Google Releases A Dockless Pixel Tablet But It’s Not Worth It

On May 10th last year, Google dipped its toes into the Android tablet pool for the first time ever, with the Google Pixel Tablet. It was a bit of a quirky tablet, as far as they tend to go, considering the fact that it came with a dock and seemed to be marketed to double as a smart home display.

Well, about a complete year after the launch of the initial Pixel Tablet, most folks were waiting to hear that the company had a proper successor in the works, but that's clearly not the case. Instead, Google chose to re-release the exact same tablet that they launched last year, except this time, without a dock. Here's what I think about this choice.

A Dockless Pixel Tablet Won't Get Anyone Jumping Out Of Their Seat

Let me let you all know exactly how I feel about this, right off the bat. I don't think that a dockless Google Pixel Tablet is going to attract a significant amount of additional buyers. It is the exact same hardware, and most people who were interested would have already gotten it before now, along with the dock. Sure, they're bound to make some sales off it being cheaper and a Google product at the end of the day, but

It also seems like a cop-out from the folks at Google HQ. Instead of needing to put some extra money into R&D and making a 2024 variant of the phone that can compete with others, they've chosen to just do a weak refresh (if it can even be called that) of the existing tablet.

I don't know if Google recognizes this or not, but releasing the Pixel Tablet without its dock also means that it is now a lot easier to compare to other Android tablets in the market, and without looking for a long time, you'll certainly find another option that hits way harder at the same price point. Let's talk about it.

The OnePlus Pad Is A Much Better Option For Android Tablet Lovers

The Google Pixel Tablet without the dock costs $399 as a starting price, which isn't bad when you look at that alone. But the thing is, if you really want to get bang for your buck and put a magnifying glass to the specs that Google is giving you, you'll realize you can get much better for the exact same price point, and with a company as respected as OnePlus.

The OnePlus Pad starts at the same price and offers a similar 128GB of internal storage, but you'll find that in most other specs that are directly comparable, the OnePlus Pad knocks out the Pixel Tablet like Tyson. The first thing you'll notice is that you get 12 GB of RAM instead of 8 GB. You also get a Dimensity 9000 chip, which is better than the Tensor G2 in almost every aspect of raw performance.

Both tablets come with IPS LCD screens, with the Pixel Tablet toting a 10.95-inch display with 1600 x 2560 resolution. However, the OnePlus Pad beats it in every single category. It is 11.61 inches with slimmer bezels, 2000 x 2800 resolution (for an overall higher PPI), 144Hz refresh, and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certification. The main camera is 13MP on the OnePlus Pad, which beats out the 8MP sensor that the Pixel has, especially since it can record up to 4K/30, while Google only manages FHD/30.

Finally, you get a bigger 9,510 mAh battery (up from 7,020 mAh in the Pixel Tablet), along with 67W fast charging (up a huge jump from 15W for the Pixel). Plus, OnePlus offers an official keyboard case accessory, so what more can you want?