Could the Pixel Tablet be too niche?

All eyes are on Google this year as the company is going to bring the first tablet into its Pixel family. At the time of writing this article, the price for it hasn’t been revealed. However, we know how much the charging dock is going to cost, and it’s pretty pricey at $129. So, it seems that Google is gearing up to offer an interesting tablet. The question is, could the Pixel Tablet be a bit too niche to pick up?

The mentality behind the Pixel Tablet is the same mentality behind notebook foldable phones: having one device that can switch modes and basically transform into another. In the case of the Pixel Tablet, it will act as a tablet when undocked and a smart display when docked.

It’s a neat idea! While this has been done before, it hasn’t been done with much success. Enter Google to turn this gimmick from trashed to trendy. The only thing is that we’re in the middle of a global economic struggle. People are watching every penny they spend that much closer, so it’s much more important to sell a tablet that will appeal to more people.

The Pixel Tablet might be a bit too niche

The Pixel Tablet is shaping up to be a pretty capable device. We’re looking at a large screen with a nice resolution, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and the powerful Google Tensor G2 SoC. The fact that this tablet’s going to be built from the ground up for this chip only sweetens the deal.

However, as powerful as this device is, it’s still a tablet. The tablet market has been on a consistent decline over the years, and it’s still falling despite the boost it got during the pandemic. So, getting people to buy the Pixel Tablet in the first place is already a struggle.

Also, while we’re still in the dark on the price, let’s not mince words; this is going to be a flagship tablet, so we should expect a flagship price.

Now, let’s factor in the next part of the equation, the dock. This is what’s going to turn this tablet into a smart display. More specifically, it’s going to turn it into a Nest Hub. At $129, the charging dock is a bit pricey. It’s not horrendous, but the fact that the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) costs $99 shines a pretty harsh light on it.

What makes it the Pixel Tablet niche?

Now, the reason why the Pixel Tablet could be too niche is that it’s trying to appeal to two niche markets at the same time. It’s looking to appeal to the tablet user and the smart display user. One might say that this is a good thing. Appealing to more markets might make it more likely that people will buy it.

However, it may not be as direct as that. Google is looking to appeal to the market of people who simultaneously want to use a tablet and a smart display. Those are two niche markets in and of themselves. The Pixel Tablet is meant to appeal to the Venn diagram intersection of those two markets, and that might be a small section of the graph.

Are there enough people out there who want both to justify a second-generation Pixel Tablet? While companies have blended tablets and smart displays before, there’s never really been a huge need for it. So, expecting someone to tack on an additional $129 for the full Pixel Tablet experience might be too much.

Without the stand, there’s not much to set it apart

The fact that the stand is a separate accessory that you’ll need to purchase might pose an issue because without it, what else is there to differentiate it from the other tablets?

The thing with Galaxy Tabs and iPads is that they have an immediate audience. It doesn’t matter what those devices have or lack, fans will flock to those devices en masse. Surface tablets have a full desktop operating system loaded onto them.

Those are the tablets that the Pixel Tablet is going to trade blows with when it launches; the upper-tier tablets. So, what will the Pixel Tablet have to combat them? Well, there’s the ability for it to seamlessly convert into a smart display. That’s significant, and there’s no doubt that this will attract some users.

But this tablet is going to need to appeal to the masses in order to maximize profits, and the common consumer won’t want to pay an additional $129. So, without the addition of the charging stand, the Pixel Tablet doesn’t have much to set it apart.

Sure, you get the optimized Android tablet experience, but there are other tablets like the OnePlus Pad, newer Galaxy Tabs, and the Lenovo tablets that have this. Yes, you’ll have the integration between it and other Pixel devices, but that requires you to have other Pixel devices.

As far as the specs go, there’s nothing that will make this tablet turn heads. We can expect the tablet to perfectly leverage the Tensor G2 SoC, but it has 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 2K display, four speakers, and a decent battery. These are really good, but nothing sticks out. The defining trait of the Pixel Tablet is its dock- an attachment.

The price could be the make-or-break aspect

One of the missing pieces to the puzzle is the price. We’re still in the dark about how much this tablet is going to cost. As stated, the specs are really good. They’re not extreme, but they could facilitate a hefty price tag.

However, there’s a chance that Google could wow us with the price. The trick is to sway people away from the Galaxy Tabs and the iPads of the world. So, if Google prices this tablet at or around the price for those tablets, then that’ll be a hard task chipping at their fanbases.

If Google can price this tablet low enough to (while making a profit, of course) undercut some of the mid-tier and upper-tier tablets from competitors, that could be a solid win for it. That would also convince customers to invest in the charging stand.

The Pixel Tablet seems like an interesting device, but there are some factors going against it at the moment. Maybe Google will surprise us; you never know. All we know is that we’re all excited to see this tablet take on the titans of the tablet world. We expect it to launch around Google I/O.