We don’t get the opportunity to do versus videos as often as I’d like, but we’re ready to try and change that in the coming months. The truth is, with review units it is pretty difficult to catch two interesting devices in the office at the same time. Right now we have quite a few around, so we want to take full advantage of that fact and begin with probably the most-requested versus video of all: the Pixelbook vs. Pixel Slate.
Sure, the Pixel Slate offers quite a few clear upgrades over the Pixelbook, but it doesn’t take much looking around the internet to notice a ton of users still loving their Pixelbook and a ton of reviews that aren’t great about the Pixel Slate.
What we want to do in our new series of versus videos is go through the hardware and experience of both devices in much the same way we do for our reviews: build quality, screen, input methods, internals/ports and overall usability and feel. At the end of those categories, we’ll identify a winner in each, tally up the wins, and declare a winner.
So, without any further ado, let’s get into the Pixelbook vs. Pixel Slate.
Build
We’re going to keep this pretty short, simple and straightforward. If you want, you can watch the full review of the Pixelbook or the Pixel Slate if you want a deeper look into either device. For now, bullets will suffice.
PIXELBOOK
- Pros
- Well built (glass and aluminum)
- Thin and light
- Modern
- Firm and attractive
- Great hinges
- Cons
- Palm rests and feet discolor over time with no clear way to fix it
PIXEL SLATE
- Pros
- Well built (glass and aluminum)
- Thin and light
- Modern
- Firm and attractive
- Great balance
- Cons
- Fingerprint are out of control
- Keyboard construction is flimsy and expensive
WINNER: Pixelbook
Screen
PIXELBOOK
- Pros
- High-res (2400×1600)
- Brightest of all Chromebooks
- Colorful with punchy colors
- 3:2 ratio
- Cons
- Large bezels
- Tad washed out compared with the Pixel Slate
PIXEL SLATE
- Pros
- High-res (3000×2000)
- Bright
- Colorful with punchy colors
- 3:2 ratio
- perfectly symmetrical bezels
- Cons
- Not quite as bright as the Pixelbook
WINNER: Pixel Slate
Keyboard Trackpad
PIXELBOOK
- Pros
- Of all keyboards ever made, this is my favorite
- Click, travel and feel are better than any other keyboard I’ve used
- Trackpad is smooth glass with a satisfying click
- After a year and a half, both still hold up
- Cons
- Trackpad click is a bit loud
PIXEL SLATE
- Pros
- Round keys are interesting and accurate
- Keys are super-quiet
- Backlighting around round keys looks amazing
- For a folio type keyboard, inputs are really great
- Trackpad is smooth and has a great click when on a table
- Addition of the Brydge G-Type Keyboard adds interesting options
- Plug and play of the Google Keyboard is solid and works as expected
- Cons
- Can feel flimsy in your lap
- Not as productive in all environments
- Keys feel a tad mushy
- Brydge keyboard is good, but not as good as the Pixelbook
- Biggest issue here? It’s not the Pixelbook keyboard
WINNER: Pixelbook
Internals & Ports
PIXELBOOK
- Pros
- Performance is fast on the upper-spec models
- Storage is good at 128GB and up
- USB-C is great for most things
- Headphone jack is still present
- Cons
- No SD Card Slot
- No USB-A ports
- Mediocre speakers
PIXEL SLATE
- Pros
- Performance is fast on the upper-spec models
- Storage is adequate if you get the 128GB and up versions
- USB-C is great for most things
- Fingerprint scanner is a fantastic add-on
- Speakers are insanely good
- Cons
- No SD Card Slot
- No USB-A ports
- No headphone jack
WINNER: Pixel Slate
Feel & Usability
Let’s be honest, both of these devices feel great in the hand and feel great to use on a daily basis. They perform well, look great, and inspire confidence. I honestly love both of them!
However, I also have to look at this from the perspective of getting work done and the device being the one I want to use when push comes to shove and I have a choice.
For me, when it is time to buckle down and get stuff done, I still reach for my Pixelbook. With the keyboard options on the Slate still not living up to the keyboard/trackpad of the Pixelbook, the great speakers and fingerprint log in aren’t enough to push me over to the Slate. The Pixelbook simply inspires confidence that it is, without doubt, the best tool for most jobs.
WINNER: Pixelbook
Shop Pixelbook on Amazon Shop Pixel Slate on AmazonWrap Up
So, if you’ve kept score, the Pixelbook is our winner
Not a blowout and not a one-sided affair, this versus comes down to practicality over features and we said we’d pick a definitive winner. For some of you, however, media consumption will be higher on your list than it is on mine, and you may covet those sweet speakers more than I would. In that case, maybe the Slate is a better fit for you.
But, if you are like me and your Chromebook is the machine you work and play on, I still think the Pixelbook is the better overall option.
