Google’s annual hardware show saw the announcement of several new products including the Pixel 3, Google Home Hub and Chromecast 3. We take a look at the Pixel Slate which is Google’s new product for the portable computing market. (You can also read our initial impressions of the Slate.)
The Pixel Slate is built from the ground up to be a powerful and portable device. Set in a slick midnight blue colour, the device is designed to have a perfectly balanced center of gravity and remain extremely light despite it’s power.
The 12.3in custom screen contains 6 million pixels at 293 PPI, making it one of the sharpest displays in the market. The speakers are located on the front of the device, allowing a stereo experience with a custom designed audio profile to make sure the audio quality is always top notch.
8MP from and rear facing camera bring a fantastic amount of utility to the Pixel Slate, with the front camera having a wide angle lens for video calling, ensuring that you can get everyone on your side in the picture.
ChromeOS has seen many updates and changes to it’s operating system to make it that much more powerful and easy to use. The UI has been optimised for touch screen and brings a full desktop experience, allowing the use of the G Suite and the desktop browser version of Google Chrome. Google’s own algorithm learn which apps are your most used, and will show them to you first when opening up the browsing menu.
ChromeOS also comes with improvements such as Family Link which allows you to control your children’s devices easily and quickly, and DND mode so notifications will not bother you outside of work or when you’re asleep.
The power button also doubles as a fingerprint sensor, so simply touching your finger to the button will turn your Pixel Slate on and unlock it for use.
ChromeOS will update in the background automatically so updates will never get in your way. The inbuilt Titan Security chip will keep your data and personal information safe, along with the built in anti virus protection.
The Pixel Slate keyboard, which can be seen above, will connect easily to the display without the need to charge or pair it manually. It is fully sized and backlit, with hush keys to ensure your typing isn’t distracting everyone else in the room.
When is the Pixel Slate release date?
The exact release date for the Pixel Slate wasn’t announced at the event, but we do know it’s coming later this year
How much is the Pixel Slate going to cost?
The Pixel Slate will be on sale for £549/ $599. The keyboard will be an additional £189/ $199 and the pen will be £79/ $99.
Read next: Pixel Slate vs Surface Pro 6 comparison.