Last month, one of the worst news we can remember in Google's hardware division broke: the Pixel tablet was reportedly canceled. Unable to compete with Apple's iPad, Google has reportedly given up, although there remains hope that we'll face a simple “pause” while the company revamps its commitment to Chromebooks, which will now ship with Android.
For the moment, the direct consequence of this decision is that probably we won't see a Pixel Tablet 2at least not throughout 2025. Google's original plan was to launch the Pixel Tablet 2 next year, either alongside the upcoming Pixel 9a or with other devices; Everything indicates that these projects were canceled, as well as the device.
NOW, Android Authority revealed what this Pixel Tablet 2 would have looked like, and it must be said that it's a shame that Google decided to cancel it; The leak confirms that the company was going to fix most of the problems and shortcomings of the original model.
Specifically, the Pixel Tablet 2 was going to receive a much better display, with higher image quality, improved brightness, and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The display was one of the most criticized aspects of the original Pixel Tablet, launched in 2017. a time when other brands were starting to offer far superior panels. Google could have responded to these criticisms by a more suitable screen to enjoy multimedia content like movies or games.
For the rest, the Pixel Tablet 2 was going to be an evolution of the first model, with improvements in all aspects but without representing a huge step forward. The leak claims it would use a version of the Tensor G4 processor which is used in the Pixel 9, and which Google would have taken advantage of to offer a version with 5G in addition to WiFi, another of the defects of the original Pixel Tablet. It would also have raised the level in terms of photos, with a new Samsung sensor.
The Pixel Tablet is one of those “misunderstood” products, which struggled to find its place from the start. Instead of directly competing with Samsung's iPad or Galaxy Tab as a multimedia and business device, Google presented the Pixel Tablet as a home device, featuring a dock with speaker for using Google Assistant . The Pixel Tablet 2 would have followed this direction, including a radio for Thread, the standard to control smart home devices directly and without accessories.
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However, Google seems to have realized that this commitment to the smart home made the Pixel Tablet unappealing to the general public, who normally want a tablet for watching movies or working. Therefore, the Pixel Tablet 2 would focus more on these facets, including DisplayPort connectivity to connect an external display at 4K resolution, in addition to offer a keyboard as an accessory which would also be compatible with the original Pixel tablet. The Pixel Tablet 2 would benefit from Android 15's multitasking improvements with windowed apps on large screens.
The good news is that Google hasn't completely abandoned tablets. According to the same leak, the Pixel Tablet 3 is still in development and has not been abandoned, despite initial reports, so these and other improvements may simply be delayed a year, probably until 2026 or 2027.
