Google Pixel Tablet Review with Pros and Cons

Google is back with a new tablet and I’m hoping that they will keep the product alive because they have recently killed the Google Domains.

That being said, let’s see the reason to buy the Pixel tablet and the reasons to skip it.

Google Pixel Tablet Price: 

The Pixel Tablet starts at £599 ($499/A$899) for 8GB of Ram and 128GB of storage while it comes in Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose color options.

Google Pixel Tablet Review

Look, Pixel Tablet is not for everyone because it doesn’t have everything for everyone, the processor is not that powerful, apps are not well optimized for the tablet, the Google Assistant is not consistent, and the battery life is average which is a big letdown as this is a $499 Android tablet.

Yes, it does come with a dock inside the box, so you don’t have to spend an extra $130 to buy one but the problem is, the dock’s speakers are not very loud.

If you’re expecting a loud and bass-heavy speaker then you will be disappointed big time.

Now, we will talk about the dock in a bit, so wait for it.

The moral of the story is if you’re that person who only uses the tablet for Netflix, YouTube, Google Docs, and browsing then yes, the Pixel tablet is worth buying but if you’re power hungry user then you should skip it.

The Reason to Buy the Pixel Tablet

Google Dock

Hate to say it but yes, Google Dock is one of the reasons why you should consider the Pixel tablet and Google is making a fair point with it.

Because after using the tablet, you will either put the tablet inside a drawer or on a table but what if the tablet can be used for a smart display?

Isn’t a good idea and I feel, every company should start doing this.

Now, yes the dock has lots of problems which we will talk about in the next section.

So yes, if you want Dock support consider the Pixel tablet otherwise, look for a better option like the OnePlus Pad or even Redmi Pad 6.

Audio

The tab comes with four speakers and you can also use dock speakers too, so yes, you will get the best sound quality but the problem is,

The dock doesn’t have the best sound quality, I was expecting that as this is a dedicated dock to put on the desk, it will have the best sound but it’s not the case.

Nonetheless, you’re getting the dock for free, so can’t complain much. Also, you can buy another dock for $129 from Google, if you want to put the dock in another room.

The Reason to Skip the Pixel Tablet

Missing Google Dock Features

The Google Dock is a game changer but it doesn’t work without the Google Pixel tablet, you need to attach the tablet in order to use the dock.

I would have loved the Bluetooth option where I can connect my smartphone with a dock and play songs. Sadly, this isn’t available.

Problems with Google Assistant

Also, Google Assistant was the best assistant but it’s not the same because Google has moved lots of their employees to Google Bard and now, Google Assistant is suffering.

Another reason was, Google Assistant wasn’t making money for Google.

For now, Google Assistant has lots of problems, I mean, just search on Google “Google Assistant getting worse” and you will see why I’m talking like this.

I was a big fan of Google Assistant but looks like things are not the same anymore.

The Display

The 10.95-inch LCD is solid but it only has 500 units of peak brightness which is not ideal for outdoor usage.

So if you’re writing something on a tablet then it will be a bit hard to read.

While we’re talking about writing, Google didn’t launch any Keyboard case for the Pixel tablet which is a big letdown.

You know what this says right, Google wants you to only use a Pixel tablet at home. Now, Dock does make sense.

Cameras for only Video Calls

The tab also has 8MP rear and 8MP front cameras and yes, they’re not good at all but it’s not bad for video calling at all. 

So the end story is, make sure you don’t use the camera to take images or videos. Just use your smartphone for that.

Smaller Battery

This is a tablet and yet, Google added only a 7,020mAh battery that can be charged at 27W while with the dock, it can be charged at 15W.

The problem is, when the tab is attached to the dock, it only charges at 5W to 6W which is not good at all. I mean, think for a second, for how long you need to keep on the dock to charge from 0% to 100%.

You can use the type-C to charge at 27W but when you have the dock, I doubt that users will use the wired charging option.

By the way, when the tablet is attached to the dock, the battery will only charge up to 90%, and after that, it will cut off, so it won’t harm the battery in the long run.

Not for The Power Hungry Users

The Google Tensor G2 is not a powerful processor at all, we all are calling this a Google-owned process but the reality is, it’s not. This is the Exynos processor rebranded to Tenser.

So yes, the tab will get hot if used a lot under sunlight, just like Pixel 7 Series smartphones.

Also, don’t expect powerful performance like iPads.

Software Problems

When it comes to software, Pixel Tablet will receive Android updates until June 2026, & security updates through June 2028. So no problems with updates at all but the problem is with apps.

Most of the popular social media apps are not optimized for Android tablets, hence, it looks like stretched mobile apps on Pixel tablets.

This is not a good experience.

Now, Google has optimized its apps for Tablets but what about Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and many other apps?

This is because we don’t have many Android tablet users and the developer doesn’t want to spend time.

I’m hoping that Google will continue the Pixel Tablet and this will change.

Google Pixel Tablet Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Google Dock Support	Not the best for power Hungry Users
Dock is supplied in the Box	The software is perfect but the Apps are not well optimized
Solid Audio Quality	Screen Brightness is low for outdoor usage
	Battery size is Small
	Google Assistant needs a little bit of refreshment
	No Stylus pen or Keyboard
	Cameras are only good for video calls

Verdict

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Images By Thao Huynh