Officially, we haven’t been given too many details on the Google Pixel Tablet yet, other than the fact that it exists and is coming in 2023. Unofficially, leaks are filling in some of the blanks when it comes to what we can expect from this slate.
As reported by 91mobiles (opens in new tab) and Kuba Wojciechowski (opens in new tab), the Pixel Tablet has apparently now entered its engineering validation test (EVT) phase, which means that it’s gone beyond the prototype stage and is now being tested internally.
When it comes to specs, 128GB and 256GB storage options are apparently on the way. The tablet is also said to support Wi-Fi 6 and will come with a 10.95-inch display – which is definitely on the large size for what we think will be a budget tablet.
Putting the pieces together
Some of the features reported in the latest leak have come up before: there’s said to be a Google-made stylus being made for the Pixel Tablet, for example, and we’ve previously heard that the slate would come with stylus support.
Earlier rumors pointed to the tablet turning up with 4GB of RAM. Add in the first-gen Tensor chipset, which Google has confirmed will be powering the device, and this looks very much like something at the more affordable end of the scale.
Consumers wanting a premium option might have something to look forward to as well though, as hints about a Pixel Tablet Pro have been spotted in Android’s code. It’s possible that more than one model will be on the market before 2023 ends.
Analysis: budget tablet wars
Ignoring for a moment the Pixel Tablet Pro rumor, from what we’ve heard so far this sounds very much like a budget Android tablet – something cheap and cheerful for consuming media, checking email, and browsing social media.
You may have noticed that Amazon just updated its 8-inch Amazon Fire HD tablet series, which offers good enough tablet specs for not much money at all. The standard edition of the tablet with 32GB of storage will set you back $99 / £99.
There are plenty of other contenders in the field as well. The 8-inch Nokia T10 was announced earlier this year, and gives you 32GB of storage for £129 in the UK (that’s roughly $140 / AU$215 with a straight converstion).
That’s the market that Google is dropping into with its Pixel Tablet, and it will be hoping that its combination of sleek hardware, clean software and an appealing price are going to be enough to shift a serious number of these devices.
