Google is about to launch its first tablet in years, and we’re all wondering how it’s going to turn out. There’s still a lot up in the air as to what this device will be able to do, how it will do it, and whether you can afford it.
Since there are so many questions about the Pixel tablet, here’s a comprehensive rundown of everything you need to know about it so far. It covers information that has been confirmed and what is currently rumored, and it will be constantly updated as new information comes in. So let’s get started.
When will this tablet be released?
[Update: According to Front Page Tech, the Pixel Tablet could launch in May of 2023 along with the Pixel Fold.]
As of now, we only know that Google is going to launch this tablet sometime in the year 2023. Google hasn’t given us any information apart from that. It hasn’t even specified which quarter or semester of the year it will launch the tablet.
If we can guess, Google only really releases its Pixel devices for two parts of the year. It releases its Pixel “a” phones around the middle of the year (May for the Pixel 3a, August for the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5a, and July for the Pixel 6a), and it releases the main Pixel phones in October.
So we can expect it to be released at one of these times of the year.
How will the docking feature work?
This will be the headlining feature of the Pixel tablet. The tablet will have four connector pins on the back and use them to connect to a fixed docking station.
This wharf will serve two purposes. For starters, it will be a charger that will keep it topped up and powered up. As for the other feature, the docking station will make it the equivalent of a Nest Hub screen.
This will make the Pixel tablet the best of both worlds between tablets and smart displays. You’ll be able to use it as a regular tablet for work and play and connect it if you need to use it as a Nest Hub.
What kind of specs will this tablet have
These specs are still mostly rumors, so you’ll want to take them with a grain of salt. We believe the Pixel Tablet will have a 10.95-inch display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. We don’t know if it’s OLED or LCD, though.
As for the internals, Google has confirmed that it will use its internal Tenser G2 chip to power the device. It’s the same chip that powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. We are considering 128 GB and/or 256 GB of storage, but this information has not yet been confirmed by Google. However, there was a recent leak on Twitter this indicates that this device has 256 GB of storage. We don’t know how much RAM we’re looking at, but we hope it will be between 8GB and 12GB.
As for the battery, we don’t have an official capacity. What we need to continue is the aforementioned leak. In the photo shows the device with 70% remaining in the tank. Alongside that, we see that the system estimated that there were 15 hours and 54 minutes of battery life left. Hopefully that indicates very good battery life.
There will be four speakers for this device, which is pretty standard for modern tablets. Two speakers will sit on the left side and two on the right.
We know that the Pixel tablet will have a single camera on the back. It’ll be in the upper right corner of the back, and we’re awaiting resolution information. As for the front camera, it will sit inside the sizable bezel surrounding the screen.
What materials is it made from?
We expect the Pixel tablet to have a premium feel. Google has announced that the tablet’s chassis will be made from 100% recycled aluminum. On top of that, the company has coated it with a nano-ceramic finish.
Google coated the chassis with microscopic ceramic particles to give it a unique feel. The company said it was inspired by the feel of porcelain, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it to find out!
With what software will it be launched?
The Pixel tablet will launch with Android 13 out of the box. The good thing is that it has the tablet optimizations that Google has been working on since late 2021 with Android 12L.
The majority of Google’s proprietary apps have been reworked to work on larger screens. So apps like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keep and more will look great on the big screen of the tablet.
Additionally, the notification shade will be split into two columns to better fit a landscape screen. There will be an app dock at the bottom which will also house apps for quick access. These are the main changes made by Google, and there are many more in the software.
As this is both Google’s hardware and software, we can expect the two to work perfectly with each other. However, we will have to wait for the launch of the device to be sure.
How many variations will there be?
[Update – January 27th, 2023: New rumors point to there only being ONE variant of the tablet.]
Officially, we only know of one tablet model. Google did not indicate any other variants during either presentation. However, 9To5Google spotted a code in Android that pointed to a possible Pro model.
The official code name for the Pixel tablet is “Tangor”. 9To5Google found the text “tangorpro” in the code. This points to a potential pro model of the tablet.
Will this tablet support the stylus?
It seems likely. In May 2022, the Pixel tablet was certified by the USI (Universal Stylus Initiative). This is an entity that wants to create a standard for pen compatibility between different devices. So, if the Pixel tablet has been certified by this company, that means it should support pen input.
A new report from January 2023 further confirms that this device will come with stylus support. The report also states that the tablet will use Fast Pair to connect to the pen. Thanks to the Fast Pair technology, the user will be able to easily see the battery percentage of the pen.
How much will the Pixel tablet cost?
At the moment we have no information on the prices of this device. However, Google is marketing the Pixel tablet as a premium product that will complement its flagship Pixel phones. With that in mind, we can’t expect a low price.
Also, we have to consider the dock. We don’t know if Google will sell the tablet on its own or only with the dock. We expect the company to sell the tablet and the dock separately.
So looking at the market Google is targeting and the addition of the dock, we put our estimate at around $799 for the tablet itself and $899 to $949 with the dock included.
These are just guesses, so you’ll want to take this with a grain of salt. We’ll update this article when we have more information on the price.
