Google Pixel Tablet is finally here: Price, specs, features, dock, and more

At Google I/O 2023, Google launched its first tablet since 2018. In fact, this was the first time since 2015 that it launched an Android tablet, specifically. That tablet is the Google Pixel Tablet, and it’s currently the only active tablet in the Google ecosystem.

From pricing and availability to specs and that Charging Speaker Dock, here’s everything you should know. You can also read our Google Pixel Tablet review for a more in-depth look at the device.

Google Pixel Tablet price and availability

• Pixel Tablet (8GB/128GB) with Charging Speaker Dock: $499 / £599 / €679 / CAD $699
• Pixel Tablet (8GB/256GB) with Charging Speaker Dock: $599 / £699 / €799 / CAD $799

Google launched the Pixel Tablet on May 10, 2023, during its annual developer’s conference called I/O. Google’s latest slate is available in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, the UK, and the US, but misses out on regions such as India and Taiwan. Pre-orders started on May 10, with general availability landing on June 20.

The Pixel Tablet starts at $499 in the US, £599 in the UK, €679 throughout selected European regions, and CAD $699 in Canada. Those prices are all for the base 128GB model, with this price tag including a dock accessory. The slate isn’t available without a dock. Consumers will also be able to choose from three colorways, which include Hazel, Porcelain, and Rose.

We’ll explain the dock accessory more soon, but you should note that you can buy an extra Charging Speaker Dock for $129 / €149 / CAD $179. There’s also a nifty Pixel Tablet kickstand case, which will set you back $79 / €99 / CAD $109.

Pixel Tablet features

Unquestionably, the most notable Pixel Tablet feature is the docking functionality via the included Charging Speaker Dock accessory. Place the tablet on this dock, and your Pixel Tablet essentially turns into a Google Nest smart display of sorts.

The dock allows you to charge the Pixel Tablet while also offering more powerful speakers than those built into the tablet. In fact, docking the Pixel Tablet enables a so-called Hub Mode. This mode offers features like digital photo frame functionality, the ability to use Google Assistant without unlocking the tablet first, and a persistent home panel for smart home controls. In a neat touch, you can also cast content from your phone to the docked tablet, albeit not to the tablet when it’s undocked.

The one major downer is that users can’t wirelessly connect to the dock itself to make use of its powerful speakers (not even via Bluetooth). In other words, without the tablet attached, the dock is an inert brick. You might want to buy a cheap Bluetooth speaker instead if you want that capability.

The Pixel Tablet supports the use of a stylus, but Google does not sell one specific to the Pixel Tablet. If you want to buy a stylus, anything that supports USI 2.0 will work. Likewise, Google does not create or sell a keyboard for the Pixel Tablet, but most Bluetooth keyboards from third-party companies will work with it.

Performance

The Pixel Tablet is effectively in line with the Pixel 7 series in terms of horsepower, bringing a Tensor G2 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of fixed storage.

The Tensor G2 isn’t quite as powerful as rival chips like 2022’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 family and the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. But it should still deliver speedy performance in everyday use and in demanding apps.

Display

The display is a key part of any tablet, and the Pixel Tablet totes a large 10.95-inch screen (2,560 x 1,600, 16:10). This is an LCD panel rather than an OLED screen, but this choice isn’t uncommon in the high-end Android tablet space as devices like the vanilla model Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and OnePlus Pad offer LCD screens too.

In any event, the Pixel Tablet screen delivers 500 nits of typical brightness.

To spruce up that display, Google has already released an update that includes the emoji and cinematic wallpaper features the company announced during Google I/O. Additionally, it appears Google plans to launch a Pixel Tablet screensaver app called Dreams. The app briefly appeared in the Play Store before getting taken down. The page featured a collection of screensavers, one of which included the Weather Frog. So far, Google has not announced the full availability of this unreleased software.

Design and build quality

The Pixel Tablet delivers an aluminum frame and a nano-ceramic coating that’s inspired by porcelain. When you combine this design with the dock that makes it look like a Nest Hub, you’ve got two products that pair well with each other (literally). In fact, the tablet and dock look more like Nest products than Pixel products.

In terms of I/O, you can expect a four-pin connector on the back for the Charging Speaker Dock, the power button (with integrated fingerprint scanner) and volume keys at the top, and a USB-C port on the left.

Google also sells an official case for the tablet appropriately called the Pixel Tablet Case. As shown above, this case comes with a built-in kickstand that can prop the tablet at any angle or act as a carrying handle. It also does not affect connecting the tablet to its dock, so you can leave the case on at all times and not lose out on that functionality. The case comes in the same colors as the tablet (Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose).

Charging Speaker Dock

The Charging Speaker Dock is the most unique aspect of the Pixel Tablet. As mentioned earlier, every Pixel Tablet will come with a Charging Speaker Dock — you can’t buy just the tablet on its own. You can, however, buy multiple docks and scatter them around your home.

The dock solves a problem Google found with tablet owners. The problem is that when people aren’t actively using a tablet, it’s just sitting in a drawer somewhere. Additionally, when they want to use their tablet, it’s in that drawer with a dead battery.

The dock makes the tablet useful even when you’re not using it. It also keeps the tablet charged, so it’s always ready whenever you need it.

While on the dock, the Pixel Tablet acts very similarly to a Google Nest Hub Max. It can show a photo slideshow pulled from your Google Photos account, control smart home devices, answer Google Assistant queries, and more. However, do note that the Pixel Tablet is not a 1:1 replacement for a Nest Hub Max. There are still many things a Nest Hub Max can do that a docked Pixel Tablet cannot. We talk about that at length in our Pixel Tablet vs Nest Hub article.

Finally, remember that the dock has no functionality on its own. When you disconnect the tablet from the dock, the dock is a brick.

Battery

The Pixel Tablet has a battery capacity of 7,020mAh. As far as tablets go, this is quite small. The vanilla Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, for example, has a battery capacity of 8,400mAh, and the newer OnePlus Pad clocks in at 9,510mAh. Of course, this lower-than-average battery capacity can probably be forgiven since the Pixel Tablet is primarily designed to stay at home and attached to the dock whenever it’s not in use.

Speaking of which, it charges at 15W using a USB-C cable and an appropriate charger (not included in the box). When you snap it onto the dock (which does come with a charger), it charges at that same 15W speed. There is no wireless charging supported.

Google points out that, on a full charge, you can expect 12 hours of video streaming over Wi-Fi (via YouTube at 1080p).

Camera

You shouldn’t expect a top-tier photography experience from the Pixel Tablet, given that it’s a tablet, after all. But you’re still getting an 8MP camera (ƒ/2.0, 1/4-inch sensor, 1.12μm, 84-degree FoV) on each side of the slate.

Both cameras are fixed-focus affairs too, but there are still a few solid features here. For one, the front-facing shooter offers an Apple-style continuous framing feature, keeping you in the center of the frame as you move around during video calls. This feature is restricted to the docked setup, though.

The Pixel Tablet camera app also offers features like Night Sight, Long Exposure, Top Shot, and Live HDR+ previews. So, it’s relatively flexible if you’re in a pinch.

Google Pixel Tablet specs

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