What you need to know
- Rumor has it that Google is already looking ahead to the Pixel Tablet 3, which could debut a second USB-C port.
- According to reports, this port may support DisplayPort output and fall within the USB 3.2 standard.
- The idea of a second port could help with the Pixel Tablet’s desktop experience, allowing users to connect an external display. and (Preferably) Pixel keyboard.
New rumors have already skipped the Pixel Tablet 2 and focused on the third edition.
According to a leak from Google’s gChip division, Android Authority says the company wants to include a second USB-C port on the Pixel Tablet 3. This additional port is said to be designed for “tablet use only.” Early rumors suggest that this connection will support DisplayPort output and fall within the USB 3.2 standard.
The publication speculates that this could offer users speeds of (approximately) 10Gbps. According to Tom’s Hardware, this is reportedly the most common (and cheapest) speed.
The bottom line is that this second port could help streamline the Pixel Tablet 3’s desktop-like experience.
In theory, future tablets could support two screens via two USB-C ports. However, this rumor hints that it will support two more external displays “via daisy chaining” for a total of up to four external displays.
The publication states that Google may have cemented the existence of a dock-mounting feature for the Pixel Tablet 3 (or whatever its name is). Pogo pins on the back panel are probably still present, making it easier to speculate.
These rumors could put this future Pixel Tablet in a more respectable light in terms of desktop usage. Additionally, Google is redoubling its efforts to improve desktop mode, especially in Android 15. A discovery in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 earlier this year indicated that the company was gearing up for a new multi-window experience. An early preview highlighted the navigation bar at the top of the app’s full-screen UI.
Of course, this is probably where Google’s advances led it, after it was first discovered that it was working on improvements to its desktop mode in 2023.
Another interesting thing about the Pixel Tablet 3’s likely second USB-C port is the possibility to connect an external display. and (preferably) a keyboard. Accessories for the Pixel Tablet have been rumored for a long time, but nothing has arrived. We expect a Pixel keyboard and stylus to complement the tablet. Google launched the Pixel Tablet without a charging speaker dock, but the company quickly shot down the accessory idea.
“There are no new accessories to announce at this time,” the company said in May.
