Ulta Tips

Since seven years, consumer technology is a reality. Things change. There are shifts in dominance. Risen powers have been established. I mention this because Alphabet has announced its first Google tablet since 2015’s Pixel C.

Launched at its yearly hardware refresh event, the Pixel Tablet is a gorgeously-designed piece of hardware that complements the company’s existing phones. 

Don’t worry. I’ll wax lyrical about the Pixel Tablet later in this piece. But first, let’s talk about why this feels long overdue and why Google can re-win the hearts and minds of tablet buyers. 

To nothing, from Nexus and Pixel

It Pixel CIt was an amazing piece of hardware. This is an ASUS-manufactured item. Nexus 7Even better. 

With its combination of the Android stock experience and strong industrial capabilities, Nexus 7 was a hotseller thanks to its affordable price. ASUS reported that the Nexus7 sold out by 2012’s end. More than 1,000,000 Units sold monthly.

But it wasn’t meant to last. Google is slowly removing tablets from its site. And it’s easy to understand why. 

Cleanse your throat first. This will be a bitter pill for Android die-hards, but it’s true. Google didn’t really understand the tablet market like Apple.The result was a media-friendly product that is both unique and popular.

Apple was faced with similar problems when it launched the iPad original. It was the result of this. The first reviews have been mixed. This was intended as a bigger version of the iPod Touch. It is great for casual browsing, watching movies and other activities, but it does not do much more. 

This understanding was gradually discredited by Apple. The company was successful in healthcare, designBusiness and education. It was encouraged by its early success to set out on a bolder agenda. 

With the 2015 launch of the iPad Pro, it began marketing tablets as viable standalone computers that could replace (either wholly or partially) the user’s Macintosh or Windows laptops.

Google’s promise to fulfill its Nexus tablet or Pixel tablet promises was not fulfilled, no matter how impressive they may have been. showany practical utility. This proved to be the biggest nail in the coffin of Google’s tablet ambitions.

Execution Matters

Google was also confronted with other obstacles. It’s a company that struggles with real, incremental progress. It introduces products They pass away.The cycle is re-started. Stadia is the most recent example.

Tablet computers never represented a major part of Google’s business. Tablet computers were best described as a sideshow. Google made the tough decision to give up its tablet market share. 

Google is an awful software company. It’s great at services, undeniably, but struggles elsewhere.

The initial release was inconsistent, particularly in the areas of feature and update upgrades.

However, it failed to produce a tablet-specific Android version 3.00 Honeycomb. Honeycomb was Laggy and buggyHowever, this was not popular. 

This issue wasn’t exclusive to Google’s tablet efforts but rather a problem across the Android ecosystem. However, this did not alter the general perception that Android tablets are inferior to iPads. 

What have you noticed?

You can find a lot. Google began to control its ecosystem. It’s making real demands of its device partners with respect to updates and upgrades.

It Inadequate resources are unacceptable. To ship the latest Android version to a manufacturer’s phone, they must first meet the basic hardware requirements. 

Google now has quality controls on its ecosystem. That’s a good (and long-overdue) thing.

Android’s UI is more consistent. Some exceptions exist. There are many vendors that sell customized skins or modifications to their devices. Others offer stock or close-stock experiences. 

Finally, there’s now a genuine use for tablet computers. The pandemic was certainly a key factor in all of this.

Despite declining tablet sales in 2010s, 2012 saw a remarkable rebound. The first months of lockdown. They were purchased by parents and schools in large numbers. 

But it’s more complicated than that. Apple’s tablet-based productivity tools have been demonstrated. Other vendors — notably Samsung — have sought to replicate this within their own products. 

Google now has hardware

There’s another potential argument worth exploring. Google now operates as a hardware firm.

It wasn’t in 2013 when the last Nexus 7 generation hit shelves. When the Pixel C arrived on shelves, Google was still in its initial stages of metamorphosis. 

The company now creates the highly acclaimed, and well-respected Pixel phones in-house. It makes its own silicon both for server and for consumer tech devices.

Google doesn’t have to rely on third-party hardware designers, as with the Nexus line of phones and tablets. You can even build complete products yourself.

Google’s ability to make devices that respond and are compatible with users’ needs is what this means in practice. 

Rewind to the Pixel Tablet

I’m excited about the Pixel Tablet. Sincere, sincere excitement. It borrows inspiration from Google’s other hardware products, from the Tensor SoCs found in the latest Pixel phones, to the big-screen Nest home assistants. 

Google hasn’t merely sought to build something that fills a void in its product lineup, but has actual genuine day-to-day utility.

Its docking system allows it to act as an assistant and double as a monitor is brilliant. Multi-windowing and stylus-based inputs make this a productivity machine. 

My one complaint is? We’ll have to wait until 2023 to get our hands on it.

Do you have any thoughts to share? Please let us know if you have any questions. Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Matthew Hughes, a journalist living in Liverpool, England is Matthew Hughes. His passions include cybersecurity and startup, food, storytelling and storytelling. Find his work at Forbes, The Next Web (Business Insider), The Register, and The Register.