5 Pixel Tablet features that make me wonder how I managed before

There’s something to be said about a device or product that’s earned your loyalty (and your dollar) again and again over the years. It could be as simple as something like your favorite pair of socks, or as significant as smartphones four to five generations older than the newest model. In a world where people are always trying to keep up with Jones’s, they notice how small it is in your hand or how your laptop is barely hanging on — but why would you ever replace it if it still works?

I don’t mind discussing devices like these that have proven themselves. Something like an Amazon Echo Dot can still work really well, even if you got it six or seven years ago. Your older Apple Watch should work fine if you’ve properly cared for it. There are many flashy new devices on the market every day, but if you don’t need to upgrade, you shouldn’t.

The Pixel Tablet was released over a year ago, but it still offers some of the best features of any Google device on the market.

I know that something over a year old isn’t that old in the grand scheme of things, but in technology terms, it definitely can get up there, depending on your device. But, Google built the Pixel Tablet as a forward-thinking device, as it marked a return to the tablet game for the company. Not only does it have Gemini AI built in, but it’s ideal for smart home integrations as well.

Here’s more on the Pixel Tablet features I can’t get through the day without.

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Google Pixel Tablet

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The Google Pixel Tablet was released in 2023 and offers Gemini AI along with smart home integrations. Those make this a forward-looking tablet and offer flexibility in its use. Plus, it has a high resolution display that’s great to look at.

1 Chromecast is built in

It’s the only tablet like this for streaming purposes

When you think of tablet use, one of the most common purposes is to watch TV shows/movies on it and stream music. Google made it easy to use the Google Pixel Tablet for these purposes by including Cast directly in its operating system.

You can pull up something on your phone — most easily done with a Google Pixel phone if you have one — and cast it onto the Pixel Tablet in just a few steps. That way, you have a bigger screen to stream on, and you can show others more easily as well.

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If you’re used to using a Chromecast on its own and plugging it into your TV, you know how easy it is to watch on it. But now you don’t need a separate device to stream from. This works with YouTube and other music apps, so you could be listening to something on your phone, get home, and just tap a few buttons to cast it onto your Pixel Tablet, allowing the rest of the room to enjoy the music.

2 Gemini AI comes in handy

It came more recently but enhances the tablet

Google’s Gemini AI has become the feature that it’s pushed the hardest in its products and platforms over the past year. It has moved from Google Bard to Gemini, and the incorporation into its devices and search engines has become a focal point of the future of its devices. Gemini AI has become ingrained in the Google Pixel Tablet over the past year, which wasn’t the case when it first came out. However, through updates, it uses Gemini AI through search functions and voice commands.

By utilizing Gemini, you can access AI responses across your Google apps, such as Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Drive. This makes for easier multitasking and cross-platform usage. You can also ask it to create a picture and send it through Google Messages.

Circle to Search also fits in with this, as the popular feature on other Pixel devices comes to life on the Pixel Tablet. Anything you circle in an app will automatically be searched. So, if you see a picture of a pair of shoes that you like, you can circle them and Gemini will search for them and provide options to buy them.

All of this runs efficiently thanks to Google’s Tensor G2 chip that’s under the hood. It’s the first tablet with this chip built into it. The chip delivers fast AI functionality but also a plus GPU for gaming and a Titan M2 security chip to protect your data.

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3 Dock it on the Charging Speaker Dock

Don’t just show it off — use it in even more ways

One of the best things about the Google Pixel Tablet is the Charging Speaker Dock. It turns the tablet into a hub you can use for several different tasks. When you put it onto the dock, it turns into Hub Mode, which lets you keep your Pixel Tablet charged at all times, so whenever you want to use it away from the dock, it’s fully charged. But, while it is plugged in, you can set a background by picking a photo or customizing with a standard option from Google.

So, you have a digital picture frame that you can also use to control your Google Home devices. One of the few apps you can use while it’s docked is the Google Home app to connect with those smart home devices I mentioned earlier.

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While it’s plugged into the dock, it’s also an ideal time to use the tablet to play music, which is a big plus because it switches from using the Google Pixel Tablet’s speakers, and the audio instead comes from the Charging Dock. This fills the room with sound, and while the tablet has four speakers on it, the dock delivers more punch.

You can use voice commands while the Pixel Tablet is in Hub Mode. By saying “Hey Google,” you can get its attention and ask it to play music, open up your Google Home app, play a TV show, and much more. You can also ask it to turn lights on, set a timer, and other commands.

4 Magic Editor to get your pictures looking right

The power to change your photos with a couple of taps

Google Photos doesn’t just let you put a photo as your background while using Hub Mode — you also get full access to your Google Photos library and can edit or send them via the tablet. While you’re using Google Photos, you can utilize the Magic Editor, which allows you to touch up the photos or have the tablet edit them for you.

It will use Gemini AI to move objects in the photos around, adjust the background, eliminate unwanted elements from the images, and more. All it takes is a few taps, and you’re using it comprehensively for both photos and videos.

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5 Google Meet for your video calls

Tracking you is simple and easy

The two cameras on the Google Pixel Tablet are both 8-megapixels with a 1/4-inch sensor. One is on the front, and the other is on the rear. You can use them both to take photos and videos and handle video calls.

Google Meet is built into the operating system, so you don’t need to download the app or anything like that. You can enjoy the underrated tablet by making phone calls both in and out of Hub Mode.

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