Is it a tablet? Is it a smart display? Most importantly, is it any good?
Tablet | £599 | whf.cm/pixeltablet
After quietly dipping out of the tablet race back in 2014, and following a few misfires with some Chrome-based slabs in the years between, Google has decided that 2023 is the year to make its grand return to the scene.
The Pixel Tablet (not to be confused with the Pixel Slate) can best be described as a really big Pixel phone, as it uses the same design cues and software; although it does have one major trick up its sleeve to differentiate it from its cellular counterparts. Bundled in the box you will find a magnetic dock that not only charges the tablet but also houses a speaker which it will seamlessly switch to once you snap the tablet onto it. That’s a neat feature, but can it enable the Pixel Tablet to stand toe-to-toe with the iPad?
The Pixel Tablet will run you £599 for the 128GB model, or £699 for the 256GB model. Both storage options are paired with the Google Tensor 2 processor, 8GB of RAM and the latest Android 13 operating system.
It’s available in Charcoal and Porcelain (AKA black and white). It’s worth noting that only the Charcoal model gets black bezels around the screen; the Porcelain one gets white, which we find to be a bit distracting.
That magnetic charging/speaker dock is the only way to charge the tablet that is included in the box, though you can use your own USB-C charger if you wish. You can, however, purchase extra docks
for £139; a nice touch if you plan on having one dock in the kitchen and another in the living room or bedroom.
The chassis of this tablet is constructed entirely of aluminium and glass, making it feel sturdy yet lightweight. The overall weight (483g), is a hair heavier than the iPad (2022), although it is thinner than the Apple tablet.
There are a few obstructions to the smooth and minimal exterior, which include a USB-C connector socket, fingerprint scanner/power button combo, volume rocker and a set of four magnetic pins for connecting to the docking station. There is also an 8MP camera lodged in the top left-hand corner of the backside and an 8MP front-facing camera.
Let’s talk about that dock. It is fairly compact, comparable in size to a pencil case and wrapped in a fabric mesh. It takes a little while to get used to attaching the tablet to it as there are no real indicators as to where the tablet goes, but a mix of trial and error – and some pretty strong magnets – will help you to adapt to this task.
A monogamous relationship
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