Does the digital tablet have a future? Google seems to think so, as the Mountain View giant offers the Pixel Tablet, a device that aspires to occupy a central place at the heart of a home automation network…or at least offer a minimalist and efficient audio and video platform.
Sharp-eyed people might be wondering if the Nest Hub (or its Max version) has morphed from a touchscreen device with a stand that doubles as a speaker to a touchscreen device with a base that doubles as a speaker Speaker.
In his own 2019 review of the Nest Hub, this journalist wondered if we would one day be entitled to “the equivalent of an electronic tablet combined with a good sound system, all equipped with a voice command system”. Now the time has come: The Pixel Tablet is not only (slightly) larger than the Nest Hub Max, with a screen diagonal of 11 instead of 10 inches, but since it is a tablet, everything can be easily detached from the base then be transported anywhere.
This tablet features a Google Tensor G2 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 128 (or 256) gigabytes of hard drive. In short, the equivalent of a relatively standard smartphone, a bit like the Pixel 7 range.
Otherwise, the Pixel Tablet is particularly comfortable to transport with its rounded sides, the back covered with small bumps, but above all with its display and its reduced weight. Nothing to do with the monster that was the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, for example.
Photo: Google
A machine to collect them all?
However, once everything is installed and configured, which is done relatively quickly, it quickly becomes apparent that this tablet is, for better or for worse, a larger version of a Pixel phone screen. , from the same company. Similar performance, same applications (after all, they were transferred during installation) … Now only a SIM card is missing to be able to make calls via the connection of wireless headphones (perhaps like Google’s?).
On the contrary, we may appreciate this new device even more when the tablet rests on its base: we thus get the equivalent of a kiosk from which to play music, videos or films. YouTube will of course offer impressive picture quality, as will Netflix. And for other services it is possible to use the dedicated mobile application or use the Chrome browser built into the operating system of the device.
We will also like the sound quality of the speaker built into the base. Because if the tablet itself can play music, the difference is clearly noticeable when you reconnect the tablet and its base with integrated magnets. The sound then becomes clearer and richer … even if this is not an outstanding result compared to high-quality special loudspeakers.
However, replacing the tablet on its base also has other uses: the viewing angle then becomes very interesting, be it for viewing personal photos, landscapes or even for broadcasting videos if you want to follow a recipe for example.
That said, the Pixel tablet isn’t designed to be as portable as say a phone, and where it’s possible to charge it directly with a USB-C cable, we’ll tend to place it directly on the base once mains power is available is task is done.
A true indoor unit, ideal for households that, on the one hand, are looking for a gadget that will serve as a central place to automate their devices, or, on the other hand, are just starting out in their domain and don’t necessarily have the means to build a set of good speakers buy, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t quite manage to find a new place on the shelf. But it is sure that it will still meet many needs.
The Pixel tablet starts at $700 Canadian.