Google has been busy preparing it’s ecosystem for the future of smart homes, with the latest announcements revealing a new accessory that transforms its upcoming Pixel Tablet into a Nest Hub.
Holding it’s ‘Made By Google’ event overnight, the US tech giant revealed only small amounts about the upcoming tablet, but did unveil a new speaker dock that holds the device, turning into a Nest Hub.
This was not an unexpected choice by Google, with design leaks revealing magnetic connectors on it’s rear.
The new speaker dock resembles the base of an older nest hub when the tablet is sitting on it, and will wirelessly charge the tablet.
The tablet, as expected, can then be removed and continually used for both everyday tasks, as well as for smart home functionality.
The release of the tablet alongside the dock is part of Google’s effort to reimagine the role of the tablet in daily life, describing it as a device that “works in your hands and in your home.”
“As we began designing the Pixel Tablet, we set out to understand how people use their tablets, and what they love and don’t love about them. And it turns out tablets are homebodies: they’re at home most of the time, but only useful for a small portion of the day,” said Google in a blog post.
“The rest of the time, tablets feel out of place in our homes. Hidden away in a drawer, misplaced, presenting a tripping hazard, or just out of battery.”
“So we set out to build something better.”
Rather than having your tablet do nothing when not in use, having the Pixel Tablet mounted on the dock allows it to act as a smart home hub whilst charging.
As the company has struggled with tablet releases in the past, this is a unique angle that may just allow them to appeal to a greater audience.
The Pixel Tablet will be powered by the same processor as the two new Pixel 7 smartphones – the Tensor G2, and will run on the latest version of Android, complete with the company’s Material You design language, which will create a personalized design based on your wallpaper.
According to Google, “the Pixel Tablet is the best way to experience Android on a large screen.”
The Google Pixel Tablet is due for a 2023 release, however no specific reveal date has been announced. With the Google I/O developer conference due for May and Android 14 due in September, there are multiple points next year where we could expect the new tablet.
