When theGoogle Pixel Tabletwas first announced over a year ago at I/O 2022, I was very excited about the idea. It looked like Google was taking the best from the Nest Hub ecosystem, combining it all with what could shape up to be one ofthe best Android tablets— one that offers an 11-inch screen at that. As someone who isn’t happy with their aging and small first-gen Nest Hub, the Pixel Tablet seemed like the perfect replacement, on top of being a portable device whenever needed.
I’ve had the chance to spend some extended time with the Pixel Tablet, and while it will most definitely replace the Nest Hub in my kitchen, there are some caveats and issues that make clear to me that it’s not a clear-cut winner for everyone — but one thing is for sure: I love the convenience of having an always-ready tablet that’s neatly charged up by its dock, and I value that more than the downsides.
How I use my Nest Hub
Before we dive in, I need to introduce you to my Nest Hub usage, because I’m sure everyone uses their smart displays slightly differently. My wife and I have our Nest Hub set up in the kitchen where we use it for timers and music while cooking. We also often use it to have some light background entertainment playing from YouTube, Netflix, live TV, and more while we eat, which is when you really notice just how tiny its 7-inch screen can feel.
In a sense, the perfect device for our household would be the Nest Hub Max (or just a small TV), but sadly, Google doesn’t sell it here in Germany. By the time I decided that I could simply import it, I thought that I might as well wait for a follow-up — which as we all know hasn’t arrived.
Going in, I thought the Pixel Tablet was going to be overkill, especially since it costs $499, more than double the Nest Hub Max’s $229 price tag. The one reason that kept me excited about the Pixel Tablet is that ever since I sold my iPad a few years ago, I was interested in getting a tablet again — and I thought the Pixel Tablet could fill that hole perfectly, while also serving as a Nest Hub.
The Pixel Tablet isn’t a smart home display
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first. Google itself says that the Pixel Tablet isn’t a smart display, and that it isn’t meant to be a Nest Hub. It’s a tablet with a dock that’s supposed to live in your home, optimally shared between multiple household members. Google is careful to call the included dock a “charging dock,” not a smart home dock or anything. On the Pixel Tablet Google Store page, the company also mostly showcases the device as a tablet, with only two sections dedicated to its smart display-like Hub Mode and its functionality as a Chromecast.
When you look at the Pixel Tablet, you’re hard-pressed to tell it apart from a Nest Hub Max, especially when you see the Porcelain or Rose colorways with their white display bezels while they’re docked. The Hub Mode interface and the charging dock just add to that impression, making it barely discernible from Google’s Nest Hub lineup when docked. If Google didn’t want us to make this comparison, it shouldn’t make it virtually impossible to tell its tablet apart from its smart home devices at a glance. And let’s be real: You’re not going to put the Pixel Tablet next to an existing Nest Hub. You’re more likely to replace one with it or move one to a different place in your home, if only to avoid the double Google Assistant action.
All things considered, even if Google doesn’t want the Pixel Tablet to be an outright Nest Hub replacement, its design and its basic feature set suggest that it’s just that, and that’s the way people are going to look at it. Using the Pixel Tablet for a while, it’s clear why Google is shying away from the comparison.
The Pixel Tablet lacks key Nest Hub features
Despite the optical similarities, I soon noticed that the Pixel Tablet doesn’t quite match up to the Nest Hub when it comes to voice-first features. There is a reason that Google doesn’t like that comparison. Most notably, the Pixel Tablet lacks Continued Conversation, a staple Nest Hub feature. It allows you to quickly follow up with more questions or commands without saying “Hey Google” over and over again. Personally, this isn’t a deal breaker for me, but it’s certainly less convenient.
The Pixel Tablet also doesn’t offer as many quick access features as the Nest Hub. I mostly used my Nest Hub as an entertainment device, but if you’re someone who is a fan of the Nest Hub’s side-scrolling interface with quick access to media suggestions, household contacts, broadcast, and upcoming calendar events, you won’t find that on the Pixel Tablet’s Hub Mode.
Another thing the Pixel Tablet’s Hub Mode lacks are visual Google Tasks reminders. The Nest Hub will show you a fullscreen heads-up and then a card in the top right corner to help you stay on top of your to-dos, which is something the Pixel Tablet will only do with regular notifications when you unlock it. The Pixel Tablet also doesn’t offer ultrasound sensing, which is a feature on the Nest Hub that automatically shows you more information as you approach the device.
On top of that, the voice control system is outright inconsistent. When you use the Pixel Tablet in Hub Mode, Assistant offers a different experience than when you use it in the unlocked tablet mode, with commands like “Play some music” either pulling up a Nest Hub-like Now Playing interface or starting playback in your preferred Android music app you’ve installed on your tablet.
The Pixel Tablet is always ready
That said, I quickly grew to love the Pixel Tablet as an always readily available entertainment machine, fully moving away from the idea that it had to be a 1:1 Nest Hub stand-in, and accepted it as what Google wanted it to be: A tablet.
Once I added all of my favorite streaming services and my library app to it, it basically made me forget all about my Nest Hub. Being able to actively browse through my YouTube and Disney+ recommendations is a far better experience than relying on voice commands or my phone to find what to watch.
Having my library app right on the Pixel Tablet is another thing I didn’t expect to work so well for me. In the morning, I could just download the current issues of my favorite newspapers and read them in a comfortable size, something that obviously isn’t even an option on the Nest Hub, no matter which size.
The Pixel Tablet also proved to be a great planning tool for vacations. When my wife and I are sitting in the kitchen already, it’s much nicer to pull up a booking website on the big screen than a small phone. The same goes for planning the financial aspect of trips — there is simply more space for spreadsheets on a tablet than on a phone.
A tablet being a great planning, reading, and video-watching device isn’t anything groundbreaking, but what I really appreciate about Google’s approach is the dock. Even when the Pixel Tablet doesn’t offer a great Nest Hub experience, its charging dock still means that it’s always readily available to grab, sitting there almost fully charged. Since the cable is comfortably long, I even rarely find myself undocking it, usually just pulling the tablet and its dock closer to me to read the news. The dock really makes using the tablet a lot more convenient and battery life a non-issue. It’s great to have a shared device always ready to go like this — certainly much better than leaving your tablet in a drawer or bag to be forgotten in.
The Pixel Tablet replaces my Nest Hub, but at what cost
During my time with it so far, I thoroughly enjoyed the Pixel Tablet, especially with Google’s latest big-screen tweaks to Android. I can live without the Nest Hub features it doesn’t have, even if the lack of speaker recognition and Continued Conversation are particularly annoying. I’m also okay with the disjointed voice control across Hub Mode and Android, now that I have a better idea on how it works. Additionally, it’s well-built hardware with fine speakers (especially when docked), and I just like the Pixel interface in general. It’s great for anyone who’s been yearning for another Google tablet.
There is a big problem, though, and that’s the price. At $500, the one way the Pixel Tablet could differentiate itself from cheaper iPads and Android tablets is by nailing the smart display experience, and it falls short in this regard as it simply doesn’t offer the same features that the Nest Hubs have, despite costing more than double.
That leaves you with a tablet that can dosomesmart home things. In that case, you would probably look at the Pixel Tablet’s $500 price tag and then turn around to buy an iPad that’s at least $50 less or some evencheaper Android tablet, which also support voice and smart home controls. I don’t think the charging dock is enough to draw the vast majority of consumers in.
And even if you think having a dedicated place for your tablet is a good idea, you can easily recreate the experience. Just put your iPad on abeautiful standof your choice and leave a charging cable readily available nearby. Sure, it’s less convenient, but it will cost you less, and you can still talk to Siri or Google Assistant, play movies and music via dedicated apps, and you don’t have to worry about a half-baked smart display interface tacked on top. As much as I like the convenience of the always-ready tablet, it’s not worth paying more for it than the industry-standard tablet from Apple.
Google Pixel Tablet
The Google Pixel Tablet may not be a great smart display, but the idea of an always-ready tablet living on a charging dock has me convinced. It’s just a shame it’s too expensive to compete with most of the rest of the casual tablet market.
