The canceled Pixel Tablet 2 suggests Google learned all the wrong lessons

For those waiting for a Pixel Tablet 2, it’s been a frustrating few weeks. First, we heard reports that the third-generation Pixel Tablet – a device in the works for 2027 – was dead in the water, with the second-generation model serving as a lackluster conclusion to the lineup. Just hours later we heard that the Pixel Tablet 3 had that not killed, but the Pixel Tablet 2 was dead, leaving Google’s most recent slate on the rocks for several more years.

While we’ve previously heard about keyboard accessories for the Pixel Tablet 2 (something that’s woefully missing on the first-generation model), today’s report from Android Authority paints a much clearer picture of what this device should be. It’s a big step away from the smart, home-oriented model of the first generation, and in my view a complete misunderstanding of what made the original Pixel Tablet special. If Google ever wants to reinvest in the tablet space (or, you know, the laptop space) again, I hope it learns some valuable lessons from this cancellation.

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What was Google trying to achieve here?

AP’s Google editor Taylor Kerns has already done a remarkable job summarizing what the Pixel Tablet 2 was likely to become before its (admittedly still rumored) untimely death, but in case you missed the news, here’s the quick recap. According to Android Authority’s Kamila Wojciechowska, Google’s next slate would include a slightly brighter 120Hz display, improved camera sensors, 5G support, and DisplayPort connectivity, all packed into a familiar form factor and powered by the Pixel 9’s Tensor G4. plus a Thread radio for direct control of supported smart home gadgets.

To the enthusiast community, these upgrades seemed like a checklist of what the original Pixel Tablet was missing. A 120Hz display would have brought the Pixel Tablet 2 closer to the Samsung-branded competition (and better than what Apple offers on all but the most expensive devices). Google’s Tensor G4 is a much better chipset than the first-generation Tensor G2, even if some die-hard Android fans are stuck waiting for TSMC’s rumored Tensor G5. And additions like DisplayPort connectivity and optional 5G support suggest the Pixel Tablet 2 would have been the productivity machine its predecessor wasn’t.

I’m sure some of you are saying out loud that this is exactly the kind of changes you would expect in a sequel. But for all of Google’s potential hardware improvements, the Pixel Tablet 2’s core identity seems as half-baked as its predecessor. Is this a tablet designed to compete with the iPad, or is this the future of the Nest Hub line, as the first-generation Pixel Tablet suggested? Google’s inability to decide in any direction is probably why the product is dead in the first place.

Seriously, just look at this list. What here, aside from the addition of a Thread radio, helps it achieve the pitch of the original Pixel Tablet? 5G, screen output, and keyboard accessories essentially contribute nothing to building a hybrid tablet-smart display. Neither does a faster refresh rate or improved camera sensors, even though the former seems like a good idea. This entire list ignores what the Pixel Tablet was designed to do from the start: a new, more flexible version of 2019’s Nest Hub Max, while at the same time being too afraid to completely break away from its smart home origins.

Instead, it seems like Google was preparing to launch a much less interesting product as a result, while still maintaining the dated, bulky design of last year’s model. No one would take this thing to a coffee shop or on a plane as their main productivity device, especially when the 11-inch screen is practically small in a world full of 12-to-15-inch tablets.

Google should have leaned towards smart home with the Pixel Tablet 2

That may be why it was canceled in the first place

Thread support would be a nice improvement, but when I think about what the Pixel Tablet 2 was supposed to accomplish, pretty much everything on my personal list was ignored. First off, I think Google had to aim for a lower price, and these leaked specs suggest anything but. A 120Hz display and optional 5G support would have only pushed the price up, at a time when we’ve seen the tenth generation iPad go for as low as $250. Google had to find a way to compete with Apple’s entry-level hardware, and it doesn’t sound like it.

Then the speaker. It’s not mentioned anywhere in Android Authority’s report, suggesting that the key factor that differentiated the original Pixel Tablet from the competition is being downplayed – or possibly even removed entirely. While I think Google made the right decision in releasing a cheaper, dockless version of its slate to retailers, it’s just as frustrating not to hear about the Pixel Tablet 2’s speaker. After all, the problems were in the execution , not with the concept.

Improving the speaker quality, strengthening the magnetic connection to the tablet and adding native cast support to the dock itself would have made for a great accessory, something that would really help the Pixel Tablet 2 stand out from the crowd. Meanwhile, Hub mode begs for improvements, especially in a Gemini-centric landscape where Nest screens are aging like milk before our eyes. If we’re not going to get a Nest Hub Max 2, this is where Google should focus its efforts.

It’s not that Google’s initial approach to a second-generation tablet was bad, but this report just shows a lack of vision on the company’s part. Was this supposed to be a productivity device, something like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10+ or ​​the iPad Pro? Was the intention to live in the kitchen or living room as a smart home hub, replacing a Nest Hub while also providing an easy way to browse TikTok? This list of proposed changes suggests that Google didn’t really know, and that should put off any fan of the company’s products.

We hope Google has a future with tablets

One slightly better thought out

No matter why Google decided to kill the Pixel Tablet 2, it’s probably for the best. If Google decides to hold out on the tablet market, with what would While the Pixel Tablet 3 has been the Pixel Tablet 3, it needs to think long and hard about what this hardware is trying to achieve before pouring resources into its development. Considering the impact the Pixel 9 is having on the smartphone world, this isn’t the time for bold experiments and crazy, untested ideas. Now more than ever, Google needs a cohesive vision, and given everything we’ve heard about the Pixel Tablet 2, that’s simply not what would end up on store shelves.

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