I was very excited when Google launched the first Pixel tablet last year. I hoped the tablet would solve one of Google’s biggest challenges: a coherent and unified smart home strategy.
Many people had high hopes that the tablet would be the device that would combine all of Google’s smart home products into one cohesive and versatile unit. However, the device functions more or less like a regular tablet with a dock and some smart home features attached. And to top it all off, it’s not the Nest Hub replacement many were hoping for.
When Google didn’t announce a new tablet version during its Pixel event, I wondered if it was because the company was taking its time, trying to combine its smart home strategy with the new Gemini efforts, or if the tablet was perhaps just a one-off.
Focus on Gemini and flagship phones
It’s obvious that Google wanted to focus on its Android software and Gemini integration with its latest Pixel 9 line of devices. Before even announcing the devices, Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of Platforms & Devices, began his presentation by explaining how the company integrated Gemini into its operating system.
Osterloh announced that Gemini Live will give users a “mobile conversation experience” to “discuss anything that’s on their minds.” The company also explained how users can now overlay Gemini’s interface on top of any app and that this new feature will also work for videos on YouTube, allowing users to ask questions about what they’re watching.
It’s obvious that Google cares much more about its software than its hardware. In fact, I would argue that Google’s hardware was designed and developed primarily as a base for its hardware and as a model for other Android-based companies.
And I think the company hasn’t launched a Pixel Tablet 2: for now, it’s not really interested in a large-screen tablet and wants to focus on perfecting its Gemini strategy. If it consolidates that, it can reinvent its smart home strategy around the experience that should be integrated into Gemini, something we’re already seeing with Google Home.
Gerrit Schneemann, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, added that the launch of Gemini Live and integration with the new Nest Thermostat was key and, in my opinion, probably the first thing the company needed to do to execute on this strategy. However, he adds that instead of a mobile hub, perhaps a dedicated smart home device is needed to combine all of Google’s smart home devices; an app could be enough.
“Especially with Gemini Live, voice becomes an even more important part of the user experience. And again, having dual mobile screens in the home alongside smartphones doesn’t seem to add much value,” he said. “A tablet that might also be moving between users could easily not be where it’s needed most (kitchen, side table, etc.) because someone put it away.”
Do we even need a Pixel tablet?
Snowman brings up a very valid point: why would anyone want to keep moving their main hub? And the more I think about it, the more I wonder: does Google even need a tablet that serves as a dedicated service point for all of your smart home devices?
At the time of writing, all of my smart home devices are on Google. We have a thermostat, Nest Wi-Fi system, doorbell, and speakers. Everyone in my household uses the dedicated Google Home app to control everything.
For some reason, I imagined myself using the Pixel tablet last year in a similar way to the Nest Hub Max, only in an almost more futuristic way when I got it. At the end of the night, I imagined myself taking the tablet into the bedroom, shutting everything down, adjusting the temperature in the house, and getting into bed. That was far from the case.
Instead, the tablet replaced our Nest Hub Max and was barely used. I occasionally used it as a speaker while I cooked. However, I didn’t like the connection to the tablet and every time I tried to set a timer, it wouldn’t work. At some point, I considered switching back to the Hub Max.
In his comparison article, Tshaka Armstrong also points out similar limitations with the Pixel Tablet’s Hub mode, which seems to fall behind those of the five-year-old Nest Hub Max. He also notes that his family doesn’t have much tablet usage, and that the Pixel Tablet is often used to watch the occasional show in bed, though even that is secondary to using a real TV.
That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t people who find the Pixel Tablet really useful. As Armstrong noted, “the (Nest Hub) Max will be a stationary device, whereas the Pixel Tablet offers a lot more flexibility and ultimately ease of use,” even if Google needs some time to improve the experience.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the new tablet
I would justify this even further and add that Google may not even launch any more tablets because it designed the Pixel 9 Pro Fold device to behave more like the tablet you need.
Schneemann points out that with the larger internal 8-inch display, the company is essentially achieving the size of a tablet.
“Of course, this is a super-premium device with limited global availability. It’s even less likely that it’s a dedicated (smart home) device. But it shows that Google is thinking about the larger-screen form factor – it just hasn’t found the right positioning for its tablets yet after years of underdeveloping the platform.”
But there is another side to this argument: Is there even a market for tablets at the moment?
Jitesh Ubrani, research director for IDC’s Worldwide Device Trackers, says the current tablet model is not a best-seller and “demand for traditional tablets has been declining for some time.”
“While it would be great to align the launch of a new tablet with the company’s other devices, tablets are often among the least used computing devices for consumers and their refresh cycle has become longer, making them a lower priority for both consumers and device manufacturers.”
It’s time for a Nest overhaul
While a tablet may not be essential, I still think Google needs to develop a much more unified smart home strategy and we definitely need new Nest hardware.
Naturally, I asked our senior editor and tablet expert—and smart home fan—Andrew Myrick for his opinion. He told me it was odd that Google would announce an unprecedented number of devices in two weeks, and even more confusing that the Nest Hub hasn’t been updated in years.
He believes this either means we’re in for a revamped Nest lineup in the near future and that the company “will likely use the Pixel tablet and dock design as the centerpiece.”
“Or Google will abandon the tablet again and we’ll just see improvements to its smart home speakers,” he said. But I suspect Myrick also believes none of that will happen until Google refines Gemini.
I love Google’s smart home devices. They have never disappointed me and brought seamless integration to my home. However, I would like to see a better strategy here, one that is a bit more sophisticated, includes more of Gemini, and perhaps has a single point-of-service hardware device similar to the Nest Hub Max, but with the upgrades we would expect in 2024.
