It frustrates me when a single device is made to effectively replace two products but is then not very good at one or both of them, especially when the overall cost reflects its supposed multi-functional ability. I think it’s the same deal with the Pixel Tablet. It is a cool party trick, but it’s not very good at being either device - living with and using two separate products is far preferable. The Pixel Tablet reminds me of the Huawei Watch Buds, which is a crazy smartwatch that opens up to reveal a pair of in-ear headphones. The idea of making a docked tablet is spot-on, but the tablet half is a serious compromise over other similar products, and the price is too high for what you get. Which half of the Pixel Tablet is the primary function will differ for everyone, but for me, it’s the smart display half, and thankfully it does that well. I’m all for adding value and agree that often, a tablet sits around not doing much when I’m not using it, but if it’s going to have additional functionality built into it, it can’t end up compromising the primary function. The Pixel Tablet is not a bad product - it’s just that one half is great, and the other is mediocre. When two shouldn’t become one Andy Boxall/Digital Trends It all adds up to not really giving me much motivation to remove the tablet from the dock, with so many disappointments quickly racking up, whether it’s crucial missing features or cost-cutting measures that cheapen the feel and lessen my enjoyment. If I just use Autotrader, Reddit, or read a book for a bit, I’m instantly reminded the screen has a 60Hz refresh rate, and my 120Hz refresh rate phone sitting nearby doesn’t have the same limitation and, therefore, has less blur and less eyestrain. By the time I’ve done this, the screen will have locked itself, and there’s no face unlock feature. This means finding something to prop it up because the official case costs a ridiculous $79. I’m not going to say it’s uncomfortable, but it’s there, and I want to put it down. If I accept all this and watch for at least 30 minutes, the tablet starts to get quite warm on the back, mostly on the right-hand side. Then if I dare to hold the tablet in an entirely normal way, my palms cover the speakers, and the audio experience becomes noticeably worse. Not using my voice to adjust the volume and pressing the buttons instead only reveals how cheap and clicky they feel. I’m fine watching videos on the screen when it’s attached to the dock while I’m doing other things, but the screen’s lack of brightness does become more noticeable when I’m watching more intently. Instead, I do things like watch videos, read books, browse Reddit, shop on Amazon, and use apps like Autotrader. For example, I don’t browse social media like Instagram or Twitter, which is for the best because the apps for both aren’t very good on an Android tablet. I have a fairly specific way of using tablets, which isn’t simply a repeat of what I do on my phone. Over the short time I’ve had with the Pixel Tablet, the reasons to do so are few and far between. Taking the Pixel Tablet off the dock is where the problems start. The other half of the Pixel Tablet isn’t so good Andy Boxall/Digital Trends A lot of this is different from the experience we had on our review model, once again suggesting Google’s quality control isn’t working at its best. The magnets holding the screen onto the dock seem to be strong enough to keep it in place even when I adjust the volume manually, but still come free easily when I take the tablet off. It genuinely feels like an upgrade to what I had, and the better screen has prompted me to watch more videos on it rather than reach for a different device like I did when the Lenovo Smart Display was on duty. The dock’s built-in speakers have more presence than the Lenovo display’s system, and while there’s not much more bass, the sound is projected out further into the room due to the speaker’s placement on the side of the chassis. It understood Shmee150’s channel name and that I wanted to hear music from the K-pop group Le Serrafim, despite saying onscreen that it was looking for an artist called Liser FM. The Google Assistant has even managed to play music and other videos on YouTube when the artists have awkward names.
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