pixelslate
Latest
Google and Samsung on the perfect 2-in-1 tablet
2018 was the year every major tech company tried to create a tablet that can double as a laptop. We saw Google's Pixel Slate, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S4 and Galaxy Book 2 each attempt to be the best lightweight entertainment device that is powerful enough to let you get work done. Microsoft continued to dominate the space with the new Surface Pro 6, while Apple hyped up its marketing for the iPad Pro as "like a computer" but also "more powerful than most PC laptops." There are many components to get right -- a good display, a comfortable keyboard, powerful performance and versatile software are key. But there are challenges the industry needs to tackle. We talked to Google's Ben Janofsky and Samsung's Elina Vives at CES to find out what the ideal 2-in-1 should look like and how they'll improve in 2019.
How Google's hardware helps Chrome OS look its best
In the past two years, Google has stepped up its efforts to bring its own Pixel computing devices to market, but its portfolio is a mixed bag. Some devices, like the Pixelbook, have become cult favorites, while the Pixel C and Slate are more polarizing. Though those tend to be twice or thrice as expensive as similar devices by other manufacturers, Google sees its products as a canvas to show off the best possible configurations. This way, said director of product management for the Made by Google compute division Trond Wuellner, it can "inspire innovation across the ecosystem. He joined us on stage at CES to talk about lessons learned and what to expect in 2019.
Google Pixel Slate review: The burden of bad software
Google's Pixel Slate is a maddening device to review. It's the latest in a line of premium, expensive Chrome OS devices from Google -- but the first that's a tablet, meant to compete with the iPad Pro and Surface Pro. Based purely on its hardware, the Pixel Slate should be up to the task: It has a lovely display, powerful hardware, elegant design and an accessory ecosystem to extend its capabilities. It also offers some things that Apple refuses to. Most significantly, the Pixel Slate has a full, desktop-class browser and more open hardware. (It recognizes external storage, like every other computer besides the iPad Pro.) But even though Chrome OS works great on laptops and should be enough for most people's needs, the Pixel Slate's software experience is confusing at best and frustrating at worst. At these prices (the cheapest Pixel Slate costs $599; the model I'm reviewing, $999), that makes it a tough device to recommend.
Google Pixel Slate preview: Chrome OS still needs a keyboard
Google has made a couple of excellent but expensive Chromebooks over the years. The Pixel Slate is the company's first Chrome OS tablet, though. A few years ago, such a device would have been borderline useless. But Google has spent a lot of time making the OS work better with touchscreens while still keeping its desktop-style multitasking intact. Now, with the Pixel Slate, Google thinks it has a product that can compete with Apple's iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro 6. Obviously the Pixel Slate has its work cut out for it. But on the surface, it's some of the most impressive hardware Google has built. And from a pure specs perspective, the Slate should be able to keep up with the iPad Pro and Surface Pro, no problem. But as we all know, there's a lot more to a computing experience than just specs. I've spent the past few days seeing how using the Pixel Slate stacks up against the competition, including how it fits in among the many other Chromebooks on the market. The Pixel Slate might be Google's toughest Chrome device to evaluate yet -- as such, we're running a preview today, with our full review coming later this week.
Google's Pixel Slate ships in December
We knew the Pixel Slate was inbound when both Google and Best Buy opened up pre-orders last week. Updated listings on Google's store now reveal that the Chrome OS tablet will ship within two to four weeks, depending on the model you're after.
Google's Pixel Slate is available to pre-order
Google has been coy about just when you could get your hands on a Pixel Slate, but it's ending that mystery today. Both Google and Best Buy have made the Chrome OS tablet available for pre-order, with the device reaching your door within two to three weeks if you 're an early adopter. You won't see the vaunted $599 entry model with a Celeron chip at Best Buy, but everything else is the same. There's a $799 model that packs a Core m3 processor and 64GB of storage, a $999 Core i5/128GB model and a flagship $1,599 Core i7/256GB version.
The new iPad Pro vs. the competition: Working hard
Earlier this year students and other cost-conscious consumers got their hands on the latest low-cost iPad, but now it's time for professionals to get their hands on an upgrade. This year's iPad Pro switches the line to USB-C and boasts an improved Pencil. But the field it's facing is a lot different from last year's, especially now that Google's reentered the fray with its Pixel Slate. We've taken a look at some of the top productivity tablets to see how they measure up to the 12.9-inch iPad in numbers. For the real scoop on the new iPad, though, you'll have to wait for our full review, coming in the next few weeks.
Chrome OS may be the 2-in-1 solution we've been waiting for
Tech's biggest companies are all about the 2-in-1. Google's latest effort is the Pixel Slate -- a tablet that becomes a sort-of laptop when you snap on its keyboard folio. This is a formula we've seen rise in popularity since the first Surface tablet. Think of the iPad Pro, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S4, HP's Envy x2 detachables and more. These devices are doing so well they're apparently all people want to buy anymore. According to IDC data, 2-in-1 shipments will grow by almost 10 percent this year while traditional PCs are expected to decline.
Watch Google's Pixel 3 event in less than 10 minutes
Google's Pixel 3 event may have been spoiled by an abundance of leaks, but that doesn't mean it was easy to follow along -- there was a veritable deluge of news. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were undoubtedly the highlights, with their larger screens and dual selfie cameras. However, Google also introduced its first in-house smart display, the Home Hub, and fostered Chrome OS tablets with the Pixel Slate. And that's not including some of the lower-key news, such as the Pixel Stand wireless charger. If that's a lot to take in, don't worry. We've rounded up the highlights of the event in a roughly 10-minute clip that should help you catch up.
Pixel Slate vs. the competition: Get some work done
We weren't too thrilled with the first attempt at putting Chrome OS on a tablet, with Acer's Chromebook Tab 10 getting slammed for its bad cameras and poor performance — and the fact that Chrome OS hadn't really been optimized for the form factor. Maybe things will be a bit better when Google takes the helm with its Pixel Slate. We have fond memories of tablets like the Nexus 9 from 2014, as well as last year's Pixelbook laptop (less so for the Pixel C, though). We won't know how this device will fare until we formally review it, but we certainly know what it's competing against and can compare specs in this handy chart.
Pixel Slate hands-on: Google’s 2-in-1 takes on the Surface
Google is cooking up a new formula for detachables, and it has an intriguing recipe with the new Pixel Slate. Though Microsoft has a solid desktop environment in Windows that makes its Surfaces excellent productivity tablets, it doesn't have the same library of touch-friendly apps that Android and iOS offer. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, is swimming in apps but just doesn't have the multitasking chops of a full desktop OS. Chrome OS seems like a potential opportunity to marry the best of Android, with its plethora of apps, with an established, functional desktop interface.
The Pixel Slate is Google's first Chrome OS detachable
Looks like the leaks were right after all. In addition to announcing new flagship phones today, Google took the wraps off a new premium tablet called the Pixel Slate. It's a Chrome OS-powered slate with a 12.3-inch display that's supposed to be the sharpest in its class. Google claims this isn't just a laptop pretending to be a tablet or a phone pretending to be a computer.
We're live from Google's 2018 Pixel event!
Just about every major phone maker has already unveiled the latest and greatest for 2018 -- now it's Google's turn. We're coming to you live from the heart of Tribeca, where the search giant is gearing up to show off a pair of new, thoroughly well-leaked smartphones, plus its long-awaited Pixel Slate and some fancy new Home hardware. That's a lot of new gadgetry to squeeze into a single press conference, and that's just the stuff we know about; with any luck, Google has managed to keep some goodies under lock and key this whole time. If nothing else, though, we're looking forward to getting some hands-on time with the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, especially after they've been so tantalizingly teased on Toronto's mass transit system.
Watch the Google Pixel 3 event here at 11 AM ET
It's almost here! The long-awaited Made By Google event is upon us, and you can catch the livestream right here. Just tune into the video below at 11 AM ET this morning and you can take a look at all the new products the company has to offer.
Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL pictures leak for what might be the last time
Ahead of Google's Pixel 3 event tomorrow, the larger variant of its phone suffered multiple leaks before we got hands-on time with a retail boxed version over the weekend. Just to (hopefully) put a cap on things before the show starts, Evan Blass has posted pictures showing clear looks of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL in white, black and a new "Pink Sand" color, as well as a clearer-than-ever look at the Pixel Slate with its keyboard attached.
Google's Chrome OS tablet leaks in vivid detail
Yes, Google is still having trouble keeping a lid on product news ahead of its October 9th Pixel 3 event. MySmartPrice has posted what look to be images of Google's first Chrome OS tablet, believed to be called the Pixel Slate, and there's clearly more to the story than we saw the first time around. There's a newer (and possibly Pixel Slate-specific) interface than what we saw on Acer's Chromebook Tab 10, for one thing. The image also provides a clearer look at how detachable keyboards will work, with a pogo pin connector on one side turning the Slate into a laptop -- and yes, Google would have its own keyboard (below).
Google's Chrome OS tablet might support Windows 10
Google's rumored Chrome OS tablet may have an extra trick up its sleeve: namely, that you might not have to run Chrome OS at all. The 9to5Google team has discovered some code references indicating that Google has been working on Windows 10 support for the future slate, codenamed Nocturne. "Windows 10 will BSOD early during boot," one Nocturne developer wrote.
