Google’s grand return to the tablet form factor, the two-in-one Google Pixel Tablet, was resoundingly fine. While the double-duty form factor held some promise and the tablet performed well enough, the execution of the whole package didn’t quite hit the mark. It seems like Google’s hard at work on a sequel, though: codenames believed to be related to a future Pixel Tablet 2 were discovered in early 2024. With Google I/O 2024 around the corner, we could learn more about Google’s next tablet very soon. But in the meantime, here’s what we’ve heard about the Pixel Tablet 2 so far — and what we hope it’ll be like.
Google Pixel Tablet 2: Rumors and what we know so far
Fruity codenames and little more
We still don’t have any official info to go on, but the rumor mill has been churning since earlier this year. In Feburary, 9to5Google did some digging in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 and found two hardware codenames, Clementine and Kiyomi, related to unreleased Google devices. During its development, the first-gen Pixel Tablet was internally referred to as Tangorpro.
A tangor is a hybrid citrus fruit, a cross between a tangerine and an orange. The pro affix in the Pixel Tablet’s codename is a relic of the device’s complicated development history. Clementine and Kiyomi are also references to hybrid citrus fruits. Given the thematic similarities between the names — not just that they’re all citrus, but hybrids, much like the tablet × smart display Pixel Tablet — it’s not much of a leap to assume the two new codenames refer to unreleased Pixel Tablet hardware.
9to5 couldn’t find any other info about the devices, only that they exist in some form and are in some stage of development. It’s also unclear what we should make of the two codenames. The first-gen Pixel Tablet also had two associated codenames during its development but was released as one singular model; the Pixel Tablet 2 could play out the same way.
Pixel Tablet 2: What we want to see
Better hardware and tighter integration
There’s not a lot of meat to the above rumor; all it shows is that the Pixel Tablet 2 is probably in development. Given Google’s rocky history with tablets and that the original Pixel Tablet was a mixed success, the implication that Google’s actively working on a sequel is noteworthy. The first-gen model had its share of shortcomings, which makes it easy to pick out ways we’d like a Pixel Tablet 2 to be better. Here, in no particular order, are our top priorities for improvements in a hypothetical second-gen Pixel Tablet.
Better audio
The Pixel Tablet’s whole deal is that it’s two devices in one. It’s a tablet when it’s in your hands and a smart display when it’s docked. Docking the tablet routes its audio through the bundled Charging Speaker Dock, which produces fuller audio than tablet speakers can.
Despite the added bass and volume, the existing Pixel Tablet dock doesn’t sound all that great. It’s closer to the smaller Nest Hub than Google’s more powerful speakers like the Nest Hub Max or Nest Audio. Given how pricey the dock is, as part of the Pixel Tablet bundle ($500) or sold on its own ($129), we expected better sound. It can be a little larger if needed, but assuming it’s not markedly less expensive, the Pixel Tablet 2’s Charging Speaker Dock should push better audio.
A smarter speaker dock
Aside from not sounding particularly impressive, the Charging Speaker Dock doesn’t do anything unless the Pixel Tablet is attached to it. It doesn’t have mics or smarts, so it can’t respond to your Hey Google commands or act as a cast target for streaming music. It just sits there, being expensive.
It might seem redundant given the tablet’s smarts, but for the price Google charges for the dock, it should do more when the tablet isn’t attached. Alternatively, we’d be happy to see two dock options: a standard model that acts like the first-gen Pixel Tablet’s dock and a higher-end version with better audio and built-in processing for tablet-free use.
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Refined hardware
The Pixel Tablet’s hardware is fine, but it feels midrange. It looks and feels like it was meant to be released along with the 2020 Pixel 5. We also know there’s a lot of unused space inside the tablet’s body. It’s just a strange piece of hardware.
In the Pixel Tablet 2, we’d like to see a little more finesse: a design in line with Google’s other (recent) hardware that looks and feels a little more high-end. For comparison, the 10th-gen iPad retails for $450, often goes on sale for less, and handily beats the $500 Pixel Tablet on industrial design and hardware quality. Apple’s tablet doesn’t come with a dock, but we refuse to believe the Charging Speaker Dock that ships with the original Pixel Tablet costs Google anywhere near the $129 it goes for when purchased separately anyway.
At $500, the Pixel Tablet should have higher-quality hardware. A second-gen model gives Google the opportunity to up its game to compete with rivals like Apple and Samsung, both of which make great-feeling tablets in this price range.
A higher refresh rate display
This one’s more of a nice-to-have, but as high refresh rate displays are becoming the norm (even the base Pixel 8 is 120Hz), larger screens at 60Hz look crummy by comparison. While 120Hz would be nice here, we’d be happy to see the Pixel Tablet 2 land with a 90Hz panel. Higher refresh rates don’t impact much of what people do on tablets — reading or watching sub-120-FPS video — but they make navigating the user interface feel nicer, and the bigger the display, the more noticeable the difference.
Long update support
As Google and Samsung have started to offer seven years of updates for their phones, it’d be great to see the Pixel Tablet 2 get the same support. Given they’re typically lighter-duty secondary devices, it seems easier to make a high-quality tablet last seven years than it does even the best of phones. Fingers crossed that Google feels the same way.
More smart display functionality
It’d be great if the Pixel Tablet 2 better matched Google’s Nest Hub smart displays when it comes to functionality. The first-gen model comes close, but it’s missing features users upgrading from a Nest Hub are used to:
- The Pixel Tablet’s speaker group and photo frame settings are somewhat confusing.
- The animation that plays when the tablet listens to your voice is hard to see at a distance.
- There isn’t support for Continued Conversation, so you can’t ask follow-up questions without saying “Hey Google” again.
Whether the Pixel Tablet 2’s smart functionality is built around Assistant or Gemini, we’d love to see the device come closer to matching Google’s other smart displays and speakers, feature-for-feature.
When will the Google Pixel Tablet 2 be released?
Our best guess is mid-to-late 2024
Google hasn’t publicly acknowledged that the Pixel Tablet 2 is in development. Given the first-gen Pixel Tablet was the company’s first tablet hardware in some time, we don’t have any recent history to extrapolate when we might see the second generation on store shelves.
The original was teased in May 2022, made available for preorder in May 2023, and made its way to customers the following month. We haven’t heard much in the way of rumors about the tablet yet, so it’s not clear whether a summer 2024 release is feasible. We wouldn’t be surprised to get some official info about the device at I/O 2024 in May, ahead of a release date timed with other Google hardware in October. We’ll know in a matter of weeks.
Google Pixel Tablet
Google’s first-gen Pixel Tablet tries to merge two devices — a tablet and a smart display — into a single package. In some ways, it succeeds, but it’s a little rough around the edges. Still, if the concept speaks to you and you don’t want to wait months (or longer) for a second generation, there’s plenty to like in the original.
