When Google’s vice president of Nest products Rishi Chandra told me about the company’s vision for ambient computing in 2019, he talked about a hypothetical smart display that was basically a tablet attached to a speaker dock. You would be able to lift the screen off its base, take it with you to another room and place it on another station there. Today, at Google I/O, that hypothetical device is launching for real as the Pixel Tablet, and I was able to get some hands-on time with it in April.

Though it was initially teased last I/O, the Pixel Tablet is actually ready for purchase this year. Come May 10th, you’ll be able to pre-order it for $499, and that includes the speaker base. Google won’t be selling the tablet on its own, though you can buy additional docks for $120 each so you can have stations in multiple rooms.

Clearly, the company doesn’t want you to think of this as a $370 tablet. This is more of a hybrid device, better considered as a smart display with a detachable screen. So don’t think of it as a successor to the discontinued Pixel Slate — Google said it was done with making its own tablets (or, more specifically, focusing on laptops) and it is… even if it is confusingly calling this thing the Pixel Tablet.

In spite of its name, the Pixel Tablet will likely spend most of its time in your home as a smart display. With an 11-inch screen, rounded-rectangle shape and a mesh fabric covering the speaker base, the Pixel Tablet looks incredibly similar to the Nest Hub Max. You can get it in either Hazel (gray), Porcelain (white) or Rose if you’re in the US, and the latter two have white bezels while the first has black borders. The device has a nano-ceramic coating that Google said was “inspired by the feel of porcelain,” lending it a “textured feel unlike any other tablet.” It’s hard to describe how this felt — I liked the matte finish but it’s not like my fingers were sent into spasms of euphoria when I touched the device.

What I did find impressive was how little it weighed. I picked it up to use while it was still attached to the speaker, and didn’t feel any strain at all. Granted, I only held it that way for a few minutes, and it would probably start to feel heavy if I held it long enough. But then again, you’re not really supposed to hold the screen with the speaker connected.

On its own, the tablet is a fairly straightforward Android 13 slate. It offers the same multitasking features as most devices running the latest version of Android L for larger displays, though Google has optimized 50 of its own apps for the Pixel Tablet. It also worked with developers to optimize apps like Spotify, Minecraft, Disney+ and more for the larger screen. For instance, Gmail and WhatsApp offer two-column layouts, and when I dragged a slider to expand the width of the former to take up more than half the screen, it went from a single column to a two-column view. Speaking of WhatsApp, you can now make video calls from the app on the Pixel Tablet, making it the first slate to support this.

You can also do things like drag and drop photos between apps while in split screen mode. A row of icons appears at the bottom of the screen when you drag your finger slightly from the bottom and pause. From here, you can launch your favorite and recently used apps.

Photo by: Sam Rutherford / Engadget

The Pixel Tablet is also the first tablet to be powered by the company’s own Tensor G2 processor, which enables AI features like voice typing, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. This is also the first tablet on which you can make WhatsApp video calls, by the way. Of course, you don’t have to be using the screen on its own to make use of these tools — the software works the same way whether the tablet is docked or disconnected.

Thankfully, the magnets holding the two parts together are strong enough to keep the display from sliding despite the angle it’s propped up at. It’s also possible to remove the screen with one hand, as a Google rep showed me at the demo, but it required some finesse in my experience. The dock isn’t heavy enough that you can simply peel the tablet off from the top — you’d need to use your hand as a lever along the bottom edge to separate the two. With practice, I could see this action becoming easier to do.

When the screen is attached to the base, a few things happen. The onboard speakers are deactivated and any media you’re playing will automatically stream through the dock’s more-capable system. From what I heard, the base speakers sound similar to those on the Nest Hub Max, which is to say the music was clear and had a nice amount of bass. I haven’t heard enough to judge the audio quality for sure, but it was definitely an upgrade from the tablet’s tinny output.

Another feature that becomes available when the display is connected to the dock is Hub Mode. You’ll see your selected photos on the lock screen, just like you do on Nest Hubs, as well as a home button on the bottom left. Tapping this brings up a control panel for your compatible connected home appliances like thermostats, lights, locks and camera feeds.

Photo by: Sam Rutherford / Engadget

In this mode, anyone who can physically touch the Pixel Tablet can access this dashboard, so if you have a friend visiting, they can also turn on the lights without having to unlock your device. This only works when the tablet is docked. They’ll also be able to set timers or play music and ask Google for answers. But don’t worry — they can’t do things that require your personal info, like see your calendar events, for example. That would require unlocking the tablet, and I appreciate that there’s a fingerprint sensor on the power button at the top to make this more convenient.

During the hands-on event in New York, I used the demo unit to turn off a lamp in a San Francisco office and was able to watch it happen via the camera feed that was also onscreen.

When the tablet is docked, you’ll also be able to use it as an additional screen and Chromecast to it. Google said this is the first tablet with Chromecast built in, but to be clear, the feature is only available when the device is docked and in Hub Mode, not as a standalone slate. It’s a nice touch regardless, and great for places like your bedroom if you don’t have space for a TV. I’m definitely planning on leaving a Pixel Tablet dock by my bed so I can stream Netflix in the background when trying to fall asleep.

I also like the idea of using the Pixel Tablet as a dedicated device for my video conferences. The slate itself has two 8-megapixel cameras — one on the rear and one in front. Google has designed Meet to keep the user centered in the frame even if you’re moving around. The company says the Pixel Tablet “has the best Google Meet app video calls of any tablet,” which is a claim I’ll have to put to the test in the real world.

Photo by: Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Using the Tensor G2 processor, the system will automatically adjust brightness to make sure you’re well lit. This was pretty funny to watch during our demo when the camera hunted for a person to keep in frame when I left its view. It discovered my colleague Sam about a foot away, even though he wasn’t facing the Tablet, and zoomed in on him. When both of us looked at the camera, the framing changed to accommodate us.

I’m not a fan of the low camera angle when the screen is docked, but the good news is you can still use Meet when the tablet is detached. Google also makes a case that you can buy for $79. It comes with a kickstand that doubles as a handle when unfolded all the way, so you can prop the device up on the go or hang it on a hook if you wish. I can see myself propping the tablet up on a higher surface or hanging it on a kitchen cabinet if I were to take a call from my parents while cooking dinner. What's nice is that because of the way the case is designed, you can easily snap the screen back onto the dock even with the case on, since the kickstand fits nicely around the base and the pogo pins can still make contact.

It’s worth noting that when the screen is detached, the speaker base is basically useless. You can’t cast to it, and because it doesn’t have a microphone onboard, it won’t hear your commands. It doesn’t have a battery onboard either, so this isn’t a portable system you can take to the beach or on a road trip (though I can’t imagine why you would).

Photo by: Sam Rutherford / Engadget

The tablet battery will last for 12 hours of video streaming, according to Google, so you should at least be able enjoy an entire season of You on a longhaul flight.

But remember. This isn’t meant to be a tablet first. Most other Android slates you’ll probably pick up about a few times a month, only to be annoyed to find it’s dead and need charging. Or you’ll take it with you on a trip to watch shows on the train or if you don’t like inflight entertainment options. With the Pixel Tablet, you’ll at least not have to worry about keeping it charged.

I’ve liked the idea of a smart display with a detachable screen since Chandra first mentioned it to me and, at first blush at least, the concept seems solid. I’ll have to wait till I can test out a unit in my own home to know how practical this idea is, but so far I’m intrigued.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

When Android 14 arrives later this year, it will bring new customization features to Google's mobile operating system. On Wednesday at the company's I/O developer conference, Android chief David Burke showed off a handful of new features for creating custom wallpapers. The tools build on the Material You design system Google introduced in 2021 by allowing users to create a custom wallpaper by picking a few of their favorite emoji.  

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Google’s A-series phones have been some of the best deals on the market dating back to the original Pixel 3a. And while the cost of recent devices has crept up a bit, they’ve also become more well-rounded. But with the Pixel 7a, it feels like Google has nailed the balance between price and performance. We’re talking a Tensor G2 chip, a 90Hz display, wireless charging and a higher-res rear cam–all starting at just $499. And when you factor in its design, the Pixel 7a delivers everything I like about the regular Pixel 7 for $100 less. So if you’re the kind of person who just wants a solid phone for a great price, the Pixel 7a has everything you need.

Design

From the outside, the 7a looks like a carbon copy of the standard Pixel 7. It’s got a familiar two-tone design with IP67 water resistance and an almost identical camera bar. But if you peer a little closer you’ll notice a couple differences like a slightly smaller 6.1-inch OLED screen (versus 6.3 for the regular Pixel 7) and a very slightly thicker and slightly lighter body. And even though the 7a features what Google calls thermal-formed polycarbonate (a fancy way of saying “nice plastic”) on its back, it pretty much feels the same too. In fact, I had to tap a coin on the back of the phone to make sure, because up until then I thought both phones used the same material.

Performance

Meanwhile in front, the 7a still gets a lovely full HD (2400 x 1080) OLED display with an in-screen fingerprint sensor, except now it features a 90Hz refresh rate. Granted, that’s not quite as fast as you get on the Pixel 7 Pro or other flagships, but coming from the 60Hz panel on last year’s phone, it’s a very welcome upgrade. And when you combine that with a Tensor G2 chip, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, you end up with a really smooth user experience. Text just glides down the screen when you’re scrolling through websites. And while its smaller display means the 7a probably isn’t going to be a mobile gamers first choice for handsets, I still had a blast playing titles ranging from more demanding fare like Honkai: Star Rail to casual stuff like Marvel Snap.

Cameras

As for photography, the two big changes are that the Pixel 7a features a new high-res 64-MP main cam in back, while the 13-MP selfie camera can record videos in 4K. In the past, the Pixel A-line has crushed basically every other phone in its price range. So this time to give the 7a more of a challenge I compared it to both the Pixel 7 Pro and the S23 Ultra. And while the 7a doesn’t have some of the more advanced features like a dedicated zoom, when it comes to pure photo quality this $499 phone more than holds its own.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

For example, in a daytime shot of a flower Pixel 7a did a way better job of preserving details and highlights compared to a similar shot by the S23 Ultra. And in a pic of a dandelion, the Pixel 7a captured every fluffy seed. You don’t get a dedicated telephoto lens, but Google’s Super Res can produce some quality long-range images. Though, as you can see when compared to the S23 Ultra, it’s still not as good as having a dedicated telephoto lens. Also, even though I don’t love taking selfies, I gotta say pics look sharp there too.

In low light, Google’s Night Sight mode remains among the best in the business, though the Pixel 7a’s 64-MP camera does add a little more noise to photos than I expected. In a nighttime shot of a mural, despite the Pixel 7a’s pic looking a touch underexposed, it has a better white balance compared to the S23 Ultra while still preserving a lot of details. It’s only when you zoom in that you notice a bit of extra graininess. And in another picture taken at a local community garden, the 7a produced a pic that’s really close to what I got from phones twice its price.

Battery life

Another highlight is that the combination of a relatively small screen and a decent-sized 4,385 mAh battery results in great longevity. On our local video rundown test, the Pixel 7a lasted 17 hours and 41 minutes which, unsurprisingly, is really close to what we got from last year’s Pixel 7 (17:54) and an hour longer than the Pixel 7 Pro’s time of 16:42. However, for those who need a really long-lasting device, bigger phones like the OnePlus 11 and S23 Ultra are still the better choice, with both phones lasting over 19 hours on our tests.

I also really appreciate the addition of Qi wireless support, even if charging speeds cap out at 7.5 watts. When I’m charging the phone overnight or trying to keep the phone topped up during the day, the convenience of slapping a phone on a wireless pad can’t be beat. Besides, if you need some juice in a jiffy, there’s still the option of wired charging at 18 watts, which isn’t blazing, but it’s good enough.

Wrap-up

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

I’ve always appreciated that Google has never tried to do too much with its Pixel A phones. The Pixel 7a is a simple device that packs a nice screen that’s now even better thanks to a 90Hz refresh rate, solid performance and cameras that can hang with rivals twice its price. And now for 2023, you get handy upgrades like support for wireless charging, not to mention all the great existing Pixel-specific features like Hold For Me, Clear Calling and my personal favorite–the Pixel Recorder app. If you’re someone who needs to record conversations or interviews on the regular, I’d argue that app on its own is worth the price of a 7a.

My two minor complaints are that while the 7a’s speakers are generally fine, they sound a bit shallow. And, if you’re someone who cares about mmWave 5G, you’ll have to shell out an extra $50 to get support for that (and that model is only available from Verizon). As a whole, the 7a is kind of a shock because it delivers 95% of what you get from the standard Pixel 7, but for $100 cheaper. Usually, device makers don’t cannibalize their own devices like this. But Google didn’t shy away and the result is a big win for consumers. Would I like to have a dedicated zoom lens or a larger screen? Sure, but that’s [kind of] why the Pixel 7 Pro exists.

Google wasn’t kidding when it said last year that the Pixel Tablet was “months away.” In fact, it was a whole year away, but we’re finally getting full details today. The $499 tablet is built around an 11-inch screen, with Google’s Tensor G2 chip inside. The chip and screen aren’t exactly a big surprise, but Google is doing something a little unusual with the Pixel Tablet: it comes with a speaker dock that turns it into a Nest Hub Max with a better screen.

Rather than outfit the Pixel Tablet with accessories like a stylus and keyboard, as others like Samsung, OnePlus and of course Apple have done with their tablets, Google is pitching the Pixel Tablet as a device for entertainment and to control your home.

When the Pixel Tablet is attached to the speaker dock, the software runs in a Hub Mode to make it easy to access controls for all your smart home devices. Naturally, it also serves as a digital photo frame and can play back tunes and videos with audio through the built-in speaker. I haven’t heard that speaker yet, but Google says it’ll deliver “room-filling music.” Given that Google is including it at no extra charge, it doesn’t have to deliver too much to be worth it. The tablet itself also has four built-in speakers.

From a specs perspective, the Pixel Tablet features an 11-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. There’s no word on the refresh rate, but that’s a nice size and resolution for a tablet in this price range. In addition to the Tensor G2 chip, the Pixel Tablet also has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (you can bump that up to 256GB if you’re so inclined). Credit here to Google for starting things off with 128GB of storage, rather than the stingy 64GB Apple includes on most of its base iPads.

Google

Given that Google is positioning the Pixel Tablet as a hub of sorts, it naturally has a front-facing camera for video calls. Unsurprisingly, it’s nothing too special, an 8-megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. But it can shoot and transmit video at 1080p at 30 fps, so it should be decent enough for video cals. The back camera has identical specs. As for the battery, Google says it will last for 12 hours of video streaming, but that’s another thing we’ll need to test in person to verify.

In addition to the speaker dock (which Google is selling separately, as well, for people who want to place them around the home), Google is also selling a basic case that comes with a built-in metal ring stand that lets you place the tablet at a variety of angles. You can also dock the tablet without removing the case. And partner Speck is making a handful of other cases as well.

Google

Of course, the real key to making Android work on a tablet is having good apps, and that’s long been a struggle that continues to this day. Google says that there are “more than 50 Google apps” optimized for the Pixel Tablet and that it can run them in split-screen for multitasking.

I just reviewed the OnePlus Pad and can confirm that Google’s own apps work well on tablets at this point, but the problem really is in the third-party ecosystem. Google points out that it is working with developer partners to optimize their apps and cites Spotify, Minecraft and Disney+ as a few cases that take advantage of the large screen.

The Pixel Tablet goes up for pre-order today and starts at $499. It’s available in three colors: A gray-ish “Hazel” with a black screen bezel, a white-ish “Porcelain” with a white bezel and a pink-ish “Rose” with a white bezel. For more on the device, check out our hands-on with Google’s first tablet in years.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

Google’s revealed its latest Pixel A-series smartphone, and once again it’s pulled inspiration from last year’s flagship device, pairing it with friendlier pricing. The Pixel 7a ($499) is $50 more expensive than last year’s Pixel 6a, but the upgrades may be worth it, especially when it comes to imaging. The Pixel 7a has a glossy metallic finish on the camera bar that matches the rest of the Pixel 7 family and ditches the glass of its predecessor. The camera upgrades go beyond aesthetics, with a new 64-megapixel primary camera sensor (an upgrade from the 12.2-megapixel camera on the Pixel 6a) and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera with 120-degree field-of-view. It’s also worth noting that it’s a higher-resolution primary sensor than the main camera on the Pixel 7. 

That high-resolution sensor brings super-res zoom to the Pixel A series, using digital zoom on 64MP images to hone in your subject better. Optical zoom tops out at 2x magnification and you’ll still get Night Sight, Photo Unblur, and Long Exposure thanks to Google's camera app software. This is Long Exposure's first appearance on an A-series device.

Google

With a 6.1-inch screen, the Pixel 7a is smaller than the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 or 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro. However, it’s roughly equivalent to the iPhone 14, so it’s not a tiny phone. The OLED screen now tops out at 90Hz (another improvement since the 6a) and works with Google’s adaptive brightness feature, cranking up the nits when outdoors for improved legibility. You’ll even be able to make your manual adjustments, and Google says the algorithm will gradually learn your preferences. Several other Pixel software features are there too, including Clear Calling for reduced background noise, Direct My Call (you’ll be able to see menu options before you hear them) and voice message transcription – if you’ve received voice notes through the messages app.

The Pixel 7a also comes with Google’s homemade Tensor G2 chip, which should offer performance comparable to its pricier Pixel 7 siblings and be particularly nimble with all those machine learning tricks and image manipulation Google’s phones are best known for. Google also claims this is its most durable A-series phone too, with a combination of recycled aluminum, Corning Gorilla Glass display and water and dust IP67 protection.

Alongside 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, the Pixel 7a has a 4,385 mAh battery, supporting up to 18W fast charging and 7.5W wireless charging. Yes, in an unusual move, Google has decided to bring wireless charging to the A-series this year. Rounding out the spec sheet,

The Pixel 7a will launch in Charcoal, Sea, Snow and a Google Store-exclusive Coral color option.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

Android updates to its "Find My Device" network will alert users to unknown trackers, even if they aren't Google branded, the company announced at Google I/O 2023 on Wednesday. The updates will come in summer 2023, but the company did not give a specific date. 

Unknown tracker alerts happen when the network detects a Bluetooth tracker, such as an Apple AirTag or Tile device, registered to another user following you around. In the past, these alerts have been limited by brand. With this Android update, any tracker compatible with the Find My Device network will show up. 

Other updates to the Find My Device app include a feature that pings compatible devices if you can't find them, ways to view location of those devices even if they're offline and new support for Tile, Chipolo, Pebblebee, Sony and JBL devices. 

The Android announcement comes after Google and Apple partnered up earlier this month to address unwanted tracking across devices. The companies submitted best practices and instructions to allow unauthorized tracking notifications across iOS and Android devices. Other companies like Tile and Samsung have shown support for the effort. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

Project Tailwind is Google's latest foray into AI and it's aimed at helping students organize their notes. Google describes it as "your AI-first notebook," and the toolset is able to distill information from a personal notebook, making it all searchable, suggesting questions and main themes, and otherwise organizing the subject matter in an interactive way. Project Tailwind is an experiment at the moment and it's available only in the US — the waitlist to try it out is accessible via Google.

Google revealed Project Tailwind during today's I/O developer conference, showing off a few minutes of the program in action. After selecting a subject — computer science history — and pulling up a few pages of notes in paragraph form, the developer had Project Tailwind summarize the content, generate a glossary for one of the subjects, and offer a quiz on the information, among other actions.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

For the first time, WhatApp is coming to smartwatches. At its I/O 2023 keynote on Wednesday, Google announced that the chat app will be available this summer on Wear OS 3 devices, including Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 and the Pixel Watch. Among other features, the smartwatch version of WhatsApp allows you to record and send voice messages. You can also use the app to send text messages and see a list of your favorite contacts.

A beta version of the software was spotted earlier in the week by 9to5Google. From that preview, we know adding a Wear OS device to your account will involve typing an eight-digit alphanumeric code provided to you through your phone. Additionally, the beta release features a circular complication that shows unread messages on your watch’s home screen. The complication also has two tiles for contacts and voice messages, allowing you to quickly send messages to your friends and family.

The news that WhatsApp is heading to Wear OS devices comes after Meta announced at the end of last month it had redesigned WhatsApp’s multi-device functionality to make it possible to use one account on more than one phone.

Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2023 right here.

Google has stood at the forefront at many of the tech industry's AI breakthroughs in recent years, Zoubin Ghahramani, Vice President of Google DeepMind, declared in a blog post while asserting that the company's work in foundation models, are "the bedrock for the industry and the AI-powered products that billions of people use daily." On Wednesday, Ghahramani and other Google executives took the Shoreline Amphitheater stage to show off its latest and greatest large language model, PaLM 2, which now comes in four sizes able to run locally on everything from mobile devices to server farms. 

PaLM 2, obviously, is the successor to Google's existing PaLM model that, until recently, powered its experimental Bard AI. "Think of PaLM as a general model that then can be fine tuned to achieve particular tasks," he explained during a reporters call earlier in the week. "For example: health research teams have fine tuned PaLM with with medical knowledge to help answer questions and summarize insights from a variety of dense medical texts." Ghahramani also notes that PaLM was "the first large language model to perform an expert level on the US medical licensing exam."

Bard now runs on PaLM 2, which offers improved multilingual, reasoning, and coding capabilities, according to the company. The language model has been trained far more heavily on multilingual texts than its predecessor, covering more than 100 languages with improved understanding of cultural idioms and turns of phrase. 

It is equally adept at generating programming code in Python and JavaScript. The model has also reportedly demonstrated "improved capabilities in logic, common sense reasoning, and mathematics," thanks to extensive training data from "scientific papers and web pages that contain mathematical expressions."  

Even more impressive is that Google was able to spin off application-specific versions of the base PaLM system dubbed Gecko, Otter, Bison and Unicorn. 

"We built PaLM to to be smaller, faster and more efficient, while increasing its capability," Ghahramani said. "We then distilled this into a family of models in a wide range of sizes so the lightest model can run as an interactive application on mobile devices on the latest Samsung Galaxy." In all, Google is announcing more than two dozen products that will feature PaLM capabilities at Wednesday's I/O event

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Google announced new features to its image search function to make it easier to spot altered content, the company announced at Google I/O 2023 on Wednesday. Photos on the search engine will soon include an "about this image" option that tells users when the image and ones like it were first indexed by Google, where it may have appeared first and other places the image has been posted online. That information could help users figure out whether something they're seeing was generated by AI, according to Google. 

The new feature will show up by clicking the three dots on an image in Google Image results. Google did not say exactly when the new feature will be available, besides that it'll be first available in the United States in the "coming months." Vice president of search Cathy Edwards told Engadget that the tool doesn't currently tell you if an image has been edited or manipulated, though the company is researching effective ways of detecting such tweaks.

Meanwhile, Google also began rolling out images generated by AI. Those images will include a markup in the original file to add context about its creation wherever its used. Image publishers like Midjourney and Shutterstock will also include the markup. Google's efforts to clarify to users where its search results come from started earlier this year with efforts like"About this result."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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