Can Google’s New Pixel Tablet Help Resurrect Interest in Android Tablets?
Can Google’s New Pixel Tablet Help Resurrect Interest in Android Tablets?
Or is it too little too late?
I have long been a huge fan of Android for lots of reasons. I love that it’s an open, customizable operating system and that it’s not limited to any particular hardware brand or form factor.
It’s a great OS with lots of potential, but I’ve all but given up on Android tablets.
For years, Android tablets have been struggling to compete with their Apple cousins, but Apple’s market domination remains indisputable. According to BankMyCell, Apple’s Q1 2023 market share of the global tablet market sits at 51.70%. Samsung’s, while impressive, is only at 30.14%, followed by Amazon at 4.79% and Huwawei at 2.54%.
If this were an election, Apple would be winning - with no close contenders. So what gives?
Hardware isn’t the problem for Android.
Software is. Many good Android tablets have excellent hardware and are more than capable of running high-end, professional software. Samsung’s Galaxy tablet lineup, for example, has some excellent features. And the inclusion of a stylus is a great touch. But for one reason or another, many high-end developers seem to be more interested in the iPad.
Adobe, for instance, makes several great apps for the iPad. I’ve personally enjoyed using Adobe Illustrator on my iPad Pro. And Affinity Designer is fantastic. But neither of these is available on Android.
Yes, Android does have some creative apps, and many of them are quite good. But unless or until we get apps like DaVinci Resolve, Affinity Designer, and Illustrator on Android, Android will never be a serious contender for creative work - at least not for me.
Yes, there are some other great apps, of course. LumaFusion works on Android, which is great to see. And those who are entrenched in Google’s ecosystem will love just how seamlessly Android integrates with all of Google’s apps and services. I loved that when I had my Pixel devices.
But an iPad can use many of those same apps and services.
I wish app developers and hardware makers would realize the potential of the Android ecosystem and start supporting it like crazy. In my mind, there is no reason that a good Android tablet couldn’t run something like Procreate, Illustrator or Affinity Designer.
Where does the Google Pixel Tablet fit?
Google’s Pixel line is in many ways the best of what Android has to offer. I loved my Pixel devices. The Pixel 2 is arguably my favorite phone ever, even to this day.
The Pixel tablet isn’t the first Android tablet and it won’t be the last, but what it offers for Android fans is unique: a relatively pure Android experience - especially compared to Samsung’s or Motorola’s interpretations of the Google OS.
Starting at $499, the Pixel Tablet seems to be most logically targeted at the same kind of user who might buy a basic iPad, which starts at $329 for the 9th gen or $449 for the 10th gen.
The camera specs are relatively “meh” (not that most people would buy a tablet for its camera, granted) with only an 8MP sensor and 1080p 30 FPS video recording. The base model iPad, for comparison, offers a 12MP camera and 4K 60 FPS video recording.
I was pleased to see that Google guarantees a “minimum of 5 years of security updates,” which is encouraging for an Android device.
It seems clear that Google intends the Google Pixel Tablet to be a decent basic, general use tablet, but even so it trails behind the basic iPad in some things.
The Pixel Tablet sports a Tensor G2 processor which trails significantly behind the A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro but beats the previous generation Google Tensor chip in the Pixel 6 Pro by a nice margin and beats the A14 Bionic chip in the base model iPad in some metrics.
Price wise, it seems like a reasonable entry in Google’s lineup. It’s not cheap but it’s not prohibitively expensive.
The inclusion of a charging speaker dock is a great touch on Google’s part, and that would certainly help make the Google Pixel Tablet a great option for those who want a more stationary home assistant that can double as a tablet.
All in all, I think it’s a solid competitor for the basic iPad for those who want Android and who are happy with the apps available for Google’s OS but that’s all.
I want real competition for the iPad.
I love the iPad line, and I will unapologetically say again that I think the iPad is the best tablet on the market right now. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want real, serious competition for that title. I love Android and all that it can be.
I want to see it take its rightful place as a thorn in Apple’s side and a real contender for the best tablet option for most people.
I want to see tablets right and left that are so good that even Apple worries.
That’s what I want to see.
Competition is good for everyone. It forces companies to innovate and make their products better, faster, more exciting and more capable.
And for too long, the iPad just hasn’t had the kind of competition I would hope for - and I think Apple knows that.
To be fair, as I said above, it’s not entirely Android’s fault that. In order to really compete with Apple’s tablet lineup, Android tablets need to be able to run the apps that many of us have come to love on our iPads. And with the addition of Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro on the iPad, that app availability disparity just got even worse for Android.
Google needs an iPad Pro competitor.
While Google Pixel Tablet looks cool, it’s clear to me that Google isn’t aiming for the iPad Pro with this release. No doubt it’s a solid contender for the base model iPad - albeit with a slightly lacking camera. But this certainly isn’t the powerful tablet I’ve been hoping for. And I don’t think it’s going to be enough to make much of a dent in Apple’s domination.
As much as I love Android, right now there really is just no good competitor for the iPad Pro. That’s not entirely Android’s fault, again, and developers like Adobe, Serif, and others need to buy in to the Android app ecosystem to make it happen.
But right now, the iPad Pro is a fantastic option for creative professionals on the go and who want laptop-like power in a tablet formfactor (without having to go for a janky 2-in-1, of course.)
And while there are some Android apps that do cater to creatives, the options are limited compared to what iPad users enjoy.
It’s not that I don’t love my iPad Pro. I do. A lot. But competition is good for us all. I just don’t think there is any.
Yet.
Maybe we’ll see a Google Pixel Pro someday soon. And maybe that could be Google’s first real salvo in a much-needed battle against the iPad’s lead.
Of course, I recognize that many people don’t care about pro apps on a tablet. And many people - if not the vast majority - would never even think about editing graphics or a video on a mobile device. And so, they don’t need the kind of power an iPad Pro would provide. But I have zero doubt that the only reason some people go for the iPad Pro is because that’s the only tablet device with the hardware and software they need - not because of any special love for Apple or iPadOS.
And personally, if I could get an Android tablet with all of the creative apps I want to use, I would very strongly consider adding it to my workflow.
I just hope it happens.