On the occasion of the launch of Pixel 8a, the latest version of its smartphone, Google also brought its Pixel Tablet to the Italian market, which is sold by the company both with a dock base with built-in speaker (starting from 599 euros) and alone ( 499 euros). The idea behind the Google tablet, thanks to its accessory, is that it can be used as a central home automation hub for the whole family, transforming at the right moment into a minicomputer to take with you. The design of the Pixel Tablet has been studied down to the smallest details: with a thickness of 8.1 mm and a weight of 493 grams, it is slightly heavier than the latest generation iPad, but maintains a feeling of lightness and manageability. The matte ceramic finish gives the tablet a unique texture, which is pleasant to the touch and ensures a secure grip.
The tablet is available in two colors: clay gray and green gray, the first with a white screen frame and the second with a black one. Pixel Tablet features an 11-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 2560×1600 and an aspect ratio of 16:10. Although Google has chosen an LCD panel rather than OLED, the visual quality is excellent, with vibrant colors and a maximum brightness of 523 nits. This screen is optimized with an anti-fingerprint coating and supports USB sticks and other accessories, making it ideal for productivity and entertainment.
Audio is a weak point of the device. While the tablet has four built-in speakers, the charging dock with speaker delivers a less-than-expected sound experience. The sound is too focused on bass and mid frequencies, similar to that of a cheap radio, and it is not possible to use the dock as a standalone speaker via Bluetooth or Google Cast. The heart of the Pixel Tablet is the 5-nanometer Tensor G2 chipset from Google, the same one present in the Pixel 7, supported by 8 GB of RAM. The storage options are 128 GB or 256 GB, without the possibility of expansion via micro SD. Performance is excellent, comparable to that of major competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and OnePlus Pad. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and an ultra-wideband chip, although a version with 4G or 5G connectivity is not available .
Pixel Tablet is equipped with two 8 MP cameras, one front and one rear. These offer adequate performance for everyday use, with vibrant colors and a good level of detail in favorable lighting conditions. The front camera has portrait mode and advanced features for video calls on Google Meet, with automatic adjustments for lighting and framing. The device packs a 27Wh battery, which Google says offers up to 12 hours of video streaming. In practice, the duration is slightly shorter, but still satisfactory. Charging via the dock is slow, with 15W power charging about 20% of the battery in 30 minutes. The tablet can also be charged via the USB-C port, but an adapter is not provided in the box and Google does not specify the charging speed of this method.
Pixel Tablet ships with Android 13, upgradeable to Android 14, with the Material You interface typical of Pixel devices. A distinctive feature is Hub Mode, activated when the tablet is connected to the docking station. This mode offers a similar experience to Google Nest Hub smart displays, with features like Google Photos integration to turn your tablet into a digital photo frame. Pixel Tablet is also the first tablet with Google Cast integrated, allowing you to cast content from other devices directly to the tablet. However, this functionality is limited to Hub Mode, which can be limiting in some situations.
The price, especially with the tablet plus dock combo, is not the most advantageous for the technology that the package contains, however it must be remembered that the device is excellent for all those who use the Google ecosystem on a daily basis, especially home automation, and that it is It can be purchased with various promotions until June 3: on Amazon and Unieuro with free Pixel Buds A-series, and on the Google Store with the purchase you get a 100 euro voucher to use in the store itself.
#Pixel #Tablet #dock #unique
