Smart Displays / Google
Google Pixel Tablet (128 GB, dock sold separately)
The sharpest screen and the freest software — but the dock that makes it a display costs $129.
Overall score 6.9/10
Pros
- + 2560 x 1600 makes every dedicated smart display in this list look coarse
- + Runs any Android app, so it is the only device here that can do Zoom, FaceTime-adjacent apps or Home Assistant
- + No ads in Hub Mode and no vendor lock on video calling
- + Undocks and becomes a genuinely good tablet — nothing else here leaves the counter
Cons
- − The Charging Speaker Dock that makes it a smart display is now a $129 accessory — it used to be included
- − Not a Thread border router and no Zigbee, so it hubs less than a $99.99 Nest Hub
- − $399 before the dock; $528 to match what a $229 Nest Hub Max does out of the box
- − No hardware camera or mic kill switch of any kind
- − 2023 Tensor G2 hardware, and Google has not announced a successor
Google Pixel Tablet (128 GB, dock sold separately) review: what the specs say
The sharpest screen and the freest software — but the dock that makes it a display costs $129. At $399, Google's 2023 model sits at the premium end of the category — the smart Displays we compare run from $79.99 to $399.99. It scores 6.9/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Display Quality at 9.5/10 — size, resolution and pixel density for the money. The weakest is Value at 5.0/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: the Charging Speaker Dock that makes it a smart display is now a $129 accessory — it used to be included; and not a Thread border router and no Zigbee, so it hubs less than a $99.99 Nest Hub. Every specification on this page comes from Google's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Voice Assistant | Gemini for Home in Hub Mode, plus the full Gemini Android app; no subscription for basic voice control |
| Screen Size | 10.95 in |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Camera | 8 MP front camera (and an 8 MP rear camera) |
| Physical Camera Shutter | No shutter and no hardware kill switch — Android's software privacy indicators and toggles only |
| Speakers | Four tablet speakers; the Charging Speaker Dock adds a larger driver but is NOT included at this price |
| Smart Home Hub Radios | Google Home hub / Matter controller over Wi-Fi only — no Zigbee and NOT a Thread border router; Google names only Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Wifi Pro as border routers |
| Subscriptions Required | No subscription for voice control; Google Home Premium ($10/mo or $20/mo) for camera history, and Google AI Pro for the higher Gemini tiers |
| Home-Screen Ads | No sponsored cards in Hub Mode |
| Video Calling | Google Meet, plus any Android video-calling app from the Play Store — the only device here that is not locked to one caller network |
| Wall Mountable | No |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, Matter over Wi-Fi, USB-C |
| Material | Nano-ceramic coated aluminium |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare Google Pixel Tablet (128 GB, dock sold separately) With
Cheaper Alternative
Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen, 2024) — $299.99