The Google Pixel Slate Keyboard is a premium, multipurpose accessory

Kyle Bradshaw | Oct 9 2018 - 8:57 am PT

Paired with the announcement of the Pixel Slate at the Made by Google event, Google has announced the attachable Google Pixel Slate Keyboard that puts the device squarely in the Microsoft Surface’s ballpark.

The Google Pixel Slate is such a powerful device that it would be a shame to keep it limited to the tablet form factor. Google has planned for this with the optional Pixel Slate Keyboard.

The Pixel Slate Keyboard covers both the front and rear of the device and uses what Google calls a Quick Snap Connector to quickly and easily attach to the Pixel Slate.

In an interesting shift away from the Pixelbook’s square silver keys with rounded corners, this official attachable keyboard, sold separately, has black circular and pill-shaped keys. This falls right in line with Google’s newer Material Design cues.

The keyboard is considered full size, with a 19mm pitch (the distance on-center between keys) and 16mm diameter circles, leaving 3mm of breathing room between the keys. According to Google, the keyboard is also equipped with “ultra-quiet Hush Keys™” for your stealth typing needs (or to just not be disruptive on the go).

Like the Pixelbook before it, the Pixel Slate Keyboard is fully backlit and offers a convenient Assistant key. The accessory has improved on its predecessor’s design with a significantly upsized etched glass touchpad, including support for familiar multi-touch gestures. This will make the device easier to use in its laptop form.

Things don’t stop there, however, as the other half of the Pixel Slate Keyboard accessory serves its own innovative purpose. It can fold in two places to create a stand to hold the device upright at any angle. This form will stand with the keyboard facing toward the front for a laptop-like experience, or toward the rear for movies and gaming.

The Pixel Slate Keyboard is a fairly hefty accessory, doubling the thickness of the Pixel Slate, and adding about a pound to its weight. The keyboard portion by itself is 4.7mm thick. This is not a flimsy device and it will definitely offer some scratch protection for your Pixel Slate.

The official Google Pixel Slate Keyboard will set you back $199, roughly double the cost of the Pixelbook Pen. If this isn’t quite what you had in mind, we know there will be at least one alternative keyboard from premium accessory brand Brydge.

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