Google Pixel Tablet MSRP $499.00 Score Details “The Google Pixel Tablet is a novel idea that misses the mark. With poor hardware choices, limiting specs, and a fairly high price, it's a rough entry in the Pixel family.” Pros Cons The Google Pixel Tablet marks a lot of firsts for Google. It’s the first tablet Google has launched in nearly five years. It’s the first Android tablet from the company in almost eight years.
I’ve also been happy with the fingerprint sensor, which is embedded into the power button on the top frame of the Pixel Tablet. It was easy to set up, is very fast, and has worked reliably for me during my entire review period. Previous Next 1 of 2 However, that praise only applies to the audio quality. Elsewhere, the charging dock disappoints.
What doesn’t look good, though, is the Pixel Tablet’s 60Hz refresh rate. Scrolling through menus, apps, etc., looks slow and choppy on the Pixel Tablet — as do any system animations. I can get used to a 60Hz display on a phone like the Pixel 6a, but when you have a large 11-inch canvas like this, a slower refresh rate really sticks out. Especially when Lenovo can put a 120Hz display on the $335 Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2, getting stuck with a 60Hz panel on the $499 Pixel Tablet doesn’t feel great.
Previous Next 1 of 4 You’ll likely use the front-facing camera the most, and it’s perfectly adequate. It’s certainly not the best I’ve ever seen, but it’s also not the worst. If you need to take a quick selfie or hop on a Google Meet call, it’s more than capable. But just like on other Tensor G2-powered devices, the Pixel Tablet leaves much to be desired when it comes to battery life.
The charging setup for the Pixel Tablet is also an odd one. When placed on the dock, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t charge beyond 90%. You can force it to charge up to 100%, but you need to manually force it to do so every single time you place it on the dock. And there’s no helpful pop-up telling you this is possible. After putting it on the dock, you have to open the Settings app, tap on Battery, and then tap Charge to full.
I also love Google’s approach to multitasking. Whenever you’re in an app, a small swipe up from the bottom of the screen displays a taskbar showing the apps from your home screen dock and an app drawer shortcut. This makes it dead simple to run apps in split-screen mode. Previous Next 1 of 2 This all makes sense on paper. Put the Pixel Tablet on the charging dock, and it functions like a smart display. Take it off the dock, and it turns into an Android tablet. That means you’re effectively running two completely different software experiences at any given time, and as you might expect, it can create problems.