7 Pro – but there is a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button for quick unlocking.
For more on the latest slate hardware, check out our guide to the best Android tablets of 2023.
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