it's probably Google's reply to Apple ipad pro, but it lacks the screen real estate for multitasking or even just for using it as A4 size document viewer. It also lacks a stylus (and even on android a stylus can be very handy, like the one in my Note 8) for drawing and annotating. At this price I mainly see it good for gaming on Android (a Nvidia Shield 2 with X1 is rumored to be released soon).
The iPad Pro was just announced, and before that was just a rumor. Google would not have been able to produce this in less than a month in response. Honestly, this and IPP seem to be a response to Surface. Maybe not because Surface is so popular, but because it is an untapped market with growth potential.
Surface 3 (which has been around since what, April?) doesn't have as nice of a display, but it beats the stuffing out of this thing in terms of storage and SoC, and the keyboard cover is $20 cheaper too. Given those two options I'd get the Surface. If I'm actually missing any apps (I can't think of any must-haves that are Android only for me, which are not available as either an app or a win32 program) I could run BlueStacks.
I'm really not sure what they're aiming this at. Preempt the next iPad Air?
@Alexvrb: Agree with all your points except Surface 3 display not being nice part, Surface 3 display is excellent and it has been tested by Displaymate and came out as one of the best displays ever put in a tablet, here are the Displaymate quotes:
"That is particularly interesting about the Surface 3 is that its display performance is almost identical to the excellent Surface Pro 3 display, including a full sRGB Color Gamut. But in addition, it has a bonus – the Surface 3 is the first display that has a Color Gamut optimized for typical 300 lux indoor ambient light levels instead of for the dark, like all other current displays. It provides the best absolute color accuracy on a display for real-world indoor ambient lighting levels of 300 lux, an important performance feature that no other display currently provides."
"Based on our extensive lab tests and measurements, the Surface 3 has one of the very best and most accurate displays available on any mobile platform and OS. It joins near the top of a small set of Tablets that have excellent top tier displays"
I didn't say the Surface 3 display was not nice. I said it wasn't AS nice. Sorry, I should have been more clear. I know the Surface 3 display is great. I also know there's more to a display than PPI, especially (as you pointed out) on such a small display. Color accuracy in particular is very important. But I'm sure that at the end of the day the Pixel C will have a slightly better display.
I think we can agree that the Surface 3 has a display that's very likely to be pretty close in overall performance (not just raw PPI), and beats the Pixel C in most other regards, despite already having been on the market for some time.
As far as the Surface 3 atom processor beating the stuffing out of a Tegra X1 soc. Think again. The X1 is 1 teraflops which the XBox One is 1.3 teraflops. The Surface 3 atom processor is no where near that. It's in the megaflops category.
It was rumour for ''normal'' people...people from industry always know the coming products. Google knew about Ipad Pro, likewise Apple for this product.
In my case, I don't get the Chromebook Pixel because, well, it's too damn expensive for what it can do. But Pixel C can be easily thought of as, you know, a sequel to the Nexus 9?
You could think of it as that, but I'd rather have them make an X1 version of the Shield Tablet. You know, a media tablet with 16:10 aspect ratio, a stylus, front-facing speakers, and other high-end Android tablet stuff etc... Just Google-branded.
Yeah, but the Nexus 9 is the replacement for the 10, and I'd think this is the replacement for the 9. Slightly bigger screen + a bump to the newest Nvidia SOC.
Honestly for me I never considered the Nexus 9 a true replacement for the Nexus 10. This is strictly due to screen size. The Nexus 9 to me was a competitor to the Amazon 8.9 HDX and iPad Mini. I must pay for the 10 inch or larger market for tablet. I recently had a 12.2 tab app pro and love didn't however I had to give it up due to performance issues. Just recently I started to get into the Nexus branded equipment. I am now the proud owner of a Nexus 9, Nexus 7, and a nexus 10. And also a 10.5 inch tablet. I guess you could say I like tablets
Happy to see high-end tablets in a market full of cheap Android slates. What a pity that google didn't go with a larger screen (this aspect ratio would have been great for reading ebooks etc.). Anyway, I am curious to know the weight of the device (and the combined weight with the keyboard). Having said that, lots of people (including me) were complaining about the overpriced Surface type cover, now we have 2 even more expensive keyboards by Apple ($169) and Google ($149). This reduces to zero chances that Microsoft is going to lower the price of its type cover or even bundle it with SP3/4...
The keyboard is kinda cool too bad for everything else. The tablet with it's almost 4:3 AR , huge bezels all around is as poor as all else (or worse). The price for the tablet is insane.the price for the keyboard is straight up insulting. Not sure why Google wants to serve a tiny niche with it's products and rip them off, that's Apple's job. The only decent product Google had today is this keyboard but it can't be used with anything else and it costs as much as the cheapest Chromebooks.
It is interesting that they are pushing Android more towards a laptop mode but without a touchpad and cursor, it can't become good enough.
When I think about native android touch screen apps, I can't think of any that really absolutely needs a touchpad/cursor. I am willing to bet plain o'l bluetooth mouse works fine with this.
I don't think we're ready for android to replace ultraportables just yet, but I can see this being a casual outing substitute that plugs & play better with one's android phone library.
Microsoft really needs to step up their game on android and iphone integration. The outlook & one note app is a good 1st step, but will not be enough to keep people on MS ecosystem much longer.
4:3 AR - good move on a tablet. For me, it's far better for usability (do you ever use a tablet in portrait or do you only watch video?!) 16:10 is okay, but there's a reason for why the most popular tablet out there has a 4:3 screen and it's not just good marketing.
Huge bezels - again, a well considered move - you do need to be able to comfortably hold the device without touching the screen. Google have stuck to their guns with on the past Nexus devices in spite of partnering with OEMs who have gone in a different direction. Have you ever used an LG G2/3/4? I've used my G2 for the past 2 years and I still hit the bottom of the screen with my palm quite frequently.
Price - well, it's the same price as an iPad air, and it's clearly a far higher quality device than most throwaway Android tablets, so fair enough... It's not ideal (we all want another 2013 Nexus 7-alike price-wise, I guess) but it's not like the Nexus 10 was cheap, and that was a somewhat creaky, plasticky tablet with a really poor, low contrast LCD.
I probably use my tablet in portrait mode like 80% of the time, and of the remaining usage maybe 15% is video use... That being said, I do think 4:3 makes more sense than wide AS for larger tablets, even in portrait mode it just makes them easier to handle IMO. 16:10 all the way at 7" or less tho (like the venerable N7), kind of a toss up at 8".
Generally speaking, me too. The ONLY exception is I would like the Marvel Unlimited program. Although you can use the website on the Surface, and maybe that's fine, I'm not sure.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Pixel brand for Google hardware that's by Google and not some other OEM? All Nexus devices have had a manufacturer attached to them (LG, Motorola, Samsung, etc).
I think this would be a fantastic tablet. The price seems fair, but most people don't want to spend $500 on a tablet (or $650 w/ keyboard). As far as it being competition for the iPad pro or Surface, I don't buy it. I'm sure the hardware could compare, but Android cannot compete with Windows 10 for general productivity as a laptop replacement.
I sure wish Nvidia had been able to license x86. I'm sure Denver exists solely because they wanted to compete with x86 hardware in tablets...which they could have because of the GPU. But sticking it in Android is semi-pointless :-/ I could definitely do with a Windows tablet with 256 Maxwell cores :-D
Surface 3 makes much more sense at this price point, the surface 3 keyboard is cheaper too, along with offering double storage for same price and option to get a pen and LTE radio.
But it doesn't (easily) run Android. I have a 'Windows' tablet, and spend most of the time running Android-x86 on it because there are serious omissions software wise for Windows with a touch screen.
Yeah, I honestly have no idea what's missing. Actually I think generally you'd be much better covered on Windows than Android. *My* use case is a single missing program-Marvel Unlimited (which works through their website on a Surface, but still).
Now that Apple and Google have failed miserably in their attempts to copy the Surface, I'm really excited about Microsoft's SP4 & WM10 event next week.
Yeah, it must be nice having your competition come out with products that tacitly admit that your product's a great idea and fall short right as you're about to launch a product.
The magnets are a cool idea for improving lapability though, pity about it being an android tablet at the end of the day.
True...I don't think this could have gone better for Microsoft. I'm not sure if they're super great in terms of marketshare, but their products are amazing, I see them in much heavier use in real-life, and they kind of make everything else look like overpriced toys in comparison.
Price for the tablet looks ok. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 10" and Ipad Air 2 are at the same price. This tablet has a more powerful SoC and higher resolution screen, with a better aspect ratio (then 4:3) IMHO. Keyboard is overpriced, but it looks better then the Surface one (although heavier) and with better tech than some other overpriced Bluetooth iPad keyboards...
If money were no object this could be my 10" Android tablet of choice. I already have an LG G Pad 8.3, a Surface Pro 2 and an Acer Switch 10 so it's hard to justify another tablet at this moment, but I would love a 10" Android with such nice keyboard accessory (too bad the keyboard is not included in the base price).
This is the perfect replacement for my Nexus 10. I will wait to see if the Surface 4 has a fan or not. (I have the Surface pro 1 and at times it sounds like I have a private jet on my desk :)
It's nice to see Google take the lead and show other Android HW makers how to make a premium tablet that isn't just an oversized phone. Apple has been doing that for a few generations now, putting more powerful hardware into the iPad line than the iPhone line, and with resounding success. On the Android side of the fence, the Samsung Tab S2 recently launched with the same SoC as the year-old Note 4 - a significant performance deficit when compared to modern smartphones. And given that tablets are replaced by users perhaps half as often as phones, they need to be as powerful as possible.
This looks like Google taking a proper lead in showing how the tablet segment can be differentiated from smartphones. More performance, display aspect ratios that aren't limited by what's comfortable to hold in one hand, and form factor flexibility. A bit expensive, though. Although that display might be worth it.
I'm more interested in how *dim* the backlight can get than in how bright. I'd expect any modern tablet to get plenty bright, but unfortunately most don't get dim enough for use while reading in the dark-a massive, obvious oversight.
iOS devices get pretty dark, and reading programs in them let you get darker still (possibly through contrast tricks, I'm not sure, but they easily beat anything else I've seen).
With MS having gone back to x86 and properly fixed the vanilla Surface, I just don't see a justification for $400+ tablets that run a mobile OS. They haven't even addressed proper multi window multi tasking, and iOS isn't that far ahead either.
I say that as an ex ASUS Transformer user and a happy Nexus 7 user. If I HAD to upgrade right now I'd get a 9 but only because it's often $300 on Amazon (not sure how), or failing that I'd get an ASUS Zen.
The iPad has it's niche, probably will for a while although even that has seen stunted growth, dunno how Pro will do... But really high end Android tablets have a pretty tough time excusing their existence IMO.
Last year's N9 keyboard seemed to hint at OS/UI changes that didn't materialize and this looks like part deux. I'm a huge Android fan but I just don't think it scales this way very well.
I think this is simply a take on the Surface Pro which is kinda successful despite the price. I see the Pixel C as a slimmer solution to bigger Chromebooks.
$670 i3 Surface Pro 3 with full blown Windows vs a $500 Android tablet with a lousy track record of support for tablet apps, geez what a tough decision. Maybe Google should solve the problem of the Android updating mess before they try to dabble in more hardware which appeal will end up being undermined by the same lack of support.
Of course we're going for the Pixel C or the iPad Pro. Have used SP3, it's totally overrated. It's probably because I'm too dumb to use it, half of the time I can't figure out whether to use the pen to draw on the virtual keyboard or use my finger. My fat fingers and my eyes have a hard time adjust to the tiny size app/program icons in windows 10 desktop. Android devices have a hard time updating to the latest OS, because you need the latest version of OS to run apps in the Play store(Nope, most app support 2.3+ or 4.0+). To everyday end user, honestly, they should stick to the OS that were shipped with their devices. Why would you upgrade your iPhone 6 to iOS 9? The biggest feature you'll get is lag. Well, simply because Apple designed iOS 9 with iPhone 6S in mind, not any older devices. My advises to all my non-tech friends, don't do major OS updates, Android or iOS. You'll lose more than you get.
ps: security patches are a totally different story, always recommended. ps2: my wife will buy the surface pro 4 because she wants the best windows "laptop". ps3: most of the apps I use are taking advantages of the AppCompat library to bring material design elements back to 2.3+ devices. ps4: when you look at Android devices, look at their Google Play services version rather than OS version, because that's more important in terms of app compatible. (if you are able to connect to Play Store, you get the Google Play Services automatically)
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Spectrophobic - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Other than the first mobile Tegra X1, I don't get this product.digiguy - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
it's probably Google's reply to Apple ipad pro, but it lacks the screen real estate for multitasking or even just for using it as A4 size document viewer. It also lacks a stylus (and even on android a stylus can be very handy, like the one in my Note 8) for drawing and annotating. At this price I mainly see it good for gaming on Android (a Nvidia Shield 2 with X1 is rumored to be released soon).MonkeyPaw - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
The iPad Pro was just announced, and before that was just a rumor. Google would not have been able to produce this in less than a month in response. Honestly, this and IPP seem to be a response to Surface. Maybe not because Surface is so popular, but because it is an untapped market with growth potential.Alexvrb - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Surface 3 (which has been around since what, April?) doesn't have as nice of a display, but it beats the stuffing out of this thing in terms of storage and SoC, and the keyboard cover is $20 cheaper too. Given those two options I'd get the Surface. If I'm actually missing any apps (I can't think of any must-haves that are Android only for me, which are not available as either an app or a win32 program) I could run BlueStacks.I'm really not sure what they're aiming this at. Preempt the next iPad Air?
BMNify - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
@Alexvrb: Agree with all your points except Surface 3 display not being nice part, Surface 3 display is excellent and it has been tested by Displaymate and came out as one of the best displays ever put in a tablet, here are the Displaymate quotes:"That is particularly interesting about the Surface 3 is that its display performance is almost identical to the excellent Surface Pro 3 display, including a full sRGB Color Gamut. But in addition, it has a bonus – the Surface 3 is the first display that has a Color Gamut optimized for typical 300 lux indoor ambient light levels instead of for the dark, like all other current displays. It provides the best absolute color accuracy on a display for real-world indoor ambient lighting levels of 300 lux, an important performance feature that no other display currently provides."
"Based on our extensive lab tests and measurements, the Surface 3 has one of the very best and most accurate displays available on any mobile platform and OS. It joins near the top of a small set of Tablets that have excellent top tier displays"
nikon133 - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
I'd think OP was referring to "sub-retina" resolution, albeit I'd agree that Surface 3 resolution is still plenty for that size.Thanks for the quote, though - I wasn't aware of that.
Alexvrb - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
I didn't say the Surface 3 display was not nice. I said it wasn't AS nice. Sorry, I should have been more clear. I know the Surface 3 display is great. I also know there's more to a display than PPI, especially (as you pointed out) on such a small display. Color accuracy in particular is very important. But I'm sure that at the end of the day the Pixel C will have a slightly better display.I think we can agree that the Surface 3 has a display that's very likely to be pretty close in overall performance (not just raw PPI), and beats the Pixel C in most other regards, despite already having been on the market for some time.
damianrobertjones - Saturday, October 3, 2015 - link
After everything that was said you came back with, "But I'm sure that at the end of the day the Pixel C will have a slightly better display."Probably not.
htcfan - Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - link
As far as the Surface 3 atom processor beating the stuffing out of a Tegra X1 soc. Think again. The X1 is 1 teraflops which the XBox One is 1.3 teraflops. The Surface 3 atom processor is no where near that. It's in the megaflops category.lucam - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
It was rumour for ''normal'' people...people from industry always know the coming products. Google knew about Ipad Pro, likewise Apple for this product.lilmoe - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
In my case, I don't get the Chromebook Pixel because, well, it's too damn expensive for what it can do. But Pixel C can be easily thought of as, you know, a sequel to the Nexus 9?Spectrophobic - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
You could think of it as that, but I'd rather have them make an X1 version of the Shield Tablet. You know, a media tablet with 16:10 aspect ratio, a stylus, front-facing speakers, and other high-end Android tablet stuff etc... Just Google-branded.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Uh... Probably a sequel to the nexus 10, considering this is 10".Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Yeah, but the Nexus 9 is the replacement for the 10, and I'd think this is the replacement for the 9. Slightly bigger screen + a bump to the newest Nvidia SOC.Dragonphire - Saturday, October 31, 2015 - link
Honestly for me I never considered the Nexus 9 a true replacement for the Nexus 10. This is strictly due to screen size. The Nexus 9 to me was a competitor to the Amazon 8.9 HDX and iPad Mini. I must pay for the 10 inch or larger market for tablet. I recently had a 12.2 tab app pro and love didn't however I had to give it up due to performance issues. Just recently I started to get into the Nexus branded equipment. I am now the proud owner of a Nexus 9, Nexus 7, and a nexus 10. And also a 10.5 inch tablet. I guess you could say I like tabletsdigiguy - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Happy to see high-end tablets in a market full of cheap Android slates. What a pity that google didn't go with a larger screen (this aspect ratio would have been great for reading ebooks etc.). Anyway, I am curious to know the weight of the device (and the combined weight with the keyboard). Having said that, lots of people (including me) were complaining about the overpriced Surface type cover, now we have 2 even more expensive keyboards by Apple ($169) and Google ($149). This reduces to zero chances that Microsoft is going to lower the price of its type cover or even bundle it with SP3/4...squngy - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
You don't need a large screen for reading ebooks.Fiernaq - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Speak for yourself. For someone who reads quickly, having to turn the page every few seconds is a huge negative.Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
That's certainly why I prefer for example the Kindle DX's screen size to all the 6" devices!Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
You do for magazines and graphic novels. 10" is kind of doable but too small to replicate a printed page.The other issue though is how *DIM* the backlight can get. I've not seen a single Android tablet that can get dim enough for reading in the dark.
jjj - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
The keyboard is kinda cool too bad for everything else. The tablet with it's almost 4:3 AR , huge bezels all around is as poor as all else (or worse).The price for the tablet is insane.the price for the keyboard is straight up insulting. Not sure why Google wants to serve a tiny niche with it's products and rip them off, that's Apple's job.
The only decent product Google had today is this keyboard but it can't be used with anything else and it costs as much as the cheapest Chromebooks.
It is interesting that they are pushing Android more towards a laptop mode but without a touchpad and cursor, it can't become good enough.
PEJUman - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
When I think about native android touch screen apps, I can't think of any that really absolutely needs a touchpad/cursor. I am willing to bet plain o'l bluetooth mouse works fine with this.I don't think we're ready for android to replace ultraportables just yet, but I can see this being a casual outing substitute that plugs & play better with one's android phone library.
Microsoft really needs to step up their game on android and iphone integration. The outlook & one note app is a good 1st step, but will not be enough to keep people on MS ecosystem much longer.
JoeMonco - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
"Not sure why Google wants to serve a tiny niche with it's products and rip them of"Because it's vastly more profitable than the average Android OEM's bottom line?
Azurael - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
4:3 AR - good move on a tablet. For me, it's far better for usability (do you ever use a tablet in portrait or do you only watch video?!) 16:10 is okay, but there's a reason for why the most popular tablet out there has a 4:3 screen and it's not just good marketing.Huge bezels - again, a well considered move - you do need to be able to comfortably hold the device without touching the screen. Google have stuck to their guns with on the past Nexus devices in spite of partnering with OEMs who have gone in a different direction. Have you ever used an LG G2/3/4? I've used my G2 for the past 2 years and I still hit the bottom of the screen with my palm quite frequently.
Price - well, it's the same price as an iPad air, and it's clearly a far higher quality device than most throwaway Android tablets, so fair enough... It's not ideal (we all want another 2013 Nexus 7-alike price-wise, I guess) but it's not like the Nexus 10 was cheap, and that was a somewhat creaky, plasticky tablet with a really poor, low contrast LCD.
Impulses - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I probably use my tablet in portrait mode like 80% of the time, and of the remaining usage maybe 15% is video use... That being said, I do think 4:3 makes more sense than wide AS for larger tablets, even in portrait mode it just makes them easier to handle IMO. 16:10 all the way at 7" or less tho (like the venerable N7), kind of a toss up at 8".trab - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Square root of 2 to 1, this is the same ratio as A4, A3 etc. paper.boozed - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Indeed. And 10.2" makes this almost exactly the size of a sheet of A5. I'm surprised more wasn't made of this.So, waiting for that 14.3" A4 tablet...
icrf - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
For similar money, I'd much rather have a Surface 3.Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Generally speaking, me too. The ONLY exception is I would like the Marvel Unlimited program. Although you can use the website on the Surface, and maybe that's fine, I'm not sure.pixelstuff - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Any idea why Google decided to market this Android tablet under the Pixel brand instead of under the Nexus brand?This is like Chrysler introducing the new Dodge Ram Minivan or something.
Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Does seem sort of random. Maybe because it's designed by them, and/or is kind of higher end...hmm.BinaryTB - Friday, October 2, 2015 - link
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Pixel brand for Google hardware that's by Google and not some other OEM? All Nexus devices have had a manufacturer attached to them (LG, Motorola, Samsung, etc).Dragonphire - Saturday, October 31, 2015 - link
You would be correct with that statement.syxbit - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I think this would be a fantastic tablet. The price seems fair, but most people don't want to spend $500 on a tablet (or $650 w/ keyboard).As far as it being competition for the iPad pro or Surface, I don't buy it. I'm sure the hardware could compare, but Android cannot compete with Windows 10 for general productivity as a laptop replacement.
Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I sure wish Nvidia had been able to license x86. I'm sure Denver exists solely because they wanted to compete with x86 hardware in tablets...which they could have because of the GPU. But sticking it in Android is semi-pointless :-/ I could definitely do with a Windows tablet with 256 Maxwell cores :-DBMNify - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Surface 3 makes much more sense at this price point, the surface 3 keyboard is cheaper too, along with offering double storage for same price and option to get a pen and LTE radio.Azurael - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
But it doesn't (easily) run Android. I have a 'Windows' tablet, and spend most of the time running Android-x86 on it because there are serious omissions software wise for Windows with a touch screen.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I suppose the entire point for the Surface is to not sue Android at all.Manch - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
What touch screen apps can you not get on Win86? You dual booting the tablet or running blustacks?Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Yeah, I honestly have no idea what's missing. Actually I think generally you'd be much better covered on Windows than Android. *My* use case is a single missing program-Marvel Unlimited (which works through their website on a Surface, but still).Amandtec - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Welcome to age where tablets are sold at a 10% loss to materials cost, while keyboards are sold at 8000% markup.TesseractOrion - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Haha so true! :-)Arnulf - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
"... that should more than give other Android tablet SoCs more than a run for their money"This is more than confusing.
sorten - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Now that Apple and Google have failed miserably in their attempts to copy the Surface, I'm really excited about Microsoft's SP4 & WM10 event next week.xthetenth - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Yeah, it must be nice having your competition come out with products that tacitly admit that your product's a great idea and fall short right as you're about to launch a product.The magnets are a cool idea for improving lapability though, pity about it being an android tablet at the end of the day.
Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
True...I don't think this could have gone better for Microsoft. I'm not sure if they're super great in terms of marketshare, but their products are amazing, I see them in much heavier use in real-life, and they kind of make everything else look like overpriced toys in comparison.(But no Marvel Unlimited app, boo! :-D )
TesseractOrion - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Looks lovely, but can't see it selling very well at that price tbh...Mugur - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Price for the tablet looks ok. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 10" and Ipad Air 2 are at the same price. This tablet has a more powerful SoC and higher resolution screen, with a better aspect ratio (then 4:3) IMHO. Keyboard is overpriced, but it looks better then the Surface one (although heavier) and with better tech than some other overpriced Bluetooth iPad keyboards...If money were no object this could be my 10" Android tablet of choice. I already have an LG G Pad 8.3, a Surface Pro 2 and an Acer Switch 10 so it's hard to justify another tablet at this moment, but I would love a 10" Android with such nice keyboard accessory (too bad the keyboard is not included in the base price).
Bragabondio - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
This is the perfect replacement for my Nexus 10. I will wait to see if the Surface 4 has a fan or not. (I have the Surface pro 1 and at times it sounds like I have a private jet on my desk :)Valantar - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
It's nice to see Google take the lead and show other Android HW makers how to make a premium tablet that isn't just an oversized phone. Apple has been doing that for a few generations now, putting more powerful hardware into the iPad line than the iPhone line, and with resounding success. On the Android side of the fence, the Samsung Tab S2 recently launched with the same SoC as the year-old Note 4 - a significant performance deficit when compared to modern smartphones. And given that tablets are replaced by users perhaps half as often as phones, they need to be as powerful as possible.This looks like Google taking a proper lead in showing how the tablet segment can be differentiated from smartphones. More performance, display aspect ratios that aren't limited by what's comfortable to hold in one hand, and form factor flexibility. A bit expensive, though. Although that display might be worth it.
Wolfpup - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I'm more interested in how *dim* the backlight can get than in how bright. I'd expect any modern tablet to get plenty bright, but unfortunately most don't get dim enough for use while reading in the dark-a massive, obvious oversight.iOS devices get pretty dark, and reading programs in them let you get darker still (possibly through contrast tricks, I'm not sure, but they easily beat anything else I've seen).
Bragabondio - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
I use screen filter on Android (works great for reading in bed)galfert - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
That's is all great. But how much does it weigh???????Impulses - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
With MS having gone back to x86 and properly fixed the vanilla Surface, I just don't see a justification for $400+ tablets that run a mobile OS. They haven't even addressed proper multi window multi tasking, and iOS isn't that far ahead either.I say that as an ex ASUS Transformer user and a happy Nexus 7 user. If I HAD to upgrade right now I'd get a 9 but only because it's often $300 on Amazon (not sure how), or failing that I'd get an ASUS Zen.
The iPad has it's niche, probably will for a while although even that has seen stunted growth, dunno how Pro will do... But really high end Android tablets have a pretty tough time excusing their existence IMO.
Last year's N9 keyboard seemed to hint at OS/UI changes that didn't materialize and this looks like part deux. I'm a huge Android fan but I just don't think it scales this way very well.
zodiacfml - Thursday, October 1, 2015 - link
I think this is simply a take on the Surface Pro which is kinda successful despite the price. I see the Pixel C as a slimmer solution to bigger Chromebooks.StrangerGuy - Saturday, October 3, 2015 - link
$670 i3 Surface Pro 3 with full blown Windows vs a $500 Android tablet with a lousy track record of support for tablet apps, geez what a tough decision. Maybe Google should solve the problem of the Android updating mess before they try to dabble in more hardware which appeal will end up being undermined by the same lack of support.amdwilliam1985 - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link
Of course we're going for the Pixel C or the iPad Pro. Have used SP3, it's totally overrated. It's probably because I'm too dumb to use it, half of the time I can't figure out whether to use the pen to draw on the virtual keyboard or use my finger. My fat fingers and my eyes have a hard time adjust to the tiny size app/program icons in windows 10 desktop.Android devices have a hard time updating to the latest OS, because you need the latest version of OS to run apps in the Play store(Nope, most app support 2.3+ or 4.0+). To everyday end user, honestly, they should stick to the OS that were shipped with their devices. Why would you upgrade your iPhone 6 to iOS 9? The biggest feature you'll get is lag. Well, simply because Apple designed iOS 9 with iPhone 6S in mind, not any older devices. My advises to all my non-tech friends, don't do major OS updates, Android or iOS. You'll lose more than you get.
ps: security patches are a totally different story, always recommended.
ps2: my wife will buy the surface pro 4 because she wants the best windows "laptop".
ps3: most of the apps I use are taking advantages of the AppCompat library to bring material design elements back to 2.3+ devices.
ps4: when you look at Android devices, look at their Google Play services version rather than OS version, because that's more important in terms of app compatible. (if you are able to connect to Play Store, you get the Google Play Services automatically)
HisDivineOrder - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link
At least there's no 16GB model to taunt users with absurdly small amounts of available storage.