The long-awaited Google Pixel Tablet has arrived, as Google I/O confirmed that we will be able to purchase the tablet on June 20th. But while I/O revealed a lot about what the tablet could do, there were some notably absent features: namely keyboard and stylus support. Well, they might still have a chance to show up in the near future.
Leaker Kamila Wojciechowska has revealed a load of early Pixel Tablet details at the beginning of the yearand now returned teasing “Keyboard for Pixel Tablet” and “Stylus for Pixel Tablet”. She didn’t go into any detail about those two things, just that Expressing disappointment That Google would delay the tablet for so long only to release it in a seemingly unfinished state.
Kamila notes that keyboard and stylus accessories may be available in the near future — though it’s unclear when. If this is indeed the case, it could give the Pixel Tablet the things it needs to better compete with Apple’s iPad. Maybe not the iPad Pro series, which runs the same M-series chips as the Macs and MacBooks, but definitely the same as the iPad Air.
Of course the main feature of the Pixel Tablet is something Apple doesn’t offer – the option to use the tablet as a smart home display. This is aided by the charging dock, which attaches to the back of the tablet magnetically and acts as a speakerphone. This effectively turns your Pixel tablet into your Next Hub every time you put it down to recharge.
There were rumors about it Apple could release its own smart display-Integrate the iPad experience with the HomePod speaker. It is not clear if there will be an option to remove the tablet and use it like a regular iPad. However it has been rumored that this kind of features could Come to both iPad And iPhones in the near future. albeit without the special charging dock, as far as we know.
But despite the lack of smart home-focused tech, the iPad offers keyboard and stylus support — even on dirt cheap entry-level models. Samsung and OnePlus also do this on their best Android tablets. So without more productivity-focused options, Google may struggle to make the Pixel tablet convenient.
In the meantime, you can read about everything the Pixel Tablet can do in our Google Pixel Tablet hands-on, ahead of the official release on June 20th.
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