Google’s Pixel Pill is a product that’s a bit outdoors of the norm, most likely to its detriment, however in crafting upcoming sequels, I hope Google doesn’t lose the appeal of the primary era.
The Pixel Pill launched in mid-2023 to middling reception. Whereas it’s basically a great Android pill, that’s not precisely a excessive bar to clear, and there are some clear points. Google’s {hardware} isn’t as aggressive with different high-end tablets just like the iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup, with a lesser show and the Tensor G2 chip that’s nicely behind the competitors. Plus, the shortage of an actual accent ecosystem holds again the pill from an enormous assortment of customers.
That mentioned, the previous a number of months of utilizing the Pixel Pill extra usually have stored reminding me of the appeal of this gadget.
I believe with the primary Pixel Pill, Google actually discovered a great way to construct a pill for the house, moderately than one for the go. I’ve actually loved throwing on a film on the pill at my desk, solely to select the pill up and stroll into one other room to cook dinner, all whereas protecting that media going. After all, you are able to do this with any pill, however what offers that have one thing particular, at the very least for me, is how Google designed the Pixel Pill.
After all, there’s the dock, which boosts the speaker output dramatically and makes the pill a genuinely good place to eat media. However, then, there are little rubber toes alongside the underside of the pill that make it simple to prop it up in opposition to actually any floor with out a lot thought. As a substitute of getting stands in every single place like I did on my iPad, I can simply put the Pixel Pill wherever it’s conveinent.
Nonetheless, the way forward for the Pixel Pill at the moment appears in flux.
A report this week revealed that Google’s present plans for a Pixel Pill sequel might need been shelved, with a future model probably nonetheless within the works. A latest leak round Google’s Tensor chips hinted that one other mannequin could possibly be coming in 2027, although there’s actually nonetheless loads of potential for an additional one to come back sooner.
What does this imply for a future Pixel Pill? It’s actually onerous to say proper now, because the outlook is fairly murky.
Personally, although, I worry it could simply result in Google taking out the issues that set the Pixel Pill aside, the appeal of the gadget.
The precedent right here has already been set. With 2023’s Pixel Fold, Google tried one thing new within the area, placing out a foldable with a really completely different type issue that was fairly polarizing. It had a number of good issues, a number of appeal, but additionally a number of downsides. In fixing these obvious downsides, lots of which had nothing to do with the shape issue, Google ended up fully reinventing the Pixel Fold to ship the much-improved, but additionally extra run-of-the-mill Pixel 9 Professional Fold.
I don’t need the identical to occur to the Pixel Pill however, sadly, I believe it most likely will.
If the rumor mill is appropriate and Google is making this transfer for the sake of earnings, that just about says all the things. With that being the case, Google might be aiming to make the Pixel Pill a bit extra “commonplace,” one thing nearer to what Samsung’s Galaxy tablets and Apple’s iPad convey to the desk, particularly given the rumors that Google is folding ChromeOS into Android.
What do you suppose?
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