The Pixel Tablet is a two-in-one product, but like so many of its type, it only manages to nail one half of the brief. The other half just can’t keep up.
Since arriving in my home, the Google Pixel Tablet has revealed itself to be my ultimate smart home display. It’s done so by performing all the usual tasks I expect from one, plus nailing functions my previous smart display wasn’t very good at.
The trouble is, I could totally do without all the disappointing Android tablet stuff. And as such, it’s proof these two-in-one products are really hard to get right.One half of the Pixel Tablet is great
Which half is best? It’s when the Pixel Tablet is docked and operating as a smart display. The screen looks great. It’s a 10.95-inch LCD with a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution, and it’s a giant step up from my previous smart display, the Lenovo Smart Display 8. I have the screen set so it shows the Recent Highlights reel from my Google Photos account, and the clarity, colors, and definition make them all look so eye-catching and enhance my enjoyment of having the screen in my kitchen a lot.
It took a little while to get the Home Hub aspect working, as the tablet required a few software updates, and the process repeated a few times before it stuck. But now that it’s all set up and working, it controls my Philips Hue lighting system without argument. Google Assistant has also been decent, setting the timers I ask for, giving me weather updates when I request them, and — for the most part — not mishearing things I say.
The Google Assistant has even managed to play music and other videos on YouTube when the artists have awkward names. It understood Shmee150’s channel name and that I wanted to hear music from the K-pop group Le Serrafim, despite saying onscreen that it was looking for an artist called Liser FM. The dock’s built-in speakers have more presence than the Lenovo display’s system, and while there’s not much more bass, the sound is projected out further into the room due to the speaker’s placement on the side of the chassis.
