A Chance at Redemption... - Google Pixel Tablet

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Google is finally back with a new tablet years after their Pixel Slate Chromebook tablet and with an included speaker/charging dock, this might be the best combination of tablet and smart home hub yet. Riley's here to check out the Pixel Tablet to see if this checks all the boxes or if Android still lags behind iPadOS' features.
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CHAPTERS
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0:00 It's been so long...
0:39 Unboxing
1:19 Tablet design impressions
2:38 Charging dock design impressions
3:15 Sponsor - MSI
3:46 Testing the dock's magnets
4:03 Specs and software
6:02 Screen and speaker impressions
6:38 Speaker dock sound impressions
7:52 Testing the cameras
9:43 Labs' performance, battery, and display test results
11:39 Connectivity options and misc features
12:58 Pricing and competition
14:42 Overall thoughts
15:37 Outro

[@B_T_B]

Imagine. If someone from Google watched this and pushed out an update to play audio from the dock and the tablet at the same time... Imagine, what a world that would be.

[@SolixTanaka]

The problem is this wanders into the exact gray area of speaker grouping where Google would have limited functionality because of patents in place by Sonos. This infringement is what cost Google tens of millions to Sonos just a couple years ago.

[@jesselioce]

Cmon xda community 🤞

[@Samuel.55]

​@SolixTanaka how does Amazon get away with it with Alexa?

[@majutsush1]

​@@SolixTanakagod i hate patents

[@thisisabsolutelystup]

​@@majutsush1software patents are particularly bad. So much of the time they've been allowed to claim an outcome - eg speaker grouping - not the method by which it is achieved, which is what patents are supposed to protect.

[@Scarlet_Soul]

It's £599 in the UK which is $760 which is honestly ridiculous. I was potentially in this until I saw that price.

[@israellai]

Same. How does money work

[@kyleg3588]

Does that 599 include VAT? Because the US price never includes taxes.

[@liamsz]

oh wow, that's almost as much as a pretty good laptop

[@matr1x327]

@@kyleg3588 yes it does

[@lars2894]

Buy it from the US?

[@bobfish9164]

Wish the dock worked as a google home speaker by itself, that would be really cool to be able to play music on it without the tablet connected. Seems reasonable given how much they cost

[@eggbag4182]

I think the whole concept of it become a smart home device while docked is pretty neat but other than that it is one of the tablets of all time

[@TheMlg556]

it is, indeed, one tablet

[@elone3997]

@@TheMlg556 Agreed, it's a tablet...not sure of all time but yes, a tablet.

[@HRDSalami654]

I agree with you, but given the state of Android tablets that better than you can say about the other tablets its competing with. It's not nothing that the tablet itself is a fine tablet that isn't going to amaze people because the bar is so low, and hopefully if Google cares about this long enough (yes I know, that's why it took so long for me to buy a Pixel) we can see some real progress on the hardware and software side.

[@justinballa]

That's exactly what I use it for. A replacement for my Google Nest Hub

[@bruhatthedesk5118]

I use an old Samsung that docks and connects to my home assistant. If I disconnect it, I can just use it like a normal tab. What makes this really cool is the speaker

[@MartijnTV]

Hey Shortcircuit, for your battery tests you should test at the same perceived brightness (in nits) instead of 50% brightness. If the phone can get way brighter that means you won't have to have it at 50% brightness but can have it at 35% to have the same visuals and that makes the tablet come out better than it really would in real life.

[@nothinginteresting1833]

then it wouldn't be fair for other devices for low end it would be hard while for high end it would be easy.its better for everything 50% for every devices

[@-morrow]

​@@nothinginteresting1833how would that not be fair just because a device is cheaper?

[@crowaust]

@@nothinginteresting1833 I disagree, if the basic level to be useful as a tablet is 300 nits brightness(example value could be 200 or whatever, just make it a standard level), it would be better to test at the same brightness value across all devices, if a Basic tablet can only survive 1 hour at a useable brightness then it is shit and should appear shit on the graph.

[@username65585]

The Nest Hub is $99. That is cheaper than the stand for this tablet’s stand.

[@B.D.F.]

9:00 I feel like there should be camera comparisons to other tablets in this price range, like the 10th gen iPad, both rear-facing and front-facing.

[@KyleRuggles]

Yeah! Especially since it's more for home, I'd expect the front camera to be really great for video conferencing.. Ya know? That dock could rotate and ya know? heh.. It seems pretty useless to me compared to other tablets, at that price.. ugh...

[@WalterMan]

The iPad 10th Gen has much better 12mp cameras

[@davidzeager262]

Loving the lab integration being utilized so heavily! What a great addition for short circuit-style videos!

[@cthomas025]

I am really hoping that they don't kill it, because I'm definitely in for the idea for v2. But also I think the price is just a tad steep.

[@noxious_nights]

a cheaper version with a lower spec processor would be nice, a Pixel Tablet S if you will

[@ILoveGrilledCheese]

Why? Google should stop making devices period. They’ve all been bad

[@sohaibarif2835]

Price is fine if they commit to software support. That is why Apple can charge more, people pay if they know it will still work in 5 years.

[@buzzsaw1000]

V2 will be very tempting

[@louie.idkone]

​@@ILoveGrilledCheeseincorrect

[@largewallofbeans9812]

I'd love to see an optional keyboard dock, assuming the 4 pins for the dock are the same 4 pins as USB.

[@alyx6427]

@@spiderpig1736if it was an ipad pro yeah, but it isn’t and they don’t have the same magic as apple

[@anon_y_mousse]

@@spiderpig1736 I would argue that they're also not making meaningful use of their money because they'll be in a locked down platform that has planned obsolescence.

[@Sakosaga]

I am actually surprised the speakers don't come out both stand and tablet

[@ghomerhust]

or at least have the option somewhere in the settings

[@du3lmaul3rs50]

Ive been wanting this as a feature for the Nest Hub/Max for a while now, but I think at that price with the lack-luster cameras/microphones it will have to wait a generation (if they actually keep this product line).

[@SteampunkFiend]

Really would love to see a comparison between the pixel tab and iPads in terms of different use cases. Would help me get a better idea if its worth my time. Ltt video idea?

[@JohnnieHougaardNielsen]

I've got it, and found that the dock makes it much more useful than "just" a tablet to be hand-held when in use (or with some flappy contraption to act as a messy stand). While it works nicely hand-held, it is not dead the rest of the time.

[@franciscolodix1214]

Please don't make a battery life test with a percentage of maximum brightness of the screen. It is useless when displays have different brightness. Use a set brightness of 300nits or something.

[@tutacat]

On most android phones you can swatch the 2nd app with the app switcher button. To swap them you have to drag the 2nd to fullscreen then split again. But some phones don't let you manually enter split screen.

[@OKNOWIMMAD12345678]

Super glad to see labs data on short circuit. Makes these videos much more substantive

[@zyten]

I‘m still a bit mad that the price is so high in the EU. It seems like they force buyers to pay for the dock as well, which means that the whole package costs almost 700€.

[@ghostwalker000]

Ltt, the lab analysis is sick. Love it

[@0wnz0rz888]

Google engineer: what if we take the Nest Hub Max and made the display removablr from the base? Google Sales: holy moley make it so!

[@Matt-wc2mf]

Bought one for the use cases of: Glorified Nest Hub, but also being able to watch something else on youtube or surfing while my wife is watching something on TV and/or I'm eating breakfast at the table without having to break out a laptop, and then also to watch movies on airplanes instead of having to watch on my cell phone and/or laptop. They're also just shipping the cases that have a kick stand that still allows for use with the dock.

[@DanC]

I miss the 2nd gen Nexus 7, easily my favorite tablet ever.

[@Eeveewashere]

Yes.

[@yeti25934]

Same. If they made a reasonably priced successor, I'd buy it in a heartbeat

[@ChronoXShadow]

I kinda hate that when big companies 'attempt' a tablet, they put almost no effort into making it worth it.

[@Jon49522]

The thing that would really sell me on this is a really high quality webcam/mic, for easy, high-quality video calls with friends and family. Considering how terrible both were in Riley's testing, I'll have to wait and see what gen 2 is like.

[@Arc0w]

At a lower price I will get it. Like said in the video, for an addition to my already existing smart home setup it is pretty nice.

[@frp1276]

Been waiting a while for this one

[@peterfconley]

Nexus 7 is one of the greatest tablets of all time. I used the bejesus out of that thing and at $129, there has never been a better value.

[@leo11877]

Should have put an optical out / USB audio out on the base for an "audiophile" music source.

[@evilleader1991]

I love my Google nest Hub, so versatile. Can use it as a 3rd monitor to watch streams while im doing work and also use it as pc speaker 😂

[@canada3375]

Back to back ryland. Hell yes. I know you work hard bro but thank you. I love your attutide.

[@theartworker9643]

I love the way that David was yawning and then looking chill. I wonna see more daft and weird stuff when the host does a test shot of the crew.... the dafter the better 🤣. RIP ladder prop, you will be missed.

[@-B.H.]

Not sure why you went through the trouble of doing 720p video longevity playback and didn't put in a 1080p slide next.

[@Peterstarzynskitech]

Aw come on. I was waiting for that sponsor at the end. Haha.

[@robertu]

4:10 Did you forget about Android Honeycomb that was launched in 2011 on the Motorola Xoom and designed for tablets.

[@iskalasrinivas5640]

I love this tablet, the feel of it . Watching videos and writing notes

[@pineapple2703]

I'd very much like Google to release an App for older tablets to turn them into Google displays, help with longevity. Or perhaps like a generic dock so you can plug in a speaker and charge for example Edit: googled it and there is sort of a mode for this called 'Ambient mode' in Google assistant. I'd still like to see perhaps an official Google speaker Dock with a USBC cable connection so we can have a more standard experience

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

At that point though you might as well just use a basic speaker with a USB C adaptor, it would be much cheaper and offer much the same experience as a general purpose cabled speaker dock. With how basic this dock is Google would probably be charging 150+USD for something with a proper type C interface

[@seangodde5429]

I actually think you sold me on getting this. What I've been wanting is an at-home tablet for basic web browsing and video watching, with a convenient method of charging/smart home interaction The fact that it's as powerful as a pixel 7a/pro is all the power I need (I'm using a pixel 6 and it's more than fast enough for my needs) for what I want. Thanks for the honest review and more importantly: some stats to make me realise where it stands in terms of performance

[@PaveMentman]

--- Just easily missable big fair warning: This device does not have flashlight / LED-light for the camera among other various things. I for one highly recommend you do a comparison between "Nokia T21" and "Google Pixel Tablet" over at "GSMarena" to see how much Google-premium you would be paying for "air" ( sure, Google-tablet has gyro and compass, but otherwise feature plus utility-wise it really seems not to all that "better" but quite the same aside for the Pixel plus North-America-exclusive Google-features ). ---

[@SimonBauer7]

​@@PaveMentmana camera flash isnt a thing most people need on a tablet.

[@PaveMentman]

--- @@SimonBauer7 By that logic: Why even have a camera on the tablet / enlarged smartphone / PDA-devices? Your argument-talk is pretty much identical to the any other penny-pincher-decision-folks who made the last call to remove headphone-jacks from almost all devices in "favour" of the wireless ones. And made seven-segment error-code displays a "premium"-feature for the motherboards. ---

[@pinkowl9752]

I totally agree with them using a barrel plug for charging, USB-C is great but it's way more delicate.

[@odorikakeru]

I use a nest hub and this product is actually so close to being tempting for me. I think if they just added three more features (well, two features and change) then I would be breaking out a calculator to see if I could actually afford one. Without the following, I would be losing more than I would gain from upgrading. 1, I wouldn’t want to lose sleep sensing. 2, The microphones need to be front facing, not on the top. 3, The dock should double up as a Bluetooth speaker, if only for when the screen is disconnected.

[@MobikSaysStuff]

Yep, definitely expected Riley to do this one.

[@TheJtorres182]

I don't know why, its clear he dislikes any android tablet that comes through him.

[@kkon5ti]

2:03 riley got bamboozled when he said „wow“, it still is only 5gbits

[@andrewmckay7453]

I could see some people who have security cameras set up around their house housing this as a viewing deck to flip the camera around the building/house or just videos like the layout need to put more into it though.

[@joeyebeling7681]

I'm thinking of getting this to sit in my kitchen to show recipes and play podcasts at a louder volume than my phone

[@Sammeakings]

Now imagine every iOS device, iPad and phone alike, gain MagSafe and standby then there would be millions of devices that could do just this but with better sound and apps or do this with just the iPhone

[@clan_barbalax4031]

I'm very tempted to get this for school with a keyboard attachment of some kind, as it's only a little more expensive than a laptop

[@BenFlankem]

Looks like Kip Dynamite found a job with LMG as a cameraman. Good for him.

[@MSayeed]

This is the 3rd pixel tablet and Google killed it in Europe with the pricing.

[@ElCidCampeador1994]

How much euros? 600€?

[@sawiix9850]

​@@ElCidCampeador1994680€

[@ElCidCampeador1994]

@@sawiix9850 how can google thinks that this price is a good idea?

[@sawiix9850]

@@spiderpig1736 around 700€ but you can find it on other big sellers at around 600€ easily

[@ElCidCampeador1994]

@@spiderpig1736 698.99€ with charger and a discount of 9% (Spain). I say that is Spain because in Spain our politicians make a law and if you buy any smartphone, tablet, flash drive, ssd/hdd, any device with memory to pay a canon because the goverment say that the device are use to pirate movies, series, etc.

[@ADHDreams]

The barrel style A/C power plug takes this product from a 8 to a solid 2

[@MrUploader14]

i would like to see google update the tablet to use the tablet speakers be tweeters and the dock speakers for mid's and bass . it still wouldn't sound great but it would definitely have a much better sound than what they currently have. this is actually a pretty good idea especially not with google assistant with bard coming. and possibly add some of the pixel excusive features like quick phrases and the great transcribing for messaging or email.

[@haakman123]

Is this a better Nest Hub tho? Maybe it is there, but the video didnt show any docking mode where it shows the basic stuff like calander and lights like it does on the Nest Hub

[@DuncDog]

The microphone volume may be quiet, but those were insanely clear to my ear at least.

[@Bassquake76]

9:17 David channelling his inner Steven Hawking there 😄

[@joshrosario1269]

Has ltt ever reviewed the honorpad 8 or x9? Im debating of getting either one but worried it'll be super laggy

[@nexussilent13]

12:23 Ipad... man he held out as much as he could.

[@superbaggio87]

can you charge it with normal usb-c? or it works only with the pogo pins to charge?

[@profosist]

Riley: ShortCircuit is a KZbin channel. Me: I would sure hope so!

[@teckkyfreak]

Is it me or did I see the camera man having a cheeky snooze around 9:00 ? 😅

[@HerrDerpington]

Wish it had an 8 inch version. The world needs a good iPad mini competitor size-wise.

[@Junkie_Queen]

I've noticed the microphone on every pixel I own sounds extremely quiet it's not just that tablet

[@ummhafsa3275]

i really want to see a review of the AKKO 3068b plus black cyan with the AKKO jelly pick switches

[@fabian3265]

Wished this was a neat hub. Speaker en more home functionality. Would be instant buy for me

[@Thommie_techno]

Speakers would have a delay between the dock and tablet I think. Is there a way i can install this android on my nest hub max you think?

[@FatalDeceit]

this is perfect for people who want something like this (me) and is willing to wait for a second and third iteration. I'll def get a third gen of this, it seems perfect in a small apartment with other google devices

[@dibrentley7915]

might be ok to take travelling with you but at aud its like 800. bit rich for limited use plus you would have to drag the dock around with you.

[@rjdingle9494]

I could easily use this for work. I use G suite at work and this would be perfect. Everywhere I go is wifi so Late or 5g is not needed. Finally a tablet that is like my phone with a bigger screen.

[@IGiganticusI]

Sounded like it was gonna be a somewhat cheap tablet, but Its closer to 800 bucks here in Sweden...

[@008kevin]

I woulf have expected it to turn into a nest hub like interface when docked

[@bluephreakr]

What a fascinating device. Except, I have an Amazon Fire HD and that thing uses Qi to charge. _Sure_ Amazon has its own docking solution for that but it's a luxury option that gets stomped _by price_ compared to a decent Qi charger meant to hold the device upright, _and_ most work through Amazon's "Kid friendly" case. I have every intention of seeing if Amazon has cheap recent models for Prime Day.

[@AChanceOfReign]

With the release of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, could we get a full tech-review for it?

[@CoinDemon]

Barrel adapters are durable. I like em

[@Wezzybman]

I can see them doing this to have the mass market price point, and then later on release a pixel tablet pro max+™ that's compatible with the dock. they shouldve released the expensive one first though, if that's the case. i can also see them not making another tablet for the next 12 years

[@tomsbondars]

This is the pro version actually. They had a cheap version that was scrapped according to leaks.

[@supergeodotca]

Can an external SSD drive be connected to the USB C port like a pixel phone can?

[@user-vo8le3rr6y]

Can you use it for like the max version before that security camera for the living room nobody answered yet it later I need an extra security camera

[@JonCusack]

I have a S7+ 5G tablet that I use around the house on a stand which makes any tablet significantly more functional. It sucks having limited functionality of my TP link camera because it's not a 'smart' display like a nest hub or the pixel tab. I don't know that I'm going to rush to buy this, maybe with no tablet it'd be more appealing.

[@bgezal]

This is made to be used with Google Home yet it is barely mentioned or tested.

[@nanashivii9237]

It would've been nicer if they came out with a line of tablets and docks at differing price points/feature sets that you could mix and match. Also, Android needs dedicated Home controls baked in, either in the notification shade or a persisting tab on the homepage. Using the app is so inconvenient for small or incremental changes, and voice commands aren't perfect all the time either.

[@Steveddie93]

I got my fiance the Google Nest Hub Max and we use it all the time to watch TV while cooking, for timers and using our smart lights.

[@tobubiify]

They should sell the dock sepparately that can be used with or without the tablet as a google home thingy.

[@billythygoat]

Love that Asus/Google Nexus 7 back in the day.

[@SoldierSide88]

Okay, I have to ask that: Where can I buy that amazing purple ShortCircuit lamp you have in the back?

[@alfanzoblanco1608]

Photos seemed oddly decent from what I see in the video

[@AstonGryffynn]

I knew it was a matter of time before Google realized their Nest speakers were just budget tablets strapped to a huge speaker.

[@ArmandsPadrevics]

Does it offer the same stuff that Nest hub offers? Meaning can I use it in the Good morning routine, set a spaghetti timer, and also connect to other Google smart devices to make a group? Currently I have Google home and Nest Hub in a group to amplify the sound through my apartment. This for me is important as those connections are vital whether to I purchase it or not

[@PatGencarelli]

I understand the barrel charger, it's something that isn't going to be unplugged ever.

[@HungryzStuff]

I just realised that it looks like the iPad 9.5 (A fusion between the iPad 9 and 10)

[@DoubsGaming]

Assuming the price is to match I don't have an issue with the camera, mic and speakers. The only recurring issue I have seen is the OS and processer being to slow and unusable.

[@roughcollielover1784]

why not eq the sound when it's on the dock? LOL informative but a great amount of critical opinion. This was designed for a certain consumer which based on owner reviews and other pro reviews is a vast improvement and hits a sweet spot in the market

[@agenuoxydin7387]

"You're kid did something cool" You gotta love the optimism 😂

[@LVIS-a]

Why is the tablet being tested against pixel products? If I'm in the market for a tablet (as a consumer), I am not comparing it to a phone... I'm comparing it to other tablets. Labs did a fail.

[@TheKlyn10]

Google should have those 3 pins on future pixel devices(pixel 8,pro) because then the speakers become useful on their own.

[@Dwar3cky]

I don't know why, but this tablet reminds me of the Nexus 10. It was a good time

[@sp33dyt0rr3s]

But also don't forget that your speed slows down when a new device is being connected...

[@VLS-Why]

I bought it on release day and watched this video on it. I've enjoyed it quite a bit, would recommend!

[@VincentGroenewold]

The third party situation is the same for years already and why the tablets keep on failing. It's the design of Android that just doesn't have this right, the one thing Apple is actually good in and why developers want to spend a bit of time on making their app work everywhere, the tools make it easy (I use Android btw).

[@IPlayGames3]

8:09 someone's been watching their dankpods, huh?

[@Cyber_vir]

Damn 2018 was 5 years ago

[@RealGengarTV]

"Doom scroller" name of id softwares next action FPS game

[@noob4head]

Great idea with the dock and detachable tablet but the price is just a little to much especially because you can pick up a Google Nest Hub for about €70 or even for about €50 on sale. Also to add further salt to injury where I live the markup for these is pretty ridiculous, for the basic 128GB model you are looking at roughly €700, that works out to be about 780 USD

[@AgentLokVokun]

Is LTT Casually plugging "Redbull" energy drinks now? Seen plenty of them "casually" places in convenient locations on set while filming.

[@TechnologistAtWork]

I like the Tech Lasso review videos