Google Pixel Tablet

Yesterday Google announced that the Pixel Tablet would be available for sale without a dock, effectively re-launching the tablet for an entirely new type of customer. It would have been a bit exciting, had Apple not set a new bar for tablets just hours prior.

The Pixel Tablet launched last June and Google is now selling it for $399 with the Charging Speaker Dock no longer included.

The Pixel Tablet is finally getting an official keyboard and, while that’s potentially exciting, Google set a high bar for tablet keyboards nearly a decade ago, and one that Pixel Tablet likely won’t reach.

Google is preparing to “relaunch” the Pixel Tablet without a dock and add an official keyboard and stylus to the mix, and now a new leak is revealing prices too.

The Pixel Tablet launched without a pen (despite supporting USI) or a keyboard accessory last year, but a new rumor says Google will be launching both soon. 

Following rumors of a Pixel Tablet 2 in the works, Google appears to be readying a new “Look and Sign” feature to enable a new way to interact with the Google Assistant.

According to a new report, Google’s upcoming Pixel hardware including the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Fold 2, and a 5G-connected Pixel Tablet will be getting a new cellular modem, an overdue upgrade.

Following phones and watches, the (US) Google Store now accepts trade-ins when purchasing the Pixel Tablet.

Two new codenames have surfaced in the latest Android beta release, both of which suggest that a next-generation Pixel Tablet 2 is in development.

Gboard is following “Write in text fields” and the new physical keyboard UI with an Assistant voice typing toolbar for the Pixel Tablet.

Later this year, Google will let you “Tap to Cast” songs between the Pixel Tablet and compatible Pixel phones.

2023 saw Google’s first push into bigger screens in its Pixel lineup and with that, some growing pains. As 2024 beings, it’s the Pixel Tablet that Google has the most room for improvement on out of its current lineup, and arguably the one that needs it the most.

Google’s Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold are the first big-screen devices in the company’s lineup and, as such, the first that had to deal with Android apps that aren’t optimized for big screens. The solution? Black boxes along the sides. However, the Twitter/X app has now added the bare minimum of tablet optimization for Google Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold.

With the Pixel Tablet now a few months old, Google might soon add two features that debuted on the Nest Hub Max: Look and Talk and Quick Gestures.

Google photographed “Minerals” for the default Pixel 8 and 8 Pro backgrounds, and a slightly different version of that wallpaper collection is now available on the Pixel Fold and Tablet.

With the launch of Android 14, Google is rolling out an October Pixel Feature Drop that particularly benefits the Fold and Tablet. It’s coming a month later than expected, with many of the additions part of the broader OS update.

Google’s first big-screen Android devices in ages arrived this year with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, but both devices forced many apps such as Instagram into annoying letterboxed windows. Soon, though, Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet users will be able to force apps to go fullscreen all of the time.

Google’s Pixel Tablet is a fun mix between a smart display and a tablet, with a dock that gives the tablet power and better speakers. However, the included dock is limited in a handful of ways, including locking the Pixel Tablet into a single viewing angle. Thankfully, though, an official “Made for Google” accessory fixes that.