

For a long time, being the best Android tablet was rather like being the prettiest member of Slipknot: an achievement for sure, but the bar was set pretty low. Things are a lot better than they used to be, of course, but while Samsung's Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a decent Android buy it's four-stars good rather than five-stars great. That's why the Google Pixel Tablet is getting so much attention, because from the get-go it's been clear that Google wants to take on and beat Apple's all-conquering iPad.
The latest collection of leaks suggest that Google might just have managed it.
What's so great about the Google Pixel Tablet?
There are three key things that make the Pixel Tablet look pretty tempting.
1. The spec is better than expected
According to 9to5Google's sources, reports that the Pixel Tablet wasn't getting the latest Tensor chip are incorrect: it's getting the Tensor G2, the same chip that's in the Pixel 7 Pro, and it's backed with an impressive 8GB of RAM. That's twice the RAM of the Galaxy Tab 6 Lite and should deliver an impressively smooth Android 13 experience.
2. It looks absolutely gorgeous
Home technology doesn't have to look good, I know. But it's nice when it's more interesting than a featureless black slab that looks like every other tablet around. And the latest leaks say that in addition to the the green/black and beige/white versions of the previously shown "nanoceramic" finish, which looks very like porcelain, there are two more colours coming too. I think the Pixel has a strong claim to be one of the best-looking tablets we've seen so far.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
3. There's a dock in the box
Every Pixel Tablet will come with the Charging Speaker Dock, which turns the tablet into a smart home hub as well as a great media player and video calling device. I really like the way Google has designed this: as you can see from the image above, it doesn't get in the way and it looks really good with the Pixel magnetically attached to it.
That's the good news. The bad? You won't be able to buy it on 11 May, when the Google Pixel 7a is expected to go on sale. But it does seem that the tablet release date is going to be soon: at least once source tells 9to5Google that a June release date is likely. It's been a long wait, but I think this looks very much like a tablet worth waiting for.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
If your smartphone gives you headaches, the next Google Pixel could help
PWM dimming rates can be a real pain for some users
-
Google won't wait until I/O to detail exciting new Android announcements
Tune in for The Android Show to catch the latest from Google
-
YouTube’s TV app just got a great free upgrade
The YouTube TV app for consoles and Smart TVs is now more functional and fun for music fans too
-
Samsung's flagship phones will reportedly maintain one key advantage over iPhone
Apple is said to be struggling to match Samsung in a specific tech area
-
Your discontinued Chromecast just got a massive feature update
The Chromecast might not be on sale any more, but Google hasn’t abandoned it
-
Pixel phones finally getting a feature Samsung Galaxy owners have enjoyed for years
A future software update could make the Pixel more user friendly
-
CMF Phone 2 Pro is almost certainly the best bargain Android phone out there
This might be the best budget phone out there
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge official prices leaked... by Samsung
The brand has leaked the price of its own device