Google’s latest Pixel smartphones are picking up critical acclaim and commercial success. Yet one of the eagerly awaited updates looks to be cancelled. Those waiting for a second Pixel Tablet will be disappointed that the immediate follow-up to last year’s Android tablet has been cancelled.
Writing for Android Authority, Kamila Wojciechowska reports on the now-cancelled Pixel Tablet 2’s specs. There were some welcome upgrades from the first Pixel Tablet, as well as some sought-after accessories. Still, the specs make one thing clear: the Pixel Tablet 2 was more of an “S” update to the original hardware rather than a full “next generation tablet” to follow on from the Pixel Tablet.
Potential Pixel Tablet 2 Upgrades
The Pixel Tablet was sold as part of Google’s smart home suite. Given that, the low refresh rate of the LCD screen was seen as a weak point of the package. While the LCD side of the equation would have stayed the same, the Pixel Tablet 2 was set for a 120Hz display, along with a ten percent increase in brightness.
The Pixel Tablet 2 was expected to ship with the Google Tensor G4 system-on-chip. This is the same chipset found in the latest Pixel handsets (the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold). The G4 is tuned towards delivering the best generative AI software on Android, including Google’s Gemini AI. The original Piel Tablet was launched before Google’s big public push of Google AI, so the Tablet 2 would have been the first Pixel Tablet that was arguably “designed for AI.”
Traveling With The Pixel Tablet 2
One of the key upgrades was going to be connectivity. Whereas the first Pixel Tablet was Wi-Fi only, the Pixel Tablet 2 was scheduled to offer both a Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi+5G model. Although the Pixel Tablet was pitched as part of a connected household, the lightweight design makes it attractive as a portable option.
A cellular connection was not the only productivity upgrade that was hoped for. Unlike other tablet manufacturers, Google did not release a keyboard that works with the Pixel Tablet. Resourceful users could use a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard, but an all-in-one solution is preferred. The now-cancelled Pixel Tabelt 2 was set to have a Pixel Keyboard launch alongside it. With Google bundling a Pixel Tablet Speaker in the first retail unit, a keyboard could have been bundled with the tablet.
The Wider Impact Of The Pixel Tablet
Perhaps the biggest impact of the Pixel Tablet 2 cancellation is in the ecosystem. Android’s support of large-screened devices falls behind Apple’s efforts to keep iPad hardware tightly connected. With the Pixel Tablet launch, Google made a strong statement of support to its Android partners that tablets were part of its consideration. The cancellation of the Pixel Tablet 2 diminishes that commitment.
Google is likely working on its next tablet, what was once thought of as the Pixel Tablet 3. There’s a strong chance that whenever the next Pixel Tablet is launched, it will be marketed as the Pixel Tablet 2. For now, Google’s upgrade to its largest Pixel—be it the small Pixel Tabelet 2 step up or a Pixel Tablet 3-esque leap— remains under lock and key in Mountain View.
Now read the latest Android news, including from the Pixel Tablet’s competition, in Forbes’ weekly Android Circuit news digest…
