Pixel Tablet Review: Is Google Back?! 

So the takeaway is that if Google doesn't give up on tablets again within the next 12 months, the gen 2 version of this device will be pretty sweet.

When I started working at Best Buy in 2014 we had a tablet department. It was definitely weird seeing that department shrink as it whittled down to just iPads and Samsung tablets

I actually would love to see more tablets in this category

I enjoyed this review. Great job providing historical context and getting us to speed with this new hardware.

One missing piece of your review is how this tablet fits and functions with the other devices from Google such as pixel phones, as an ecosystem. Good stuff.

Instead of comparing it to other tablets, I think it should basically be viewed as the ultimate Nest Hub Super Max. They currently have a Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and this version does all the same things with no limits. Does nearly everything a Hub Max can do, but you can take it anywhere in the house with you and continue whatever it was you started using voice controls while on the dock. Great idea!

What would be coolest (that I dont expect to happen) would be if they standardised the ability for android tablets to connect to the dock, so you could (eventually) just grab any android tablet and whack it on your dock - Would be such a neat hook to stay in the google ecosystem and have more android tablets in the home.

Can we just appreciate, in the speaker review part, how perfectly timed the switch to the hub speakers was. It was perfect

I just love how you always deliver the pros & cons in a very precise way. Good work sir.

I'm really surprised more models/companies aren't offering a wall mount option like the Echo Show 15, it seems like such a brilliant solution to me.

Thank you for your review. Your perspective on this product is informative and appreciated.

The pixel table looks so cool and great video man :]

I think this would be killer for a home theater/smart home remote for my setup. Instead of using IR repeaters and having a bunch or remotes for my AVR, Shield TV, Projector, and Blu-Ray player; having this on the console table behind the sofa would look nice and hopefully allow me to split screen 3-4 apps as soon as I unlock it.

being able to cast to the tablet is actually potentially really cool depending on a few particulars of how it's implemented. We don't have a fancy car with screens in the back, so ability to set this up as a display in the back and then put on a movie for the kids on long road trips without having to constantly be reaching back there to adjust the volume (and then unlock it after they've accidentally locked it instead of turning the volume up) or picking out a different movie when they're done: GOLD (Addendum: I realize this would require a wifi connection. For this we would either have a phone or mobile hotspot as the wifi connection as this is what we do now for streaming)

Thanks for another great review, easy to understand and helpful. This is likely what I will buy to replace my Nest Hub (2nd) for my kitchen.

Awesome review! Thanks for sharing 🙏🏼 Kinda what I was expecting about it but I can tell you're telling the truth. I appreciate that.

This is super smart. I may have a niche situation but I currently use a tablet as a hub. I'm bluetoothed to a home speaker system so don't need the speaker but the combo of a dock, a functional tablet (as opposed to these useless nest hubs) but also the ability to fully run google home/nest, unlike some older tablets, is great.

I see this being a decent addition to the home. I think Google has realized that they can't compete with the iPad at the moment. That said, I love my Galaxy tablet!

MKB Thank you so much for this. I was really looking for the same and have been for some time. I also have had my own collection of Tabs too.Maybe if they keep going can only get Better.✌️

At 11:16 when praising the calculator and saying "Your move Apple" now we know that Apple's move was a direct checkmate haha

The problem for developers is that so few users are using their app on tablet that it's hard to justify the cost/effort. On the apps I have worked on with tablet support 98% of users were on phone. It's a chicken and egg situation.

If they tweaked it and basically had a nest audio you could use it as a speaker but have the dock connectors so you can still cast to the house but dock the tablet in any room! That would be perfect.

Looking forward for the next version! I’d consider waiting to get that one for them to fix some of the issues you discussed

Love your reviews!

I think that if they stick with the connector they could come out with an upgraded speaker to buy separately, or if they make a higher end tablet they could include the magnets and pins so it's compatible with the dock. It would lead the way to a really cool tablet ecosystem that is very different than what apple is doing

Boy I've been waiting for this review 😁

I had a Pixel C (the first pixel tablet by google, based on pure android 7 then 8, back in 2015), and it was amazing for the time ! tegra x1 (same processor that the switch), great screen (2k ltps), a magnetic keyboard without any pins (only bluethooth). The only drawbacks were the lack of support (the gpu driver was nouveau driver, which were BAD, real bad) and google being google, so removing the widewine L1 support of the tablet. From what i understood at time, it was partially due to the jalibreak of the switch : the tablet was used to find ways of circumventing the security of the tegra x1 processor, and so it was not that secure after the release of the switch and the massive amount of tech to crack the console. Without that, i think I would be using it nowadays. It was such a great product.

I've had mine a couple of days and really like it. Regarding bass, Google or any manufacturer really needs to make a smart sub-woofer.

I know you mentioned you wouldn't use the cast feature but we found it really useful. Like I'll be listening to music or watching one of your videos in one room on my phone and then I'll cast it towards the nearest hub screen while I work on something else. And my mom straight up casts Netflix on it while she cooks hahah. Super nifty.

Glad you covered the app optimizing subject. I was thinking about getting one but will stick with my Vastking KingpPad M10 10.36 for now. Sound Cloud is optimized on it. It only has Android 11 but it's working fine still.

I had a Nexus 10 back in the day. I loved that thing, but ultimately wore out the flash chip from flashing custom ROMs so much. Believe it or not, Google DID have a very worthy successor to this, the Pixel C, which is what I have now. It's quite old, but still holds up damn well, rocking the same SOC that the Nintendo Switch would eventually use. Why then was the Pixel C a flop? Because they tried to take on the Surface Pro with it, which is a completely different product. It cannot compete. But as an Android tablet, it's amazing! And the keyboard was super innovative in its design, something I wish Google or anyone else would carry forward to newer tablets. Interestingly it attaches via strong magnets similar to how the new Pixel Tablet connects to its dock. (It also allows it to stick to a fridge or a car)

thx, waited for your review before ordering once :)

Good to see a fellow Relay user at MKBHD! Sad, that it's all going to end very soon :/

Main complaint: The fact that the dock is not it's own stand alone Google Hub is a bit of a deal breaker for me. I was looking to replace my kitchen Google Home with this. but I don't want to lose the ability to play music in the kitchen if I was to pick up the tablet to use it. Second complaint: Wish there was a wall mount option. Would be awesome to mount this on the wall in a room to display things like calendars and grocery lists.

What I was more amazed was the magnet paper than any technology in the video 😂😂

Thanks M.B. ~ helpful

I could see this in my work setup, especially if I can cast to it. Ideally if Chrome figured out how to use this as an extra monitor that'd be fantastic.

As a pixelbook pro owner (the foldable google chromebook/table that was discontinued), I am really looking forward to some traditional app upgrades for the tablet UX.

AMZT66 gang in the house! Thanks for the breakdown!

I really liked… no, loved my Nexus 7 tablet. It was lightweight, great on battery, and ran vanilla Android so wasn’t weighed down by manufacturer or carrier bloatware. Unfortunately it went “missing” from my Vegas hotel room a couple years later, but is still to this day the nicest tablet I ever owned for just how affordable it was at the time. I wish Google would give it a serious comeback and the 2nd gen Pixel Tablet may just be what I’ve been waiting for.

Great review!

The Chromecast as a target is pretty smart actually, you can easily use it as a secondary display for your laptop

I'm really excited to get mine. I think Google safely played it smart here, entering the tablet market in a more cost-effective way while giving us something unique. Plus, the software looks pretty smooth for a mid-range device. I bought one because I want to support this in hopes of the line maturing into a Pro offering at some point in the future.

Loved the mention of the profile switcher, that has been a part of Pixel devices since the Pixel 1 lol

I'd be pretty keen to buy one of these, though the advice of waiting for the gen 2 is something I'll def be sticking to

@1:55 that flip was nerve wrecking!

There is a reversal expected reason is that AMZT66 is made by Amazon and pretty hot

Great review. The lack of app optimization killed it for me. I already have a hub max. Thanks bro!

Hope it doesn't discontinue like Nexus tablet, good luck Google! Was waiting for this review! 🙌 Great video as always! 👍

It's a decent addition to a smart home, but I would love if it would have a flat wall mount variant.

What's the title of the song heard in the intro? (love what you're doing man ❤)

I hear you're coming to Toronto Marques? May see you there

I'll be picking up one of these for sure. As someone who has google home mini's in each room, as well as a bunch of google TV's, and home hubs, this makes perfect sense. Also having kids be able to switch to their profile is an awesome feature. And at a price that is fair. I guess I am the target demographic.

MKBHD reviews are always spot-on!!!

Looking foward to get one

Hi Marques, how does the one handed pick up feel? Does it feel natural or do you need to do it careful to not have the dock move?

i’m surprised no one is comparing the Pixel Tablet to the Pixel Slate from a couple years ago. it’s funny how everyone has completely forgotten about that.

I love how Marques is doing his bit for the Reddit community with the Relay Pro showcase!

This is always what those Nest Hub smart home displays should have been. Was always amazed when I reviewed the Home Hub that you couldn't just pickup the tablet and do stuff with it - the whole device was even designed to look like you should be able to do that.

I would love to see a comparison between Android and iOS apps for tablets. Good video, thanks!!

Yes, yes, yes... to making a premium version of this!! 👊🏻 The concept is so good that a higher quality version needs to happen!

I see you have Relay Pro on the home screen in this video. Being a big creator in the mobile space, have you had any thoughts on doing a video regarding reddit and the API situation?

mind was blown when he pulled out the magnet paper... like woah never seen that before lol

Nice review! Google definitely going outside the box with this one. Haven’t looked it up yet but wonder if it’s has a thread border router built in with the emergence of Matter

Fun fact: The first gen google nexus 7 was also able to have multiple accounts on it with its own Home Screen, apps and everything! I had one and my sisters and I had our own accounts 7:17

Great video, it seems to me that for Google Assistant usage is a great tablet; making search queries, checking the news, checking the calendar etc. Now When would be available for sale?

I actually picked mine up right after I got my P7P and it's quite pleasant to have around the house.

4:59 The perfectly synced drop, I'm sure that was taken in more than one take. How did no one else notice it yet?

If you have multiple people using it, like at home, does it unlock the person's account on fingerprint scan? Because that's pretty cool as like a home device for everyone.

That thud at 8:31 though 😂

I was thinking about it during the video and you said it at the end, this would be really attractive if the speakers were better (on device and in dock), it had a 90 hz display, maybe OLED, and the full power of that tensor chip. ~$600? I am not a tablet user, I discovered that during my Nexus 7 days. But I think google can absolutely nail the mid-premium market by making this device just a bit nicer and feature rich. I do think a large portion of it is the app support, that was my gripe with early ipad, the big iphone apps looked horrible on ipad.

3:32 Yeey magnet paper cameo!

I think the biggest thing is that the table's screen is made to be in landscape mode, instead of the portrait mode, which means tiny laptops and handheld laptops and handheld console-like PCs can use that screen instead of dealing with installing things in portrait mode and then rotating the screen to be in landscape mode in the OS.

The way MKBHD talk about tech rly reminded me of jimmythehighroller’s hot take serie

The Nexus 7 was the only Google Tablet worth its price. I loved mine back in the day.

Thank you for the update AMZT66 is done right, and waiting is part of the process,

One thing missed is that they should’ve added in usb support for the dock, it could probably be used as a semi work tablet.

I hope you get over this cold brodie

I really hope they will also make a higher end version of this, I think this could be really good and I'd probably seriously consinder buying it

I was looking forward to seeing how this tablet would turn out and if it would be a suitable replacement for my Tab S7+, which I think is too large, but that turned out to not be the case. Large bezels, no OLED and just 60 Hz refresh rate, for a minimum of roughly $730 (here in Sweden). Not a price I'm willing to pay for those specs.

Multi-user support is KEY! Thank you for covering that!

The biggest advantage to a home docking station/tablet from google is the ability to manage smart home devices and the ability to display google information from your phone to the docking station (i.e. calendars and reminders). Also to handoff information from the docking station to the phone when leaving the house (i.e. Google home what is the traffic like going to work) telling and showing you route and traffic info on the home dock then automatically sending that query to your google maps… on ANY phone that has google home and google maps downloaded, installed, and signed in to the SAME google account on the home docking display.

3:20 Definitely a missed opportunity. Nobody likes barrel connectors, just make it type C

Love how the time on the tablet stays correct to the video timeline

Excellent review - Calling out the tablet as it is rather than trying to make it compete against the iPad Pro! One thing I am sincerely hoping though is developers do develop proper tablet apps for Android. Google's apps look awesome on tablets in their new designs. If not others, devs should at least target the Pixel and Samsung S series tabs.

If they continue to develop it an continue in that direction, the Pixel tablet can be a success similar to Pixel phones.

I've watched this video and Dave2D and they've both mentioned the amazing benefits of having multiuser Profiles. I understand Apple iPads don't have this but I'm pretty sure android tablets have had profiles for a long time. Both my Samsung tablets (very old S Tab and S7+) have profiles.

Hi Marques. Havent seen you in a decent mechanical watch yet. What’s your take on it?

Haha the cheeky; ‘in the bedroom it will… show you.. other things(?)’

I would really like to see Google publish an app that allows you to 'convert' an old phone or tablet into a Google hub display, I've got a couple of older tablets that I would love to just plug in and have as a digital photo display or cast device

Dudes you into *AMZT66* or too lazy as usual?

@MarquesBrownlee I’m planning to Apple Watch, with both GPS+Cellular models, I’m currently confused which one to choose from either the SE 2nd generation or Series 7 GPS or Series 8, I’m aware about the feature differences between these three models or should I wait for Series X to be launched this September and when the prices goes down then make a purchase, please suggest as I need an expert advice

So the reason it's a google cast target is so you can add it to groups. I just figured this out. I have my Chomecast playing music on a "group" that includes my two stereos and a bluetooth speaker. I set the Pixel dock in the hallway to control everything and set it as a target, included it in the group, and now the hallway has "filler" music between the two stereos. Plus, I can hear what I'm casting. It works really well.

Dock should have worked as a google home mini with voice assistance and should have worked as a Bluetooth speaker. Even if they release this as a accessory later on I think the users will buy into it.

This is exactly what I want in a tablet. Basically a detachable nest hub max, actual apps (the ones I use work fine), decent video chat, and support for multiple users. I just wish I hadn't bought an iPad last year.

It's a dock in a box! Sung to the SNL skit, you know the one 😂

3:24 - The "pins that retract" a little bit when you touch them" are the same style as the FitBit Sense charger. The springs on the pin will break causing the pin to fall into the charger, rendering the charger useless. Huge design flaw. my fitbit charger pins fail in about 6 months, im on my 3rd charger now

It would be interesting to see how this actually works with home automation - which I think is where they're aiming this for.

Thanks Marques for the review of this google product. - hope your Table Tennis game is improving. Time for Adam rematch?

Going back 10 years is not sounding old, it is giving people context on stuff that simply has been a thing for a long time now. A lot of reviewers should do that more often because there are a lot of us who are tech savvy and are old enough to remember 2010. That’s plain old good information, so please never hold back on going back like that