I used my Pixel Tablet as a smart home display (now on sale)

what happened?

of google pixel tablet is currently available for $420.

Important points of ZDNET

• of google pixel tablet Retail price is $499.
• This 11-inch tablet runs Android 13 on Google’s Tensor G2 chip. It features stable performance, small bezels around the screen to handle multitasking, and a charging dock.
• Android may have bugs on the Pixel Tablet, but not as many as on competing devices. The refresh rate tops out at 60Hz, and lifting the tablet takes some getting used to.

Google pixel tablet The company is returning to the tablet market for the first time in years (previous efforts included the Pixel C and Pixel Slate). It was hailed as a near-perfect Android tablet, but its reputation was disappointing.

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The Google Pixel Tablet is an 11-inch Android slab with a charging dock that doubles as a speaker. When you dock your tablet to charge, it turns into a customizable smart display, like an iPhone in standby mode or a Fire tablet in display mode. Charging the Pixel Tablet is similar to the Nest Hub Max experience, but not quite there.

As a smart home user, I decided to try out this tablet’s smart display feature. I love smart panels more than tablets. I don’t often reach for my tablet for entertainment. For that, I rely on my cell phone. That’s why you spend more time using smart displays and smart home apps on your phone than on your tablet.

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The problem many reviewers have with the Pixel Tablet is that it’s the simplest of its peers, and that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Google didn’t design this tablet to be the next iPad Pro, to handle intense video editing sessions, or to be used as an occasional laptop replacement.

Pixel Tablet is an entertainment device that lets you check the latest game scores or scroll through TikTok while taking a break from writing in a Word document.

That said, this is a tablet that offers a clean Android experience, allowing you to forget whether you’re on the iOS or Android team. As a loyal iOS user for six years, I sometimes feel confused when using an Android device. Weird navigation bugs and lag remind me of why I ditched Android all those years ago.

Google Pixel Tablet has very few of these bugs. The Pixel Tablet had some bugs during navigation and daily use, but they were far fewer than the ones I experienced with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, but far more frequent than the ones I experienced with the iPad.

The Pixel Tablet worked surprisingly well as a smart home display, but there’s still a lot that could be improved.

Here’s what’s great about Pixel Tablet

When I started using this Pixel Tablet as a smart home panel for Google Home-enabled products around the house, I noticed that Google Assistant seemed much smarter than Siri or Alexa. This is a close race and all three are getting better all the time, but even better now that generative AI is being thrown into it. However, Google Home also works smoothly on Pixel Tablet.

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And unlike smart displays like the Google Nest Hub or Echo Hub, the Pixel Tablet is a portable device. You can get it almost anywhere to read the news or play games. I take it to my kids’ after-school activities and play with it or watch something while I wait. Having a multipurpose display at the center of your smart home is like having two tablets in one.

Pixel Tablet improvements include:

Pixel tablets have bugs. All smart displays have bugs, but after testing several Echo Show devices and using the Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home apps on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, I’m happy with the Pixel Tablet’s smart home controls. I expected more functionality.

Google is reportedly working on a new Nest speaker and Nest Hub Max to launch later this year, so we don’t think Google will discontinue these smart devices in favor of the Pixel Tablet.

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While Google Home works well on the Pixel Tablet, Nanoleaf products had the most difficulty running smoothly on Google Home. I’m having trouble connecting with certain Cree smart devices, which work fine with Alexa but don’t always respond through Google Home.

The far-field mic experience also felt lacking, especially since I’m surrounded by so many Echo devices and HomePod minis. The Pixel tablet was able to hear me well enough, even from across the room, the farthest place I use it most of the time. But unlike my Echo device, the Pixel Tablet couldn’t understand my open floor plan when I was in the kitchen. This suggests that it works best in a bedroom or small living room. (My HomePod mini can hear me remotely.)

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The dock also feels a little clunky when you pick up the device. It’s not difficult to dock and charge the Pixel Tablet, especially once you get used to the feeling, but you have to lift it in the right position to undock it. Google recommends undocking and lifting by the bottom edge, but if you lift it any other way, you may end up pulling the dock up along with the tablet.

ZDNET purchase advice

which one to choose pixel tablet To use as a smart home panel echo hub or Google Nest Hub Max?Comparing the two, the Pixel Tablet is a portable device, while the Google Nest Hub and Echo Hub are stationary smart displays.

While many users prefer the $229 Nest Hub Max to serve as a dedicated smart display, I like using the 2-in-1 Pixel Tablet to put a multipurpose display at the center of my smart home. If you pick up a fully charged tablet as you walk out the door or upstairs, it will be easier to use than other tablets. Put this tablet down and use it as a smart display while your other tablets are turned off or put away, giving it a second life when it’s idle.

Echo Hub is specifically designed as a smart home display for Amazon Alexa. If you prefer the Alexa voice assistant and already have other Echo devices, the $180 Echo Hub is a better addition to your smart home than the Pixel Tablet.