Customer Ratings & Reviews

--HIGHLIGHTS— Beautiful 12.3 High Quality Display, Portable and Lightweight, Great for Watching Videos, 128 GB Flash Drive, Fingerprint Reader, Google Keyboard and Google Pen Compatible, USB-C port --SETUP-- Setup is as simple as charging it for a short time, turning it on, and then connecting to a Wi-Fi network. The next step is to create or sign on to a Google Account. Since I already have a Google account, my settings and data synced up immediately. There were some mandatory updates to the Chrome OS, the keyboard, and some of the Apps that needed to be immediately done but I was soon up and running. Included is a 45W power adapter with a USB C connector and a USB C charging cord. USB C is now the charging standard, so I appreciate the versatility that it affords by allowing one cord to charge multiple devices. The power adapter also has prongs that neatly fold into the body of the adapter which makes it great to take on the go. Using a phone power adapter will charge this device, but much slower than the included adapter but it is a nice option when travelling light is a priority. --DESIGN AND FEATURES— This tablet can be connected to the Google Keyboard which turns it into a Chrome notebook. The Keyboard uses magnets to hold it to the tablet. Another nice feature to using the Keyboard is that is doubles as a protective case for the Slate and the magnets help keep it in place. The keyboard needs a surface that is stable to stay upright. So, if you like to sit it on your lap, you will need to place it on something stable when typing or use it as a tablet. My legs do not provide enough stability to use the keyboard. When I use it in bed, and I have found that the mattress provides enough stability to use the keyboard. The battery charges fully in about 2 hours and lasts for about 10 hours. The 12.3 inch, high resolution screen looks amazing! One of the best features of this tablet is the big beautiful screen. It is exactly what I would expect at this price point and is great for watching videos. I used the following Apps and found the performance to be excellent: YouTube, Vudu, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu. The touch screen is very responsive and works well. It is also compatible with Google Pen if you want to use a powered stylus. They keyboard is functional and easy to use. The keys are nicely backlit and feature an ambient light sensor to trigger the illumination. The power button is also the fingerprint scanner. It scans prints accurately but can only be used to unlock the screen. The print scanner cannot be used to when it is off. When the device is powered on you must use your password or pin. I hope Google upgrades this feature in the future. The wireless adapter worked flawlessly and creates a strong, reliable connection. This tablet has nice sounding speakers with sound quality that is typical for a tablet. For critical listening I use headphones. --BUILD QUALITY AND APPEARANCE— The build quality of this tablet is excellent. It not only looks great, but is also light, and easy to handle despite its size. The color (called Midnight Blue) is has a shade of black/blue. --VERDICT— The Google Pixel Slate is for users heavily invested in the Google ecosystem that are willing to pay the premium price for a full-size tablet that can also be used as a compact Chrome notebook, when attached to the Google Keyboard. This hybrid notebook/tablet is expensive, but has a bright, beautiful screen that is great for watching videos and viewing pictures. M significant other takes it with her all over the house with her to watch videos.

I was initially very excited to get my hands on the Google Pixel Slate. I'm a bit of a google fanboy and love the hardware design of google products. I got a chance to use the Slate that comes with the Intel I5 processor, 8 GB of ram and 128 GB of storage. These are powerful laptop specs.. in a tablet / chromebook hybrid. This setup should have almost no problem running most android apps on the google play store. But half the apps I downloaded from the Google play store had lag or just look awful on the gorgeous Pixel Slate screen. Most apps on the play store are designed for Android phones and they don't play well with the Pixel Slate screen. I love that google has given us the option to download android apps onto chromebooks but the play store is a mess and let's be honest. Tablet support for Android by software developers is almost non existent. Many of the apps are windowed and do not support the keyboard, which for me makes for an awkward experience when using this tablet in keyboard / laptop mode. You can argue that you can use it as a tablet and remove the keyboard but the pixel slate is HUGE, and trying to play games or type on the screen in tablet mode is cumbersome. The pixel slate is frankly just too big to hold in one hand and free up your other hand for swiping. That being said.. I don't quite understand why Google decided to make this years Pixel"book" into a "Slate". I find myself only using it with the Google Slate Keyboard attached. Google should have included the keyboard with the slate from the get go. Now as far as chromebooks.. this powerful setup can't really do anything that a lower end Chromebook can. I tried connecting an sd card to transfer my photos and videos i took with a mirrorless camera and the whole process was really laggy and buggy. There is absolutely no reason an app from the google play store or a video I recorded onto an sd card should lag during playback on this device. It has an Intel i5!! and 8 GB of ram! Perhaps google can fix many of the issues over time with software updates, and maybe just maybe software developers will polish apps and software for chromebooks and the google play store for tablet use. But do you really need to spend this much on hardware when the software does not take advantage of all the power under the hood of the pixel slate? The screen is gorgeous, and movies, photos, art all look great on the screen. Audio is crisp, and full. Not as loud as I was expecting but it sounds great. I find myself only using the Pixel Slate to browse the web or watch a movie on netflix. This is a product for Google Fanyboys such as myself. It's hard to recommend this product to a student or working professional who wants to edit photos and videos or paint a gallery worthy piece of art on this even though it is beautiful to look at. Pros: Large Beautiful Display Dual Front Firing Speakers that sound good Dual USB C ports for charging or accesories Powerful, fast and long battery life Cons: Software needs alot of work still. App devolopers neglect this platform.

Appearance and Build Quality: The Pixel Slate is a sleek and beautiful device. The front is a nice 23.3” 3,000 x 2,000 resolution eye popping display. The bezels around the edge are fairly thin and really only there as a place to hold. The top of the screen you can see the 8mp “DUO Cam” as Google calls it. The rear is a midnight blue aluminum back with the Google “G” in the top left corner is an 8MP camera. It weight in at 1.6 lbs and is 0.3” thick. There is a power bottom on the top left speakers on the left and right side for stereo audio, volume controls and USB-C port are on the left, magnetic keyboard connector is on the bottom, another USB-C port on the right. Performance: I am not going to give a review of ChromeOS which is the operating system this tablet runs, as there are tons of other devices that run this OS as well. This is specifically about the Pixel Slate’s performance running ChromeOS. My unit is an i5/8GB/128SSD model. This is the middle spec for the tablet. At this spec, ChromeOS operated absolutely smooth and fluid. Webpages scroll without jitter, the UI navigates exceptionally well. I can have multiple apps and tabs open without the machine slowing down one bit. If you can live and operating in a “Google world” then you could absolutely use this tablet as your only computer. On average I can get about 8 hours of use on this thing. Charging it via the supplied USB-C which can plug into either the left or the right side of the tablet gets you back to 100% charge rather quickly though I didn’t not measure the actual time it took. The screen response from fingers pressing and scrolling is very accurate and responsive. I noticed extremely minimal lag. The current build of ChromeOS has offered drastic performance reviews from when previously released. I have not tested or used the Slate prior to the most recent builds, so my experience has been all around very good. The front facing web cam is optimized for using Google DUO. Video calls are very clear, fluid, and crisp. Audio was always good and the mic picked up my vocals and the dual left and right stereo speakers produced great sound for hearing the person on the other side of the call. Using the tablet without a keyboard puts it into “tablet mode” which changes the home page to a more touch friendly environment. Buttons get moved to the left or right and app icons present on the screen in a scrolling fashion. When using accessories like the keyboard, apps go away and it becomes more “desktop” like. I had different mileage when plugging the USB-C into a monitor that supports USB-C vs one that doesn’t using a dongle. For the ones I used a dongle, I could not get it to display, while on a USB-C specific monitor I could get a full desktop effect. The screen itself is gorgeous. ChromeOS however does not offer a ton of scalability, so task bars remain rather large while keeping text readable, Making task bard small enough also makes text too small to read. Colors are vibrant and movies or videos looks incredible. 12.3” is small enough to easily carry around but large enough to use for a full days work without feeling like you NEED more space. If you’re all in the Goole ecosystem, this is an excellent choice as it encompasses all things Google, offers a great user experience, and integrates with other Google tech as well. If your a Apple or Windows user, this tablet may not offer much for you and you should likely look elsewhere. This feels like a device made for Google user’s specifically who understand the world of Google and are deep in all of their product line.

I am really enjoying using this Pixel Slate. From the start I have been impressed. When unboxing the tablet, it was reminiscent of a competitor; very sleek but simple. The packaging was definitely something that was well thought out for this device. Out of the box, my only small complaint was that the Pixel Slate had 0 charge on the battery and it took about 30 minutes to come to life. Once it started charging, I completed the setup and it was fully charged after about two hours. I have used it now for about an hour or so a night for close to a week and I’m still at 20% which is very good. I did watch one movie on it as well and it didn’t do much to drain the battery. Unlocking the tablet with a fingerprint is great and works just about every attempt. I will remove and re-add my print to see if it improves but this has not caused any angst at all. It is very responsive to touch with your finger or the Pen accessory. I have the keyboard as well and it completes the experience. The google store has plenty of apps for the device, most of which are generally available on a multitude of platforms. The 12 inch screen is very crisp and is great for movie watching or goofing around with some games. I am also very impressed by the sound from the tablet. Before putting headphones on, just sitting there playing music was very enjoyable. The sound was crisp and clear, I believe this could be a laptop replacement if you don’t need to crunch video software or feel you must use other office products. Getting used to storing your data on the cloud is not difficult once you have it setup properly and have enough storage so that you are not concerned with having everything on a local hard drive. All in all, the Pixel Slate from Google is an excellent device with a screen large enough to watch movies, build spreadsheets but also light enough to take anywhere.

The Pixel Slate is a great step in the right direction when it comes to Chrome OS hybrid tablet/laptop alternatives. I found the Chrome OS interface a bit confusing and does require some time to learn the functionality of the OS... I didn't find it to be as fluid as other interface like Android and PadOS then again this is truly a hybrid OS. Be prepared for a learning curve that is very achievable. The built quality is top notch with a high quality look and feel. Display is a high res (comparable to the iPad Retina display), speakers are much better than the iPad Pro (I believe there's a dual setup on the Pixel), battery life is up to par with comparable devices (10-11 hours with my prefer settings). 128GB is enough to download plenty of movies ahead of time for long trips/getaways. WiFi speeds are very fast (would be better if it had an LTE option as well). I truly believe the Pixel Slate is a great entertainment tablet, productivity can be done but it will also require a bit of an adjustment. Sadly, the keyboard ($199) and pen ($99) are separate and third party accessories are hard to come by. Overall, if you're invested in the Google ecosystem, this is the perfect iPad Pro substitute. Thanks.

THE BREAKDOWN: Let’s begin by saying that I have looking forward to the combination of a high end Android tablet and combining that with the keyboard to get the premium Chromebook multitasking features. I have been saying for the last few years image if you had high end laptop but could also detach the screen and use it like a tablet, best of both worlds right!! The packaging was very well done and like opening high end merchandise. In the box was everything needed to get this product up and running. After turning it on and plugging it up to power I was up and running quickly. With signing in and all the updates it still only took a few minutes. Let's start off with price, at $999 and add a keyboard at $199 puts you at the $1200 premium range. One thing that is lacking is the availability of LTE to be able to use it on the road. I really like the look and feel of the Pixel Slate. It has the flat bak and slim line bezels and had a really nice 12.3 inch screen. The screen have a beautiful resolution with a 6 million pixel display. The colors are very bright and vibrant. The performance was excellent, I felt that pages loaded fast and all my apps performed well. I enjoyed watching hours of streaming videos on all the popular platforms with vibrant rich colors. The battery life for me was around 13 hours which is higher than their rating of 12 hours. I also found that it does not get hot or overheat after using for hours at time. The tablet has 2 USB-C ports one at the end of each long side. It also has a volume rocker button on the left side and above that is the power button that can also unlock the device by using your fingerprint. One thing to note is that this is the only fingerprint option that I found it uses. It doesn’t use it in apps or purchases that I have found. Lastly, the operating system. I have found this iteration of the OS Google has made many improvements but for me they still needs some work. Most of the apps seem to work on the Pixel Slate but there are those that were designed for just phones that really look bad when they are displayed on this 12.3 inch screen. One last note is that when trying to do split screen with apps and chrome tabs it seems difficult and buggy. PRO’s: -Very well built and stylish -Setup was quick and easy -12.3 inch display -6 million pixel display -8th gen Intel i5 processor -128GB SSD -Pixel Imprint -Excellent battery life CON’s: -Price -Multitasking split screen -OS still needs work -No LTE SUMMARY: Overall, I feel that this product is really good and has a great fit and finish. I like all the features, and I feel that there is definitely some room for improvement from Google. For other devices in this price range I feel that this one just isn’t up to the standard for this price point. I would definitely recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for something like this.

For the most part tablet’s have not been too successful on being productivity machines. Most of the usage has either been media consumption, gaming or ebook reading. The hardware has been there to support the productivity side but the software has always been the Achilles heel. So does the Pixel Slate finally accomplished this in a way yes but no. Hardware & Performance: When it comes to the Pixel line Google does not disappoint. Just as nice looking and premium feeling the Pixel Book was the Pixel Slate is just as well. It’s a huge device that as a tablet can sometimes be a burden to be held due to being on the heavier side. The screen comes in at 12.3 with some slightly bigger bezels compared to the competition. It’s a gorgeous 3:2 aspect ratio LCD display that it’s a joy to use when getting some work done to just sitting back and enjoying some Netflix. It’s a very sharp crisp display with colors that pop. To me, the display reminds me of the Samsung Chromebook Pro which at that time was the best display on a Chromebook device. The screen is also pressure sensitive to support the new Pixel Slate Pen. When it comes to drawing even with the latest update I still experience some lag. I will say it’s much better now compared to the previous update. Besides drawing the pen can also be used to capture the screen, laser pointer, create a note and bring up the Google Assistant or magnifying glass. Those bezels are slightly bigger due to the front-firing stereo speakers and so far I must say the best so far on a tablet device. They’re loud with some bass that the missing 3.5mm jack will sting less. It is a disappointment for a tablet not to include a 3.5mm jack but Google does include a USB C dongle to use with your favorite pair of headphones. For I/O the Pixel Slate does have x2 USB C ports one on each side that both are capable of charging your device. Since it’s running Chrome OS 99.9% of the stuff you plugged in from portable drives, keyboards or game controllers the Pixel Slate will recognize them. Unfortunately, there’s no expandable storage via micro SD slot. I was more disappointed about the missing SD slot than I was about the 3.5mm jack. Even though you can plug in a portable drive I prefer to save a port for something else and not having a dongle sticking out especially if you’re traveling. It’s one less item to pack or lose. The hardware is top-notch that is driven by an 8th gen dual-core Intel i5-8200Y processor with Intel UHD Graphics 615, 8gb of Ram (16gb for the i7 model) and 128gb of storage (256gb for i7 model). It’s fanless CPU so you will not hear any fans at all. If you’re doing some heavy tasks like gaming, moving huge files or have a lot of open tabs in Chrome the bottom back of the Slate will get warm. On paper, this specs should translate to fast smooth hardware which is it does for 75% of the time. 25% of the time that it doesn’t shows that Google still has a lot of work to do to iron out the kinks. The battery is strong but still not at the iPad level. With the latest update, I have noticed my battery life has improved so there is room for improvement through optimization. Software: If I would have started my review before the Chrome 76 update it wouldn’t have been pretty. A lot of the problems lies in the tablet interface. Some of the issues, for example, the login page there was a long delay for the on-screen keyboard to show up. The animations from switching apps to the overview of the open apps were choppy. File transfer is another area that performance would take a hit. When I would transfer files from my phone to the Pixel Slate what I normally do while the files are being transferred I would browse the web or watch some YouTube. Things would start to stutter especially the audio. This has been an ongoing issue with the file manager since the Pixel Slate was released. It’s much better now compared to it just crashing before. Now, most of this stuff has been resolved on the Chrome 76 update. Before the update, I would hardly use the Pixel Slate has a tablet because of the performance issues. The only time I did use it as a tablet is when I was consuming media. With the new update, I do find myself using it more as a tablet now. But I still mainly prefer to use it with the Pixel Slate keyboard from Google due to the size. Productivity: When it comes to office work like working on documents it’s a very capable machine especially when you pair it with the Pixel Slate keyboard case. One of the things that I like about Chrome OS is how centers around your Google account. The file manager not only shows your local files but it shows your Google Drive files as well. It’s so easy to drag and drop files between your Google Drive and your internal storage or external storage devices. For the past year, I have been using the Google Docs suite. It’s so seamless to be able to work on a document have it saved on the cloud and pick it up from another device like your PC or mobile device and continue working on it. It’s not just limited to word documents you also have access to Google Sheets and Google Slides. If the Google suite is not your thing you have a full desktop-class browser available to you. Office 365 will run fine just as it would on a Windows device. You also have access to the app through the Google Play Store. Having a full desktop web browser is what differentiates the Pixel Slate from the competition. Websites that normally don’t work on mobile browsers you no longer have to switch over to your PC. When it comes to video editing is a different story. If you’re looking for a tablet to be able to edit videos this will not be it. There’s no good video editing software available on Chrome OS or the Play Store to take advantage of the hardware. This is one of the cons of the Chrome OS and Android is the lack of killer productivity apps for media creation. For office work and crunching numbers on workbooks, the Pixel Slate can handle it like a champ. Having support for a mouse at a system level is what helps the Pixel Slate be a productivity machine. Since it’s running Chrome OS it’s an excellent option for students going off to college. Media Consumption: Using it as a tablet it’s ok but given its size, you might want to invest in a case so you can prop it. Coming in at 12.3 it’s a huge tablet with some heft to it. Trust me, you don’t want to be holding this tablet when watching a movie or some YouTube for too long. When it comes to cases you have a couple of options available like I previously mentioned the Pixel Slate Keyboard Case or the G Type Bridge Keyboard. Now for just strictly case without the keyboard, the only option you have is the Incipio Carnaby Folio Case. I actually have this case and the only one available that provides much better protection than the Keyboard case and it gives you the ability to prop the device horizontal or vertical. Now the Pixel Keyboard case also allows you to prop the device. Having the Pixel Slate prop to watch some Netflix or YouTube to relax at the end of a long day is the way to go. This is when you start to appreciate the big display with the loud dual firing stereo speakers. Having a resolution of 3000x2000 pictures, movies come in crisp, lot’s of detail with vibrant colors. It has become my favorite media device for excellent sound and picture. Conclusion: The best way to describe the Pixel Slate is a 2in1 device with a detachable screen. With the Chrome 76 update, Google is getting closer to bridging that gap of a laptop and tablet hybrid system. The hardware is there it’s the software that needs to catch up. Chrome OS still not polish enough to be used strictly on tablet mode 100% of the time. Buying the Pixel to be used strictly as an Android tablet I wouldn’t recommend it. Even though you have access to the Play Store the majority of the Android Apps are not optimized for the tablet size screen. Games do play well but they still run better on a dedicated Android Tablet. The Pixel Slate is for the type of person that wants a productivity machine that can also provide some media consumption. If you used the Pixel Slate this way you won’t be disappointed. At the end of the day it boils down to what are your needs and if the Pixel Slate can meet most of those needs. For me, I knew it wasn't going to be perfect but it meets my needs as in office work and media consumption. Google has done an excellent job with the hardware but it still needs to provide the polish software that can advantage of it. If you take a look back at the early reviews to now the software has come a long way. At this current state, I can comfortably recommend it if you’re primary usage will be productivity. If what you want is an Android Tablet with the biggest screen you’re better off with a dedicated Android Tablet. Just as Google has proven on its Pixel phones that Android can provide a polish experience. I'm confident they can do the same with Chrome OS on a tablet device.

This is a really nice piece of hardware. It feels good in the hands and doesn't weigh to much. The battery seems to last pretty long, but i haven't actually tested how long. The thing i think that makes it better than the Surface pro is the standby. I left it for almost a week when I went on vacation. When I came home it was still at 80% . I don't use it for much, but it has handled everything I've needed it to do. The Google made keyboard works great also. It is a little floppy to use as a cover when carrying it, but otherwise it works really well.

There’s a lot I like about the Pixel Slate. The display, for one, is exceptional. System performance is better than average, and battery life thus far has been outstanding. After listening to music and YouTube videos, as well as Netflix and Sling TV, for me the speakers are quite good, too. Setting up the Slate to a full running status took about 15 minutes. As soon as I connected power to the unit – initially to ensure a full charge – it automatically walked me through the setup process. I’ve been a Google user for years, so all I had to do was authenticate who I was using my Google credentials, and everything was smooth and painless after that. The setup process included adding my fingerprints using the Slate’s fingerprint sensor (the sensor is the Slate’s power button), a step that took only a couple of minutes. After adding two fingerprints to the system, the setup process was nearly complete. While the Slate is typically sold without a keyboard or pen, I have both accessories. Once the keyboard was connected to the Slate (the keyboard comes with powerful magnets that connect to the underside of the tablet), the Slate immediately initiated a software update for the keyboard. Not too long after, the update was done. The Slate comes with 8gb of ram and 128gb of storage, two USB-type C ports, and has a 12.3” display. It also has rear- and forward-facing cameras. Since the unit doesn’t have a port for wired headphones, the Slate comes with a USB type-C adapter for wired headphones. The Slate supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, thus letting you connect your devices (like headphones) to it wirelessly. As a long-time user of Google products, I’m very comfortable with the Slate’s working environment. While 128gb of storage isn’t a lot based on today’s standards, it works fine for me. That’s because I use local storage only as temporary storage. All documents I keep for long-term storage are copied to my Google Cloud Drive. Photos are, in turn, saved to the Google Photos Cloud service. If you manage your documents well, 128gb will last you a long time. The Slate, with or without keyboard, feels nice and solid in my hands. The materials used on the outside of the Slate don’t have that slippery “I’m-going-to-drop-the-unit” feel that I’ve encountered before. I use Google Assistant for everything in my daily life and the Slate has it built in as a core feature. I use the Assistant for many functions, including sending texts, making phone calls, turning on/off lights, unlocking doors, and much more. I tested out a good number of Google apps on the Slate, including GMail, Messages, Messages for Web, Duo, Photos, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Chrome, and more. I even cast a YouTube video to my TV. All worked exceptionally well. I also used the Slate to stream Sling TV and Netflix. No problems there either. I have my two printers at home that are registered with Google Cloud Print, so printing was effortless. Authenticating my Google credentials on the Slate was adequate to make both printers known and available. I have over 30 Android apps installed on the Slate and tried running most of them. Unfortunately, some of them - including Facebook, Instagram, and Audible – failed to run. This wasn’t a crisis for me because I have shortcut links to the browser versions of these programs where they ran just fine. All in all, I like the Pixel Slate. It’s portable, feels solid, and it does everything I need it to do. Both the keyboard and pen feel good in my hands, and even the bouncy feel when it’s sitting on my lap isn’t a showstopper. The touch screen was perfect, whether using it in conjunction with the keyboard or as a standalone tablet. The Slate is not a Windows system, so it’s not going to run every app you might run on your Windows desktop or laptop. For me, however, it does a quality job of running the apps I need it to run.

I had my reservations at first but later learn to love the Pixel Slate after days of usage. Battery life is spectacular! Speakers are loud and crisp. I'll admit, tablet mode is not the greatest experience. It works good, just not well. I haven't experienced any over heating only a few hiccups with the notifications. With every Chrome OS update the device feels polished and refine. Android apps are not really that good. Chrome web apps look nice and clean and are a HUGE part of the OS experience.

This is my first chrome OS device but I am not new to the Google echo system. This Slate is an impressive tablet it is light, thin, fells sturdy and very well made. Setting this baby up is simple sign in with your Gmail and follow the few other steps. The power button is an actual fingerprint reader which is pretty cool and works very well. This Slate comes with the Intel i5 processor, 8 GB of ram and 128 GB of storage, which is not something you will find in a regular tablet, this specs looks closer to the laptop realm. There is a USBC connector on each side of the table in which can be used for charging and the other you can connect the included headphone jack adapter. My impression with the Chrome OS felt very familiar from Android OS, it was easy to use no rocket since needed. Apps ran exceptionally well with no crashes to report. Most of the daily google apps that I currently use “Gmail, Calendar, Chrome, Docs” were on point. Now I used this device to play one of my favorite games on a larger screen, it makes a big difference. The display is very bright and clear, the colors were vivid and it was very responsive to the touch. Watching videos on it was very pleasing. With a great display you also get front firing speakers which sound exceptionally well. Finally, a tablet with sound that comes from the front and not the side. You are not only limited to watch your favorited videos on the device but you can also cast them to either GoogleTV, or Chromcast that are connected on the same network. There are two 8mp cameras one on the front the other one in the back, I don’t see myself taking lots of picture with it as the device is too big for that in my opinion but, the quality of the picture is pretty good. The front facing camera is perfect for video calling, if you use Google Duo you will see yourself using it a lot on this device as you get quality video, and clear sound due to those front firing speakers. What makes this tablet shine is when you attached the not included Google keyboard ($199) the tablet transforms into a laptop like device. The keyboard with rounded keys feels great to type and it can be lit in the dark, and it also has a mouse pad. The keyboard not only protect your device but you can actually sit it on your lap and use it like a laptop, not the best position to use it but it can be done. This review was typed using the Slate and Google Keyboard. There also a pixel pen ($99) you can use with this device, I did try it and it works well and is very accurate, but I am not the type of artist person who will definitely use this. Now, if you need to sign documents digitally is much better signing with this pen than with your fingers. Two things I didn’t like about the pen is there’s not place to store it but on the magnetic back of the keyboard cover which make it a very awkward, and it does not have rechargeable battery. Over all this is a great device competing in the laptop realm, it has great battery life, is portable, compatible with millions of apps, great for entertainment, and can also get the work done when paired with the not included keyboard. Some may not like the price ($999) and adding the keyboard ($199) will make it even higher, but in the other hand this is not an average tablet. If you’re in the Google echo system you don’t need to look any further you will love this device. All your Google apps running on a Google Os with Google hardware with no blot ware or third party add on, it can’t get better than that.

Good specs, very good hardware, easy to use OS. Unlimited possibilities... This Pixel Slate from Google is a very remarkable device (as usual). It looks like Google releases some devices for people who want to go beyond the average stuff and check what technology can offer. Slate is really well built. With available accessories, it can turn into a Chromebook laptop. Offering very good experience in everyday use. Nice Keyboard, accurate pen, Sharp wide screen, long lasting battery and very efficient operating system. While the price is not the best part of the deal, what you get for what you pay is the best deal. Slate processor is very capable (running Linux and android apps with no problem). I already have google Pixelbook for long time now. I really love it but it can't beat the tablet mode the Slate is. Also, it has some issues running some android apps and some other apps are not available at all. The Slate has longer lasting battery, less weight and slimmer profile with 2 cameras available. Detachable (accessory) keyboard. WiFi is not bad at all. No complains. Getting good coverage in all the places where I use my devices. Talking Camera, the Cameras on the Slate are just amazing. I'd say more than what you really need on a Tablet/Laptop. Connectivity might be an issue for some people... I already got over it with the Chromebook by buying USB-C hub that has multi possible connectors (including HDMI) that solved all needs. Back to the Slate. Battery is lasting about 9 hours so far (says 30% left) with light to medium use including web browsing, documents editing, Youtube, Skype and some PCB design (Linux). It is holding well through the day. The speakers on the front are kind of enough (for my application). Some people complaint about them being not loud enough. The stereo sound is really good. I like it. I played some songs and music (from WEB) and they run fine through the speakers. I tried some android games that not available in Chromebook, they work fine and fast. No problem at all running on Intel i5 processor. The RAM capacity is 8GB. Well, it is not bad for Chrome OS but I've had some ACER chromebook with 16GB RAM. Do I see any difference in usage? No! It is just the numbers that we like or don't like. Tracking resources with Cog, I noticed that there is always about 1GB RAM free no matter what is running there. With many tabs and programs running, I felt some lag but I was really pushing it to the limits. Talking pushing it to the limits, I'd say the CPU heated up a little when running GIMP (under Linux) then it slowed down a little. Still, I was capable to do the job just fine. Who should buy Slate? Well, I use Google for very long time now. I have several Chromebooks (first release) and I feel very comfortable with it. I can do all my tasks on Chrome OS. I use Windows from time to time to play some games or some programs that don't run well on Linux (and some Windows only work programs). I'd suggest you try Google Chrome on your windows computer. Try and see if you can do most of your daily tasks using it... If so, get a Chrome OS machine. Looking for the best, get a Google product. Looking light weight, good battery and good performance? Get the Pixel Slate... I recommend also getting the accessories, at least the Keyboard for better performance and easier typing.

This Pixel Slate is a full-size (12.3”) tablet that is thin with a clear, bright screen, but with a fairly heavy weight to it. The device comes in at 25.6 ounces; compare this to a larger (12.9”) iPad Pro which comes in at 16.5 ounces). So the weight is noticeable when carrying it around. Remember before going much further that this is a Chromebook tablet, so you’ll be running the Chromebook OS right out of the chute, but with a beta-level support for some Linux configuration and options (extremely limited at the time of release). If you’re a user that uses primarily cloud-based or SaaS types of services or applications, or your organization uses Google Apps for work (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc.) this will serve you well. Otherwise know that you’re limited to apps from the Google Play store, which often give you limited functionality as compared to a laptop or desktop. Boot time is quick, as should be expected from any tablet. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader, but I found that more times than not it failed to pick up on my fingerprint, hit me with a “too many attempts” warning & forced me to use a PIN (which has to be 6 numbers or more, which seems excessive to me). Battery is actually good, I got 3-4 days or intermittent use at work out of it before getting below 20%. Always-on time will yield you around 8 hours (Google says 10 hours). The device features 2 USB-C ports, one on each corner, so you can charge the device from either the left or right side. Unfortunately, the device does not support external storage, limiting you to the internal storage only, which reduces the amount of local storage and apps you can take with you. As for downloading a movie to take on the plane you may be out-of-luck depending on what’s already on the tablet. Screen response time to me was the worst part of the device. Whether using your finger to write on the screen or the optional stylus, there was a very noticeable lag between when you make a stroke on the screen to when it appears (as compared to a 3-in-1 laptop, a Microsoft Surface, and a Samsung Note Tab, all of which I use for a variety of jobs in the office). I use OneNote fairly often and found it frustrating and distracting that you would write but it was maybe a quarter of a second before you see the writing on the screen. And while that doesn’t seem like a lot, it’s noticeable and makes writing notes much more difficult. The device has an optional external keyboard that the tablet can dock with, but skip it and get a Bluetooth keyboard. It’s too floppy for the device and doesn’t do a good job at protecting the device (see that device for my review specifically on the keyboard). Overall, it’s not a bad tablet for web-based, cloud-based, or SaaS apps and services. It more than did the job which I was using it for -- notes, e-mail, and web-based SaaS programs. The display lag for displaying handwriting for me was the worst part, in addition to the extremely heavy weight for the device. And at this price point, it’s not like there aren’t plenty of other options out there to compete with the Slate.

All things considered; I do not recommend this. Maybe I am showing my age a bit but I just don’t see the value for the price of this item, especially when keyboard and pen aren’t included. Use; Easily setup It is fast – it boots and opens apps very quickly, has a very nice screen resolution, excellent battery life – about 12 hours – depending on what you are doing, good speakers with nice stereo sound separation, seems to be sturdily built. Comes with 45W USB-C charger, 6-foot USB-C cable and USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter if you want to use wired headphones. Has Bluetooth. Fingerprint reader built into on/off button To save battery it dis-connects from Wi-fi when “sleeping”. I was able to attach external USB drives that have NTFS format (same as Windows) with no problem (I tried several different sizes up to 2TB). But since Slate only has 2 USB-C connections you will probably need to buy a USB-C to USB 3.0 adapter. I happened to have a couple lying around for use on my laptop. USB-C connection are “universal” connectors and as such can be used for multiple purposes. You can use to attach a 4K monitor if you have correct connector cable. Issues; Chrome OS is just different enough from Android to be irritating. Keyboard and pen not included for the price. Only 128GB of storage and no easy way to add more internally. Specifically, no Micro-SD slot. This may be due to operator error but swipe up Apps list is not in alphabetical order. 25% of the apps I use on my phone and my old Acer tablet - were unavailable, did not load properly or installed but did not work properly. Maybe future Chrome OS or Store/App updates might resolve the issues but for now this is a deal breaker for me. I am not sure how long Slate will be around/supported. It seems Google has already dropped the cheaper versions - https://app.getpocket.com/read/2617567270. Given its 128GB space limitation, that keyboard and pen are not included and that it does not run all apps installed on my regular Android devices - it is really hard for me to recommend it.

This unit has the i5 processor and 128gb with 8gb of RAM. Feel is very solid and has a classic design. Its actually quite light .I do like that the back camera (no flash) is in the corner and does not stand out. The display has a border, and it is bright and crisp. You almost have to buy the keyboard / case which is optional. The keyboard itself is excellent but case design and stability is not. I have used it all day without needing a charger (8 hours) and there was battery to spare. Having USB C charging ports on both side is a great feature which I liked a lot. Would have liked one more port. Selling up the tablet computer was annoying at 1st because google would not accept my long established password. After multiple tries and resets over a few days, I was finally granted access. Everything integrated well after that. . The screen is responsive, crisp and bright. I am a big YouTube fan, and did not find the front facing speakers that great. They are loud but not as clear as I would expect. The volume switch on the top left side was ok but would have liked it to be more pronounced. After a few days, I found myself liking the tablet and using it a lot. It is just the right size to carry around and yet, still be useful. The google integration is good, and the tablet is very easy and responsive to use. I have a VOIP call plan which I use and noticed that '@' always registered as '2' with the on screen popup keyboard, but works fine with the keyboard cover. I think this may have been the reason I could not login when setting up the unit. Am puzzled by this and will explore further. All in all, its a handy device and an option over the conventional laptop. It is easier to carry and does the job of a conventional laptop. Hopefully, as its updated it will be better. I am still puzzled over the incorrect characters being registered by the popup screen keyboard.

This tablet is fast, very fast. I've seen several things online about it being sluggish, but that's not the case for me. It charges really fast, I mean really fast. It was completely dead when I got it out of the box, so I had to charge it. So within about 1.5 hours it was full and ready for use. Setup is easy, just sign into your Google account and you are good to go. It will start to download all of the apps you have on your other device, if you have other Android tablets or Chromebooks. It's a little bit heavier than I right it would be, but that's a good thing in this case. It feels really premium. The camera on the front is really nice, and really clear. This will be good very video chats or video recordings. DUO. Battery life send good so far, as I've been on it for a while now and it's barely moved about 3%. I suggest you buy the keyboard case for this, as it makes it more complete to me in my usage. Glad I gave the keyboard, because it turns it into the hybrid you will love. When you dock it, clears the screen and looks more like a computer or a regular Chromebook. Performance is really good on this model, (core i5 w/8gb RAM 128GB storage. I like that it has 2 type c ports, because I can hook an external monitor if I want to or use a USB hub if I need more ports. For now, this is a great tablet/Chromebook because it's very portable.

If you're a frequent user of Chrome browser and Google services like Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Duo, etc... then the Pixel Slate could be an alternative to a full fledged computer or hefty Chromebook, especially with the recent drop in price. If you do a lot of inputting, though, then best to get the optional keyboard, in which case the Pixel Slate with keyboard lands in the same price range as higher end Chromebooks like the Google Pixelbook. PROs • Excellent screen resolution, though less saturated color than other tablets • Great sound from the small speakers • Battery lasts a full working day • You won’t miss a computer when working in Chrome browser, especially with Google services like Gmail, Photos, etc... • Has two USB-C ports so you can use external storage CONs • Heavier than I expected for a tablet. Would get tiring if you had to hold it a long time. Plus it runs warm when watching videos. • Sections of the screen flicker at times. I noticed this especially on infinite scroll pages like Quora and when watching live TV stream from my cable company. On YouTube and Netflix there was no flickering. • Touch input did not work on every web site. When I was in iCloud.com using the Notes app, only the touchpad on the optional keyboard was recognized, but I could not get the tablet to recognize touch. I don't know if there are other websites that would have the same issue, though all of the Google services worked fine. • The biggest con is when using Android apps. Maybe it depends on the developer, but Android apps don’t seem to take advantage of the larger screen. And in the case of my password manager, 1Password, it didn’t recognize the fingerprint sensor on the Slate and asked me to enter my password to open it. Nor did it autofill my passwords when using Chrome. With the reduced price of the Pixel Slate, I would recommend it if you work primarily in Chrome and especially in Google services, and if you get the optional keyboard. If you do, you will love the experience.

This review is based on using the tablet to surf, check email, stream, work inside the GSuite tools, video chat and play Andriod games. Overall this tablet does everything well, but really excels in both streaming and working in the Google ecosystem. In the box is the tablet, usb-c charger, 3.5 headphone adapter. To set up, remove from packaging, turn on. It does come partially charged, but to charge it fully took approximately an hour. When the battery is low, it takes just over 1.5 hrs to fully charge. The auto setup prompts will walk you through the system, starting with wifi, then moving on to logging into your Google account, done. There is also the option at boot up to setup the fingerprint sensor. You can then chose to go to the playstore to find your favorite Andriod apps to install. So far the only app I've found that doesn't play well on the Pixel Slate is Facebook. Out of the box you will notice that the display has impressive resolution, low reflection, and highly responsive. The Pixel Slate has a front and back camera, which integrate seamlessly into the Google Duo video calling app. The speakers are crisp and clear, with a wider range than most tablets this size. During voice calls, audio is clear and the people I called said my audio was clear and easy to understand. To use the tablet with Google Docs, Gmail, or anything else that required typing, I added in the external keyboard (not included) this made the tablet feel more like a chromebook. You can use the onscreen keyboard but it takes up some of the screen and found it cumbersome if having to type more than a few sentences (such as this review). The keyboard locks in with magnets, and also doubles as a cover / stand. When using the keyboard I found it to be lightweight, responsive, and was small yet had enough space so I wasn't hitting multiple keys. There is also the option to purchase a battery powered Pixel stylus pen to draw, sketch, write. It pairs seamlessly with the tablet and the response was 100% accurate, it doesn't have the lag, jitter, or slight bias that some pens give. Overall this tablet is wonderful for working with Google tools or streaming. I found that the GSuite of tools offered everything I needed to do basic daily tasks, and even some working from home needs such as spreadsheets. The experience is superb to Windows laptops since you don't have to deal with the bloatware or Microsoft office tools. Highly recommended!

Hands down one of the best chromebooks. It's a fantastic form factor and makes for a very light and portable device. The attachable keyboard is ok and makes for a great cover that affords a lot of protection. I would like to have seen some smaller bezels on the display. From a performance perspective you couldn't ask for better. The processor is one of the highest performing of any chromebook out there. It is quite snappy given just about any task you throw at it. And all that horsepower doesn't seem to hamper the battery life very much. It can sit idle for nearly a week, and under full use can go about 10 hours or so. One of the biggest cons really with a chromebook in this touch tablet form factor is that it can be difficult to navigate and tap things with bigger hands/fingers. I manage, but would prefer a more touch-user friendly interface on the chrome os. One thing I think is missing is a hard shell rigid keyboard to attach turning it into a laptop. The soft style keyboard case isn't the most lap friendly and results in a poor lap experience. The screen is beautiful and has excellent resolution and clarity. The brightness is really quite good. And even at ~30% brightness is still quite viewable. All in all it feels like a very sturdy tablet considering it's modest form factor and light weight. I highly recommend this device if you are considering a non-windows device for the kids headed off to school. It would be an excellent productivity device, and would make for great media consumption. The sounds is a bit meh, but nothing you can't remedy with a decent pair of headphones. The only other real detractor is the price tag. At the end of the day you can still get a really good Windows PC for the same price. So it all depends on your love for Chrome and need for Office. There's always Office 365 web if you absolutely must have it. I'm quite happy with it and would give it a recommend.

Ever since Transformers came out in the 80s, I loved the idea that you buy a toy car and, after some manipulation, you also have a robot. This idea has been copied across many platforms because there is tremendous value in a product that has many uses. This Google Pixel Slate is one such device. It easily combines the usefulness of a consumable tablet, a business laptop, a 3k Tv with surround sound, and a drawing pad. What's most important is it's capability of doing everything well and seamlessly. With the purchase of the keyboard case and the stylus, this becomes a triple changer! The screen is bright and crisp at 6Mp (equivalent to a 3K TV screen) and the front firing speakers create a simulated surround that's believable. The user interface is just like an Android phone complete with Swype keyboard. It's lightweight, has great battery life (while still new), is thinner than my Xperia phone, and looks better than your average tablet (though it wouldn't hurt to allow customization like Google did with Moto). Both cameras capture light indoors far better than my windows tablets and on par with i-devices. My only issues are: 1- the lack of included accessories for the 2 usb-c ports (headphone adapter included) 2- keeping with Google trend by not offering a microSD slot for expansion 3- not having anywhere to store the Pen (magnetically or physically) That's it, not much in the way of issues thus far. The price is a bit high, though I suspect you get what you pay for.