All we know (for sure) is, well, exactly how the Pixel Tablet is supposed to look and a vague (not to mention distant) 2023 commercial ETA. Even the screen size is kept firmly under wraps (although it's clearly on the large side based on the product images made public in May), with processing power details, battery capacity, or memory counts looking extremely unlikely to gain confirmation anytime soon.
Of course, that's not going to stop rumormongers from... mongering, with one such source (who insists he's "probably" not a leaker in his Twitter bio) claiming to have recently discovered quite a bit of previously unknown information in AOSP (Android Open Source Project) code.
A 2-in-1 product with a clear home use focus
Kuba Wojciechowski is a seasoned developer, mind you, so even though it remains wise to treat all unofficial info with caution, there's a very good chance the Pixel Tablet will indeed lack everything from GPS functionality to proximity and barometer sensors, as well as "high-fidelity" sensor processing support, as tipped today.
That essentially means this won't actually be a tablet in the conventional sense, and with the absence of a modem also making cellular connectivity impossible, it looks like you will only really be able to use this thing connected to your at-home Wi-Fi network.
That more or less "confirms" an older rumor of a Nest Hub product of sorts doubling as a tablet in the relatively near future. Instead of that, it appears that Google might be planning for its Pixel Tablet to fulfil smart display duties as well, most likely alongside an optional docking station that has yet to see daylight in any official capacity.
The smooth compatibility between the two could in fact be the reason why the Pixel Tablet is not actually coming to a store near you until (sometime) next year, although that's mere speculation on our part.
Wojciechowski himself seems to be speculating that this Android slate/smart home device will only pack 4GB RAM, which might make sense from a business perspective as far as Google is concerned... while drastically reducing the excitement of many power users for the Pixel Tablet.
Just in case it wasn't abundantly clear already, this is a very different product from the 2018-released Pixel Slate, which started at 4 gigs of memory but went all the way up to 16 gigs of the good stuff... at a fittingly high price.
Google is definitely going after a more budget-conscious and, yes, wider audience with humbler demands, trying to conquer the home entertainment space from a slightly different angle than Amazon. But the Pixel Tablet is essentially guaranteed not to be a pushover from a raw power standpoint, with a first-gen Tensor processor under its hood. That's not the world's fastest chipset right now and it will only get slower in comparison with its 2023 rivals, but for a mid-end tablet, it should still perform honorably in most day-to-day tasks.
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Previously rumored to drop 32-bit app support entirely to save resources, the Pixel Tablet is also expected to feature the same 8MP selfie camera as the Pixel 6 handset... on both its front and back. That's yet another thing pointing in the direction of an affordable (home) slate with a decent but far from groundbreaking spec sheet.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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