Google may be working on a second, ‘Pro’ Pixel tablet for next year

Kyle Bradshaw | Sep 8 2022 - 6:00 pm PT

Our team has found signs that Google may be working on a second Pixel tablet for next year, labeled as a “Pro” variant.

Since Google I/O, fans of the Pixel series have been eagerly waiting for more details about the Pixel tablet Google announced would be releasing in 2023. We’ve been following the device’s development closely and have previously reported how it would double as a Google Assistant smart display like the Nest Hub.

However, since the first announcement of Android 12L at the beginning of the year, Google has been trying to showcase the ways that large-screen Android devices — and especially tablets — can become useful for productivity. This has continued even today, with Google announcing new tablet-focused widgets for Keep and Drive.

Much of the speculation around the Pixel tablet up to this point has suggested that Google would want to keep costs down with lower spec hardware. After all, it’s largely meant to serve as an additional screen for movies, TV, and more in your smart home, while also expanding on the Nest Hub Max’s ability to handle video calls.

From what we’ve been able to find previously, the Pixel tablet is not going to have camera features that rival any recent Pixel phones. In this theorized scenario, the Pixel tablet would be closer to the Pixel 6a than a flagship device — not exactly a showcase of what Android tablets can really do.

Thankfully, there’s still some hope for those who want the 2023 Pixel tablet to be a productivity machine rather than a Nest Hub replacement. Today, Google shared the first beta release of Android 13’s next quarterly update. Inside, our APK Insight team found evidence of a new Pixel device, codenamed “tangorpro.”

Here’s everything new in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 [Gallery]

For context, we know that the Pixel tablet Google showed in May is in development with the codename “tangor.” The existence of “tangorpro” strongly implies that Google is hard at work on a “Pro” variant of the Pixel tablet. As further evidence, we’ve also seen “tangor” shortened by Google to “t6” and the new Android 13 Beta includes references to “t6pro.”

The trend of “Pro” models for Made by Google hardware began last year with the introduction of the Pixel 6 Pro and recently continued with the Pixel Buds Pro. In the case of the Pixel 6 Pro, it had the same chipset as the smaller Pixel 6, but with a better display, more RAM, and a telephoto camera.

So far, the only difference we can find between the Pixel tablet and its “Pro” variant is that they will not use the same rear camera sensor. Unfortunately we can’t yet determine what precise sensor is intended for the “Pro” model. We’ve previously reported that the baseline Pixel tablet would use a Sony IMX355 — the same sensor used in the Pixel 3 and Pixel 6a.

Beyond that, we can only speculate about the hardware improvements of this supposed premium tablet. Following the Pixel 6 Pro’s example, it’s possible this “tangorpro” could also include an improved display and additional RAM. There’s even a chance that the baseline tablet could use last year’s first-gen Google Tensor while the “Pro” model could bring the upcoming Tensor G2.

In terms of raw productivity, the biggest clue we’ve gotten came from the Android team’s “CTO of tablets” Rich Miner, who shared a vision of “tablet-first” experiences. A significant part of this is building for devices that have a dedicated stylus, and we’ve previously reported that Google may be bringing USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) support to the Pixel tablet lineup.

Thankfully, we may not have long to wait until we learn more about the “Pro” Pixel tablet — if Google indeed does intend to release one — as the company is set to host an event in October to showcase a new generation of Pixel and Nest hardware.

Let us know in the comments what you’d like to see Google focus on for a premium Android-powered Pixel tablet.

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.

Image: Google