Google's Pixel Tablet has the best chance of any Android tablet to take on Apple's iPads. Here's a hands-on look and how to preorder.

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Google announced the Pixel Tablet during the Google I/O event on May 10. The tablet starts at $499 and is available to pre-order now. It will go on sale on June 20.

With the Pixel Tablet, Google is trying for the second time to enter the tablet space that's dominated by Apple's iPads. With a $499 starting price, the Pixel Tablet can reasonably compete against the iPad, but it's still a tough sell when the 9th-generation iPad sells for $330, and the 10th-generation iPad starts at $450.

The Pixel Tablet's biggest selling point is the included charging speaker dock combined with its support for the Google Assistant smart voice assistant. The tablet itself performs all the Google Assistant work, and it enables a "Hub Mode" when it's magnetically placed on the dock, effectively transforming it into a Nest Hub smart home display.

It's a decent proposition. Google Assistant has proven itself far more capable than Apple's Siri in voice recognition and performing voice-prompted tasks — if you have smart home devices that support Google Assistant, the Pixel Tablet could be a great addition to a household. 

If you're not interested in its smart home capabilities, the Pixel Tablet's dock can simply be a handy charging and speaker dock to keep the tablet upright and search the web, take video calls, or start music and video streams by using your voice. 

The dock itself doesn't include Bluetooth connectivity, so you can't connect another device to play audio. It's purely a charging and speaker dock for the Pixel Tablet. 

Google Pixel Tablet: Hands-on impressions

The Pixel Tablet feels decidedly premium. Apart from the display, it's made entirely of aluminum coated in a nano-ceramic material, which has a unique texture that straddles the line between metal and a matte glass.

In almost every respect, the Pixel Tablet basically works like a tablet-sized Pixel 7 — it runs Android and apps on Google's Tensor G2 processor. Unlike other Android tablets, where the Android operating system looks and feels awkwardly adapted for a tablet's size, Android 13 with Google's Material You design looks surprisingly at home on the Pixel Tablet.

Many of Google's apps have been optimized for the larger display, and several third-party apps have also done the same. Google is working to get more apps optimized so they make full use of the tablet's large 11-inch display. 

The Pixel Tablet attaches to the dock magnetically and the connection is strong. However, Google cleverly made the magnet on the bottom edge of the docking surface weaker. That way, you can undock the Pixel Tablet from its bottom edge first without dragging the dock with it. 

Google Pixel Tablet: Price and release date

The Pixel Tablet starts at $499 and is available to pre-order now from the Google Store online. It'll be available to buy from Google and other retailers like Best Buy and Amazon on June 20. 

The Pixel Tablet comes bundled with its charging and speaker dock, and there isn't an option to buy the tablet alone. You can, however, buy additional docks on their own for $129.

The tablet comes in two storage tiers: a 128GB version for $499, and a 256GB version for $599.

Google Pixel Tablet: Specs