Google is not abandoning Pixel tablets (again).

I’m an unapologetic Android fanboy and I’ve bought a lot of Android tablets, mostly from Google. The Nexus 7 (both generations), Nexus 9, even the ill-fated Pixel C and Pixel Slate. But I resisted the urge to buy the generically named Pixel Tablet, and you might too if the last two high-end Google tablets you bought turned out to be one-off duds. Fortunately, it seems that Google has a little more confidence in the latest version.

Android Authority cites a leak in an upcoming Google-designed Tensor G6 chip that will enable dual USB-C ports, one of which is specifically designed for external displays on tablets. They’re calling it the “Pixel Tablet 3”, but I don’t have much confidence that this is close to the official name for any device using this chip, if only because we haven’t seen any indication of a Pixel have seen. Tablet 2. But it does indicate that Google is working on new first-party tablet hardware, and working to make it interesting and distinctive in a sea of ​​iPad clones.

Despite my hesitation to buy it, I have to admit that the Pixel Tablet is pretty good. It sidesteps the flaws for the Pixel C (not enough software support) and Pixel Slate (way too expensive for ChromeOS), and creates a specific niche and selling point with its cool dock accessory. Leveraging Google’s solid market position as a smart home vendor to drive more interest in a new tablet was a smart move, and expanding it to more comprehensive external display support would be another move.

I could see the next Pixel Tablet on the market as a device that sits next to your TV as an entertainment hub in addition to a smart home controller. Why not? It’s far more powerful and capable than any Roku or Apple TV. You could even take another stab at extending Android gaming to the TV… but if even Nvidia couldn’t pull that off and had to rebrand the Shield as a premium media machine, I could see why Google would hesitate. Still, the combination as a tablet and Android TV/Google TV provider would be yet another way to create value for consumers.

We’ve heard rumors about Google expanding both foldable phones and tablets with an alternative interface for more laptop/desktop use, something very similar to Samsung’s DeX and several other tools. This isn’t a rumor, the code has been spotted in non-public builds, although this alternate UI didn’t appear in the final version of Android 15. Still, it’s worth keeping that in mind, as we hear about chip designs that may not come to market for another two or three years. Android Authority suspects the Tensor G6 is on track for 2027 – the Pixel 9 for this year uses a Tensor G4.

Both tidbits indicate to me that Google will not drop its first-party tablets like a hot potato, as in the past. Which makes me excited to see new and interesting tablet hardware for the first time in a long time. I miss the days when Android tablets were all about experimentation, like the Asus Transformer line, or Lenovo’s often ridiculous lineups with built-in handles and pico projectors.

lenovo.com

Admittedly, these were often dead ends design-wise, but they were certainly worth exploring. Lenovo’s dedicated dock-slash-speaker for the Smart Tab was a very obvious inspiration for Google and the Pixel Tablet.

There are some nice tablet things coming from Google, and I haven’t been able to say that for a while. It feels nice. Maybe next time I’ll buy one.