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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Google Pixel Tablet retails for $499.
- The 11-inch tablet runs Android 13 on Google’s Tensor G2 chip
- It has solid performance, small bezels surrounding the screen that can handle multitasking, and a charging dock.
- Android can be buggy on the Pixel Tablet, though less so than on competing devices; the refresh rate tops out at 60Hz, and picking up the tablet takes some getting used to.
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The Pixel Tablet worked surprisingly well as a smart home display but still left much to be desired.
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While Google Home runs well on the Pixel Tablet, Nanoleaf products were the most difficult to run smoothly on Google Home. I have some connectivity issues with certain Cree smart devices that don’t always respond through Google Home, although they perform well with Alexa.
The far-field mic experience also left me wanting, especially since I’m surrounded by far too many Echo devices and a HomePod mini. The Pixel Tablet could hear me well enough from across the room, the farthest I would use it most of the time. But — unlike my Echo devices — the Pixel Tablet couldn’t understand me in our open floor plan when I was in the kitchen, which suggests that it would work best in a bedroom or smaller living room. (My HomePod mini can hear me from a story away.)
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The dock also feels slightly awkward when you pick up the device. It’s not hard to dock the Pixel Tablet to charge, especially once you get used to the feeling, but you have to pick it up just right to undock it. Google suggests lifting it by the lower edge to undock it and pick it up, but picking it up almost any other way can result in pulling the dock up with the tablet.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Should you choose a Pixel Tablet<!–> to use as a smart home panel over an Echo Hub–> or Google Nest Hub Max<!–>? Compared to both, the Pixel Tablet is a portable device, whereas the Google Nest Hub and Echo Hub are stationary smart displays.
Although many users prefer the $229 Nest Hub Max’s function as a dedicated smart display, I like having a multipurpose display at the center of the smart home with the 2-in-1 Pixel Tablet. Grabbing the fully charged tablet on my way out the door or upstairs makes it easier to use than other tablets. Setting it down to become a smart display gives it a second life when idle, whereas other tablets are off or stowed away.
The 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, a $180 Echo Hub would likely be a better addition to your smart home than a Pixel Tablet.