Google - Pixel Tablet - 11" Android Tablet - 128GB - WiFi - Porcelain

This device works really well for me. I mainly use it for school and the battery life is great. Transferring my data from my pixel phone to the pixel tablet was a breeze.

I’m a tablet fan, personally. When I am at home I rarely, if ever, utilize my phone for anything other than actual calls. I often will be consuming media or news on my TV and pick up my tablet to research a fact or look up an actor in a movie or show that I’m watching. I prefer the larger format of not only the screen but the device itself. The first table I ever bought was a Google Nexus 7 and I STILL was able to use it until I traded it in this year to Best Buy. This shows that when Google is serious about a device, they can make something that can be useful for years if you treat it right. And the latest Pixel Tablet shows this same pedigree in its build quality, I really enjoy picking it up and using it. I’m just worried that Google isn’t quite sure how to market it properly. But I’ll get into that in a minute… Setup on Google Pixel devices just gets more impressive every time I set up a new device. Since I have a Google account, I was able to get all my services set up merely by logging in and I was able to use my last tablet’s backup (a Samsung) to get all my necessary apps installed. I let it sit for a couple of minutes (and a few reboots) and when I got back to it, everything was “just there” – ready to go. It even brought over all my data as well; something that in the case of my Smart Home apps would have been a nightmare to recreate from scratch. (I even had the option of connecting directly to my old tablet during setup, but I opted for using my cloud backups.) Aesthetically speaking, it feels good in the hands. I find it strange, but this is one of the first tablets that I felt as comfortable using in landscape as in portrait. A lot of that is due to Android’s tablet tweaks that take advantage of landscape mode. It comes with more than enough storage for me at 128 gigs, but if I was a gamer I’d probably opt for the 256 GB variant. I can’t speak to gaming performance, but for everyday use and content consumption, I found the UI and app quite snappy with little to no lag. The screen is sharp and fairly contrasty and although it is an LCD screen, I found the brightness to be pretty adaptable to various lighting conditions. The other thing I found quite impressive was the fingerprint sensor, which works surprisingly well once you do the initial setup. Overall, it’s a really good tablet – which is what it should be. It’s not an iPad, nor does it need to be compared to one as I feel the target users are in two completely different classes. But I’m not sure if Google knows how to market the device properly, given their recent unbundling of the tablet from the dock. For some reason, Google decided to lower the price by unbundling it from the dock and selling it separately, but in my opinion the dock is what really makes the Pixel Tablet a standout from other devices in this form factor. I immediately bought a dock when I tested this because as much as I love the tablet, the dock was what made it a must have for me. I’ve always kept my tablets on a side table next to my couch because that’s where I use it the most. It’s always been a pain point for me that I’d have to plug and unplug my tablet and that the only way I could put it on the table was to lay it flat, which took up too much space. With the dock, not only is it easier to charge but it also keeps the tablet upright, with the additional virtue as serving as sort of a smart speaker like my Nest hubs. And there’s a really satisfying grab of the magnets when you attach to the dock. They should be lowering the price of the dock significantly to encourage purchasing more than one. I would definitely buy another dock to put in my bedroom or office so I could move the tablet with me and feel like they could offer them at a lower price given the basic construction; it is after all just a charger, speaker, and some magnets. All of the smarts are in the tablet itself. Also, if they are going to pitch the tablet as a ‘part time’ smart speaker then they need to mirror more features from the Nest hub. At the VERY LEAST, it should really support Nest Doorbell on screen announcements! That it still doesn’t support this after a year of being out there is puzzling; especially since the tablet itself is a Chromecast target device! Despite these small shortcomings, I love this tablet and its form factor. But I would highly recommend also buying the dock to get the most out of it. If you use your tablet like I do, I think you’ll be much happier with the combination of the two.

After a long hiatus of not having a Google branded tablet, in 2023 Google released a new Pixel Tablet with an included charging dock/speaker combo. This 2024 Pixel Tablet is the same hardware, minus the charging/speaker dock, but at a lower price of $399. The charging dock is now available separately for $129. First impressions: you are immediately greeted by a slim, premium feeling box that includes a USB-C charging cable. Google is following the industry trend of excluding a USB-C power adapter, a minor gripe since you likely already have one from another device. It would be nice if manufacturers included a power adapter, but alas this is the new normal. The tablet itself is compact, lightweight, and feels very sturdy. The 11” 2560x1600 screen is bright, gorgeous, and a joy to use. The four speakers are outstanding and have a full sound that’s a welcome departure from other tablets that have 1-2 tinny sounding speakers. Watching movies, YouTube, or streaming music is seriously impressive from both a visual and audio perspective. This tablet features the Google created G2 “Tensor” processor, which has awesome AI features built-in. Paired with the latest version of stock Android, you get all the Google AI goodies without unwelcome apps that cannot be removed (e.g. other Android tablets). It is very fast and lean, making the entire experience feel clean and premium. I would, however, have appreciated a 120Hz screen, but for the price, 60Hz is perfectly fine. Google has done an outstanding job building out its Pixel brand, so you can use your Pixel phone, Pixel buds, Watch, etc. all in Google’s ecosystem. Very convenient! Not only that, you can add a stylus if you like so you can write, draw, etc., directly on the tablet. Although there isn't (yet?) a Google branded stylus and keyboard, there are 3rd party options that work very well. I’d recommend the Amazon Fire pen, which is about $35 on Amazon (USI 2.0). I also purchased (separately) the Spigen case since I wanted something that covers the screen, however there are other case options, including a Google branded one without a screen cover. Overall, I really enjoy using this tablet and would easily recommend it to anyone, especially if you use Google services, and especially if you have a Pixel phone. It finally feels like Android is maturing for tablets, providing a much-needed alternative to an iPad. Samsung’s tablets are of course very nice, but have a price tag to match, along with a redundant app store and overall software approach. This Pixel Tablet is clean, crisp, and fast. I’m very happy with it and would wager you will be too!