Google's first self-branded tablet, the popular Nexus 7, launched over a decade ago in 2012. In the intervening years, Google's had a bit of a strained relationship with the tablet form factor, culminating in the ill-fated Google Pixel Slate in 2018. The ChromeOS-powered tablet was so poorly received that Google gave up on tablet hardware for several years.
But at its 2022 I/O conference, alongside the Google Pixel 7 Pro and the long-awaited Google Pixel Watch, the company threw us a bit of a curveball with its Pixel-branded tablet teaser. While the Google Pixel 7 lineup and Pixel Watch hit carrier stores in late 2022, Google's would-be iPad competitor will debut later in 2023.
Leaks have been heating up in recent weeks, and we anticipate we could see the Pixel Tablet in stores as early as this spring. Looking for details? You're in the right place.
This post contains speculation about the upcoming Google Pixel Tablet. We listed the details confirmed by Google throughout the post as well as the sources of any rumors we've published. We will update this post regularly as we learn more details.
Google Pixel Tablet: Hardware and specifications
We didn't hear anything official between the Google Pixel Tablet teaser at I/O 2022 and the October Made by Google hardware event in Brooklyn. Still, we have been slowly learning more about the upcoming slate. The tech giant has confirmed that the upcoming Pixel Tablet will run on the same Google Tensor G2 chipset that powers its current Pixel 7 series smartphones, and it's even shown off the magnetic dock we've seen in prior leaks.
Back on the rumor side, poking around the APK for an internal build of the Google Home app in October, 9to5Google discovered evidence that two separate docks are in development. It's not immediately clear what differentiates the two docks. We initially thought the two variants could be to match two different tablets — a standard and a pro version — but more recent leaks indicate there will be only one.
The tablet may also have a powered stylus accessory, either bundled or purchased separately. In May, the blog NuGiz spotted that a tablet with the codename Tangor, manufactured by Google, was listed as certified by the Universal Stylus Initiative. This organization defines industry-wide standards for interoperable communication between an active stylus and touch-enabled devices. This was further corroborated in January when 9to5Google found references to a "fast-pair-stylus" accessory in a Play Services update.
Google's last tablet, the Pixel Slate, showed promise but was a disaster when we reviewed it in 2018.
In September 2022, developer Kuba Wojciechowski found evidence in AOSP code that the Google Pixel tablet (referred to again as Tangor) will run on a first-generation Tensor CPU. Google has since discredited this. In early 2023, Wojciechowski tweeted that while Google was developing a Pixel Slate around the first-gen Tensor chipset, that version was canceled in favor of a tablet, referred to as Tangorpro, that's built around the Tensor G2. Wojciechowski has also said the Google Pixel Tablet won't have GPS hardware or a cellular modem, which makes sense if the device is meant to pull double duty as a tablet and smart home hub.
Later in September 2022, Wojciechowski (in conjunction with 91mobiles) leaked more details about the Google Pixel Tablet's hardware configuration. The Pixel Tablet will feature a 10.95-inch display (about an inch larger than the one on the Nest Hub Max) and will be available in 128GB and 256GB storage configurations. It'll also support Wi-Fi 6. His January leak goes on to say the display will be an LCD panel with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, and there'll be at least one version of the Pixel Tablet with 8GB of RAM.
Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 contained animations depicting docking and undocking a tablet with similar hardware to what we saw at Google I/O, again labeled as Tangor. Since Google has confirmed the Pixel Slate will use a magnetic dock, that all checks out.
In December 2022, we got our best look so far at the Pixel Tablet's hardware by way of a Google Pixel Tablet prototype listed on Facebook Marketplace. Photos in the listing are poorly lit and out of focus (naturally), but they clearly show a few things. For one, the prototype's display has black bezels, as opposed to the white bezels Google has shown in every render of the device. A photo of the device's display shows the tablet has 256 gigs of storage. The tablet was also sold with a power cable similar to the 30W one that ships with the Nest Hub Max. The would-be seller was asking $400.
The only wholesale new detail in this particular leak is the device's black bezels, which make the display look more like other modern tablets and less like a kitchen appliance. Considering the device is shown with a color-coordinated wallpaper similar to the one shown in Google's white-bezel renders, it seems plausible a version with black bezels will make it to market. Fingers crossed.
In March, leaker SnoopyTech tweeted a series of images of the Pixel Tablet's charging dock, which they call the Google Pixel Tablet Stand.
The only new detail in the images is what appears to be a single hardware button on the underside of the dock.
In April, we found out the Pixel Tablet had apparently passed through the FCC certification process. That's normal for upcoming devices, of course, but the filing revealed a new detail: if the device in question is indeed the Pixel Tablet, it seems it'll have ultra-wideband (UWB) support. In a smart home context, UWB connectivity can help devices locate each other in physical space, which could open up interesting applications for the Pixel Tablet as a smart home hub.
Also in April, new leaked images show a previously unseen hardware button on the tablet that we think may be a privacy switch — though it doesn't look like the tablet will have a physical privacy shutter.
Want a look into what the Pixel Tablet looks like in the real world? While we still haven't gotten our hands on it ourselves, Google did bring the slate to Milan Design Week 2023. It's unclear whether it's final hardware, but either way, it's great to finally see the Pixel Tablet next to the rest of the company's litany of gadgets.
Google Pixel Tablet: Software details and speculation
Aside from the fact that the Pixel Tablet will run Android, we don't know much about its software. So far, Google has shown the device sporting a familiar Android tablet interface and a Google TV interface. In that view, Google TV is shown on a tab labeled For you, with other tabs called Highlights, Shop, and Your stuff also visible in a menu on the left side of the screen.
In August, industry veteran Mishaal Rahman spotted that Google's development resources contain evidence that the Pixel Tablet (under its codename Tangor) might only run 64-bit apps, which could mean improved memory performance at the expense of compatibility with 32-bit apps.
In early October, Rahman also found evidence in the Google Clock app that the Pixel Tablet could be getting some big-screen-optimized alarm and timer features, potentially as part of the Clock app's screensaver mode.
In Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2, Rahman found a tool called "dock defender," which should perform a similar task as Adaptive Charging on Pixel phones. When the tablet reaches 80%, it'll pause charging to protect the battery's health.
In early 2023, Rahman also uncovered a set of Hub Mode settings in Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3, containing various settings relating to "Dock and lock screen options." The Pixel Tablet isn't mentioned by name around these settings, but it seems they're related.
In March, Google shared a screenshot from an Android tablet demonstrating a new Google Keep homescreen widget. While the accompanying blog post does not mention the Pixel Tablet by name, the UI on display is clearly from a Pixel device and features a wallpaper similar to the ones we've seen in Google's limited Pixel Tablet promo materials.
The screenshot doesn't confirm any new info, but it gives us a good look at how the Pixel Tablet's homescreen will look.
According to a March teardown by 9to5Google, the Pixel Tablet will enter a so-called Hub Mode when connected to its charging dock. It's not entirely clear what Hub Mode is, but it seems likely it's where you'll find the Google TV-like interface Google teased at I/O 2022.
Google Pixel Tablet: Price and availability rumors
Google has officially stated the Pixel Tablet will be available this year. There's a chance Google may announce its new tablet alongside the upcoming Google Pixel 7a, but we're more inclined to think Google will have a splashy event dedicated to its slate. According to an April leak from Roland Quandt, the Pixel Tablet will retail for €600 to €650 in European markets. The Pixel 7's European RRP is €650 and the phone goes for $600 at retail in the US, so we could see similar pricing here.
We still don't know if the tablet will be available on its own or only bundled with only the charging base we've seen the tablet with, but another April leak indicated that the dock will be available as a separate purchase, for $129. That doesn't necessarily mean the tablet will be sold sans dock; it's feasible that one household could want multiple docks to use the tablet as a smart display in multiple locations.
According to a rumor from 9to5Google (crediting an anonymous source), the Pixel Tablet may be available to purchase beginning in June.
Don't want to wait for the Google Pixel Tablet?
We probably won't hear anything official about the upcoming Google Pixel Tablet until closer to its vague release window, but we'll keep an eye out for new developments in the meantime. For now, there are plenty of great Android tablets and Google Assistant smart displays to choose from. Still, none of our top picks pull double duty as both.