Subj : Google Pixel Tablet 2: what we want to see To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Fri Jul 21 2023 17:30:03 Google Pixel Tablet 2: what we want to see Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:09:38 +0000 Description: There are lots of ways the Google Pixel Tablet 2 could improve on the original Pixel Tablet. FULL STORY ====================================================================== The Google Pixel Tablet is a curious device, with Googles first slate in a long time serving double duty as a tablet and a smart home display. That helps it stand out from the tablet crowd, and thats a good thing too, because in a lot of ways, it falls someway short of the best tablets , even within its price range. So with that in mind weve come up with a list of six things we want from the Google Pixel Tablet 2, so that it can excel as both a tablet and a smart display in the home. Weve also included information on the likely release date, price, specs, and features and well add to this article whenever we hear anything more. Cut to the chase What is it? The second Pixel Tablet When is it out? Possibly mid-2024 How much will it cost? Likely at least $499 / 599 / AU$899 Google Pixel Tablet 2: release date and price The Pixel Tablet 2 may have a similar price to the original model (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) There arent any Google Pixel Tablet 2 release date rumors yet, and as this is the first entry in a new product line, theres no real history for us to look at here. That said, a lot of gadgets including Googles Pixel phones see yearly launches, so if the same happens with the Pixel Tablet 2, then we might see it in or around May 2024, as that would be a year after the announcement of the original Pixel Tablet. The price meanwhile will probably be at least as high again, meaning at least $499 / 599 / AU$899 for a tablet and speaker dock combo (which is the only way you can buy the original Pixel Tablet), but dont be surprised if it costs more. Google Pixel Tablet 2: news and leaks The Pixel Tablet 2 is sure to support a dock again (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) So far there arent any leaks about the Pixel Tablet 2, but we can guess that it will use whatever the latest of Google's Tensor chipsets is at the time of its launch. If it launches in May 2024, that will almost certainly mean the Tensor 3 chipset that were first expecting to see in the Google Pixel 8 line. Its also sure to support a dock again, since being able to attach the Google Pixel Tablet to a dock and use it as a smart home screen is one of its main selling points. Beyond that, we cant really predict what might be offered and what might change, but as soon as any rumors do emerge well add them here. Google Pixel Tablet 2: what we want to see In our Google Pixel Tablet review we awarded it 3.5 stars, which is to say that its a good but not great device so its one with plenty of room for improvement. Key improvements wed like to see in the Pixel Tablet 2 include the following things. 1. A bigger, better screen The Pixel Tablet's screen would feel more at home on a budget slate (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) In our Pixel Tablet review, we noted that despite being listed as 10.95 inches, the screen area of the Pixel Tablet is actually smaller than that of the iPad 10.9 (2022) . So its on the small side as tablets go, and thats really not ideal for something that given its included dock is clearly designed mostly to be used at home. Its also not a particularly special screen, being an LCD panel in place of a superior OLED, with a lacluster 60Hz refresh rate. So wed like to see big upgrades to both the size and quality of the screen on the Pixel Tablet 2. 2. A different material The back of the Pixel Tablet has a soft touch finish, which while pleasant under finger but is also quick to pick up dirt and fingerprints. As such, wed like to see this addressed with the Google Pixel Tablet 2, so that we dont feel the need to wipe the slate every time we touch it. 3. Better app optimization The Pixel Tablet doesn't always display apps well (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) Android has never felt entirely at home on tablets and that remains true here, with the main issue simply being that most apps arent well optimized for their larger (and primarily landscape) screens. Often, youre just served stretched versions of phone apps, and somehow we found in our review that apps perform even worse on the Pixel Tablet than other Android slates, with the likes of Facebook and Instagram giving you a narrow letterboxed view when the tablet is in landscape orientation. Software updates from either Google or the app makers could fix this, but if Google is serious about supporting tablets, then the Pixel Tablet 2 really needs great software and well-optimized apps from day one. 4. The option to buy it without a dock You can only buy the Google Pixel Tablet with a dock, and while thats probably how most people would want to buy it (since without the dock its nothing very special at all), wed like to be given the option with the Pixel Tablet 2. That would allow buyers to get a very affordable tablet if they choose to pick it up without the dock and then they could always still buy a dock later if they decide they want one. 5. A bigger battery The original Pixel Tablet has a 7,020mAh battery, which isnt particularly big for a 10-inch+ tablet, and indeed our reviewer found it didnt last as long between charges as many other tablets. In fairness, this is a slate thats likely to stay docked a lot of the time, and it charges while docked, so battery life isnt as much of a concern here as it would be with most tablets, but theres still definitely room for improvement. 6. A better dock Whether or not Google gives users the option the buy the Pixel Tablet 2 with or without a dock from the get-go, we'd also like that dock itself to be better; more specifically offer improved sound quality. The current dock is a perfectly fine way to pump out sound whether you're watching a show or streaming music but the sound quality is indicative of the wider package, middling. What's more, the fact that the dock is non-functional when the Pixel Tablet is undocked feels like a huge oversight on Google's part. Being able to connect to the dock wirelessly or tie it into part of your wider smart home setup would be a huge bonus for those who already envisage having multiple docks in different rooms as a place to set down the Pixel Tablet wherever they end up, while also building out a multi-room audio setup simultaneously. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tablets/google-pixel-tablet-2 --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .