The Google Pixel Tablet sheds its speaker dock and is now $399

The Google Pixel Tablet, originally launched back in June, just got a makeover. In addition to the new mid-range Pixel 8a announced yesterday, Google is also now selling the 128GB Pixel Tablet without its charging speaker dock and has taken $100 off, dropping the starting price down to $399.

When it first launched, the Pixel Tablet was bundled with a speaker dock, providing a Nest Hub-like experience when docked along with charging and enhanced sound. This was meant to position the tablet as a smart home device, but as we quickly learned during our hands-on time with Pixel Tablet, the Assistant features fell short and the docked experience felt more like a parlor trick than anything. Additionally, this bundled Pixel Tablet was a pricier alternative to the Nest Hub Max ($229) or Nest Hub ($99.99).

Now, at a lower price point, Google is reframing the Pixel Tablet as a standalone Android tablet for media consumption and productivity. The price drop extends to both the 128GB and 256GB storage options for $399 and $499 respectively and is available in Porcelain and Hazel. Keep in mind that you’ll need to buy a charger separately and if you don’t have one around, Google sells a 30W charger for $25. And if you purchase just the tablet and decide that you want the dock later, you can purchase it individually for $129.

On the software side of things, Google promises continued software updates and new features like Cirrcle to Search rolling out later this month and the Gemini app coming later this summer.

While the price cut is attractive and I’m excited to see Google reposition the Pixel Tablet, there was no announcement today regarding a Google-made keyboard and stylus. We are big fans of the Penoval Pixel Tablet case and USI 2.0 Lite pen to give your tablet some more functionality but we’ve yet to see a purpose-built keyboard case. A keyboard folio case of some sort would significantly boost the Pixel Tablet’s productivity potential, especially now that it’s a standalone device.

Pre-orders for the $399 Pixel Tablet without the dock are available right now, with devices shipping on May 14th.