As someone who loves the Nest Hub despite its flaws and limitations, I’m pretty darn excited for the Pixel Tablet that’s meant to replace it as the next multi-function Hub in smart homes. Being able to control my lights, television, speakers, and more from the comfort of my couch with a device that sits on the coffee table (yeah, I mean besides my phone) sounds enticing.
Having just purchased my first paper tablet and written about how I wish Google would release an eInk device for notetaking, and given how much I complain about the writing experience on Chromebooks, I was happy to see that a new “Notetaking” feature is being hinted at for release on the Pixel Tablet.
In the latest version of Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2, 9to5Google has discovered code strings for just that – a notetaking feature. More specifically, these strings point to how the home tablet will work with any USI stylus you have laying around. Clicking whatever button is on the pen will likely launch an app for pen input. Google Keep is the most likely option, of course, but I’m sure there will be others.
Another feature coming with the update is a battery indicator for your stylus while using the tablet. I honestly don’t think there will be a way to charge an accessory like this on the display, but having this baked into the operating system still makes sense regardless.
Do keep in mind that launching notetaking is possible on ChromeOS, and there are even stylus tools sitting on your device shelf. If released, Android and ChromeOS will have become one step closer to feature parity and in their identities.
Lastly, a “Battery defender” is said to cap the tablet’s battery off at 90 percent, pausing it while docked and not in use. This would preserve the longevity of your battery’s health. Assuming the Pixel Tablet has good palm rejection, it would be fantastic to pick it up from its dock, jot a few notes down in my Bullet Journal app of choice and place it back down to play some music or perform other passive tasks.
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