New Google’s Pixel Slate Chrome Tablet 2018

Pixel Slate: first look at Google’s Chrome OS tablet [Video]

Video uploaded by The Verge on October 9, 2018

Pixel Slate (2018) – New Detachable Chrome OS Tablet

Pixel Slate is a hybrid tablet designed and developed by Google Inc.

Pixel Slate runs on proprietary Chrome OS, supports PixelBook Pen and can work with a detachable cover keyboard.

The tablet features Intel Core chips of the 8th generation or Celeron Intel. The RAM options include 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB while the SSD storage varies from 32GB, through 64GB, 128GB to 256GB.

Pixel Slate doesn’t have a GSM connectivity, only WiFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth® 4.2. There’s no 3.5mm headphones jack either. The device supports USB-C or wireless headphones instead.

The PixelBook Pen and the detachable cover keyboard are available at extra cost.

Specifications

Experience the 12.3” Molecular Display™ with 6 million pixels. Plus, enjoy premium, dual front-firing speakers.

Miscellaneous

• Pixel Slate is a niche product for those who would prefer a hybrid tablet without Windows 10.
• Prices:
  $599 (4GB RAM, 32GB SSD, 8th Gen Intel® Celeron processor);
  $699 (8GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 8th Gen Intel® Celeron processor);
  $799 (8GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 8th Gen Intel® CoreTM m3 processor);
  $999 (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 8th Gen Intel® CoreTM i5 processor);
  $1599 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8th Gen Intel® CoreTM i7 processor);
• Price for cover – $200
• Price for PixelBook Pen – $100

Pixel Slate: Do We Need Another Windows Surface?

Google Pixel Slate with cover and PixelBook Pen

The geek community has been buzzing about a Google tablet for years. Now the dream has come true: On October 9, Google unveiled its first ever tablet on Chrome OS, the Pixel Slate. The problem? It looks frustratingly Surface-like!

First, let’s focus on some new features: The keyboard itself features large, round keys to distinguish it from other Windows-based hybrids, like the Surface or the Lenovo Yoga Book. A Chrome OS key replaces the Windows key. The Pixel Slate features a 3000 x 2000 pixel resolution screen, which early reviewers claim has bright, vivid colors at any angle.

One negative difference from the Windows Surface is the lack of a signature flip-off stand. Users have to buy a cover keyboard or at least a third-party stand in order to prop the Pixel Slate against it. Another negative is that the 12-inch tablet weighs more than 1.5 pounds (721g)! It’s too heavy to hold with one hand, especially in the landscape usage.

I think the Pixel Slate’s most critical fault is its price in relation to its features. Its price starts at $599 for a low-entry iteration with Celeron CPU, 4GB of RAM, and onboard 32GB storage, WITHOUT a cover keyboard or a pen. (Although the 12.3″ IPS touchscreen supports the proprietary Pixelbook Pen, it’s not a real breakthrough, since the stylus support is now a must-have for any top mobile gadget.) An entry-level iPad (2018) plus an Apple Pen costs around $456; Android premium tablets from Samsung or Huawei will cost even less. Pixel Slates are pitched against both Windows Surfaces and top Android tablets, while the Pixel Slate’s top iteration with Core i7 and onboard 256GB SSD for $1599 has to compete with laptops.

There’s also an issue with the Pixel Slate’s operating system: Chrome OS for Pixel Slate comes with a desktop version of the Chrome browser and Android apps support. In fact, it’s an Android on steroids, and can’t seriously compete against iOS and Windows 10, simply because they both support Google online services and the Chrome browser, as well.

Bottom line: I think the Pixel Slate arrived too late to succeed. It’s a carbon copy of Windows Surface with a Google flavor, a must-buy for fanboys, but otherwise not worth the price.

Links

• Google Pixel Slate, Tablet with Google Assistant – Google Store
• The Pixel Slate: first look at Google’s new tablet – The Verge
• Trade in used tablets online today for top dollar – iGotOffer