Pixel Tablet one year later review: What it’s like actually using it

The Pixel Tablet has been out for a little over a year now and I’ve been using it more and more lately. This Google-made Android tablet/smart home display definitely had a bit of a lackluster debut but it’s now a device that I pick up a lot so let’s talk through how I’ve been using the Pixel Tablet and if it’s still worth it, one year in. 

Quick refresher on the hardware and specs

First up, just a quick overview of the hardware here in case anyone needs a quick refresher. The Pixel Tablet is a mid-range Android tablet that was originally sold with an included speaker dock that could give you a Nest Hub-like experience all while charging the tablet so that it’s always ready to go when you want to pop it off the dock and use just the tablet.  

The build quality is solid and feels great in the hand. It’s light and portable and certainly has a Google design aesthetic that I love. The bezels are a bit big but they are necessary, giving you somewhere to grab onto the tablet. The screen is only 60hz but it still looks great, with plenty of brightness and punchy colors and the rounded corners on the display are a nice touch that adds to the user experience. 

Internally you’ve got 8GB of RAM and the option for 128GB or 256GB of storage paid up with the Tensor G2 processor and moving around this device is buttery smooth. The back and front-facing cameras are both usable, not great, but usable if you need to scan a document or take a video call. The dock has magnets that are strong enough to hold the tablet but not too strong that you can’t easily pop off the tablet when you need it. The dock also has a speaker built-in, of course, that I’ve been taking advantage of a lot to play background music in my home office.

Clean Pixel software experience

On the software side, you’re met with a nice, clean Google version of Android that also includes a few extras layered on top of the OS like a button on the home page for quick smart home access when docked, the newly added Nest Doorbell view, and Tap To Cast coming soon, that will allow you to handoff music playing on your Pixel phone to the Pixel Tablet with a simple tap. 

And although there have been rumors the Pixel Tablet is stealing a few features from the Nest Hub Max like Look and Talk, and Quick Gestures, they have yet to arrive. But honestly, for me, the dock is more of just a convenient place to keep the tablet charged all the time, a nice picture frame, and the occasional smart home controller. 

Using the Pixel Tablet off the dock

But what about when you take it off the dock? Well, I’ll tell you, this is where the Pixel Tablet has surprised me. I’ve found several key use cases for just the tablet that I just didn’t think about when it first arrived.  

And I think Google recognizes the usefulness of just the tablet too since you can now buy just the tablet without the dock. Again the dock is great and does add some unique functionality to this tablet, but what’s it like just using the tablet?

I’ve found the Pixel Tablet to be a great around-the-house device that I’ve been using to read a few pages of a book and to watch YouTube videos here and there but I’ve mainly been using it to triage emails in the mornings before I make it to the desk. It’s just nice to grab the tablet for these tasks instead of getting out my Chromebook and there’s something nice about how the Pixel Tablet almost forces me to focus on one thing at a time. At my desk, I might have a half dozen windows open with messaging apps running on the side, and can easily get sucked into distractions. But with the Pixel Tablet, I find myself siloed in one or two apps using split-screen and staying much more focused on the task at hand. 

But I’ve loved using the Pixel Tablet as my portable baby monitor. If I want to step outside or go into the garage but still keep an eye on my cameras, I just pop off the pixel tablet and take it with me. This way, I can use my phone without taking my eye off the camera. Of course, if you don’t have kids, you could still use the tablet as your portable security feed. 

Get productive with Pixel Tablet accessories

But with a few accessories, you can actually get pretty productive on the Pixel Tablet too. One of those is a stylus. With any USI 2.0 pen, you can jot down notes, make sketches or just navigate through the device. But the other is a keyboard case. Of course, you could pair up any Bluetooth keyboard like the new Logitech Keys To Go 2 and mouse to get productive but when you also need a case with a kickstand or some sort of tablet stand and then you’d have to pack those accessories around with you.  

But a keyboard case gives you all of that functionality in a folio-style form factor that you can easily throw in a bag or just carry around with you. I’ve been using the eiP Magnetix case that they sent over and it has honestly been a game changer for the Pixel Tablet. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I haven’t taken the Pixel Tablet out of the case once since you can just pop off the keyboard when you don’t need it. With a full backlit keyboard, a shortcut row, and a pen loop, this case gives you a lot of what you need to get some things done on the Pixel Tablet. 

For the right person, I think the Pixel Tablet with a keyboard case could be your laptop replacement when you’re away from the desk or maybe even your main device depending on your workload. I personally like to still have a full desktop for certain things, but that’s just because of the type of work I do. If you are the type of person who’s out and about, at meetings a lot, or just doesn’t need a full desktop workstation, this case could again be a game changer. 

Pixel Tabet one year later: Still worth it?

So overall, what do I think about the Pixel Tablet, one year later? Well, I’ll tell you this, I left it at the office the other day after making a quick social media video of the EIP keyboard case, and I found myself really missing it around the house! So, while it’s not perfect, it has some really useful applications for me and I’ve really come to lean on it as my main smart display in my home office desk and as a tablet that I can actually get some work done on and I think that says a lot about the Pixel Tablet.