![]() ![]() ![]() In these instances, it decidedly doesn’t feel premium. However, it weirdly feels like plastic when it’s at surface temperature or higher, whether because you’ve been using the device for a bit and it’s gotten warm or because your hands are already sticky/sweaty. Underneath the coating is an aluminum body that’s obvious to the touch, feeling like a nice metal when it’s cold. This certainly helps with grip, and I will say the Pixel Tablet’s coating is slightly more grippy than metal but not enough that it justifies the different approach. It feels like there’s a layer of fine powder on it at all times that I, specifically, am compelled to try to remove. To me, the nano-ceramic, porcelain-mimicking coating that Google talks a lot about feels overly grainy. At first, you’ll find yourself covering the bottom speakers, but your grip will adjust over time. When holding it, I’m particularly fond of the rounded sides and corners that don’t dig into your palm. It contributes to the floating screen effect when you’re reading or watching. The Pixel Tablet feels refreshingly light coming from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and even Samsung’s 11-inch Tab S8. It feels like you could peel them off every time your finger brushes against the slivers of rubber. Holding the side with feet when the tablet is in portrait orientation is awkward. It’s the first of two truly unique design additions on Google’s part, but there is a downside. It’s more secure than if there were no feet, but I didn’t find myself doing this too often as it still feels precarious. On the bottom edge, you’ll find two strips of rubber that can prop up the Pixel Tablet when it’s laid against a surface, such as a wall. It also should have been a bit tighter because there’s a left-right wiggle to it. Next to the power button, you’ll find a shiny volume rocker that I wish was slightly longer. In that regard, I wish there was Face Unlock here – its lack is a result of Google opting for a cheaper camera component that doesn’t have dual-pixel auto-focus (DPAF) – for cross-device consistency, but the biometric sensor we have is more than reliable and works every time, unlike the Pixel 6 and 7. I’m just so conditioned to it after two years on the Pixel 6 and 7. This is fine for a fingerprint reader, but it somewhat hides the power key, with the already minimal camera bump in the corner being more prominent/distinct when you’re blindly trying to unlock/lock.įunnily, in the first few days with the Pixel Tablet, I kept trying to unlock it as if there was an under-display fingerprint reader. That’s good because this sensor-button combo is a bit repressed and basically flat with the edge of the Pixel Tablet. Regardless of whether the display is on/off, you can just lay your finger (instead of clicking) on the reader to unlock the tablet. Given the placement and angle, your index and maybe middle finger are the only ones that can comfortably reach it every time. There’s a reliable fingerprint sensor (up to five digits can be saved per user) in the power button at the top-right corner. There’s no real impact on functionality or durability, with Google telling us it conducted thorough testing. It’s not noticeable when you’re typing, and the only reason I bring it up is that it just feels different from the flagship phone you’re used to and a lot of tablets too. To me, the screen – which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 (like on all past A-Series phones) – can easily depress with what I’d consider an average, non-forceful tap. Meanwhile, the “Rose” pink rear is very light and could be mistaken for white, with the green “Hazel” shade being the most distinct. The darker look is slimming and just blends in with the screen most of the time, especially to hide the front-facing camera and sensor cutout. Google argues that the white bezel is better for using the device primarily as a smart home device, but we’d say black fits in quite well too and looks better in use as a tablet. The white frame is fine, but black makes more sense in more use cases. The bezel comes in either white or black, depending on the model you buy. The bezel surrounding the 10.95-inch LCD is nice to have and has a reasonable thickness, so you can always rest your thumb without obstructing the screen. It sure looks and feels like that initially, but there’s a bit more nuance. In designing the Pixel Tablet, Google didn’t just take the screen portion of the Nest Hub Max and call it a day. Hardware Design: Screen, buttons, and coating ![]()
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