Google quits tablet business to focus on laptops, cancels two in-production devices

[midian182]

Why it matters: Remember when Google unveiled the Pixel Slate at 2018’s Made By Google event? It seems that the device will be the last tablet it makes for the foreseeable future, as the company abandons the format to concentrate on its laptop efforts.

Computer World and Business Insider both report that Google had two unnamed, smaller tablets in development set for release later this year, but those have now been canceled, and the employees who were working on them have been reassigned to other areas. The majority are said to have joined the Pixelbook team, with the others moved to "confidential projects."

The ChromeOS-powered Pixel Slate arrived with mostly middling-to-poor reviews last year as many complained about its software and, in the case of the Core m3 model, poor performance. It certainly didn’t pose a threat to Apple’s iPads, which continue to dominate the tablet space though their mix of performance, software, and various price ranges. The impending arrival of iPadOS, which promises to bring iPads closer to laptops, may also have influenced Google’s thinking.

Focusing its resources on the better-received Pixelbook feels like a smart plan on Google’s part. A company spokesperson told Computer World it was “very likely” a successor to the 2-in-1 would be released sometime in 2019.

Google assures those who own a Pixel Slate that the device will be supported for the long-term. Rick Osterloh, SVP of Google’s devices and services business, tweeted that “Android & Chrome OS teams are 100% committed for the long-run on working with our partners on tablets for all segments of the market (consumer, enterprise, edu).”

Hey, it's true...Google's HARDWARE team will be solely focused on building laptops moving forward, but make no mistake, Android & Chrome OS teams are 100% committed for the long-run on working with our partners on tablets for all segments of the market (consumer, enterprise, edu)

— Rick Osterloh (@rosterloh) June 20, 2019

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https://www.techspot.com/news/80609-google-quits-tablet-business-focus-laptops-cancels-two.html

 

[m-tec]

They could have done soo much better. My Nvidia shield tablet is the perfect mix of performance and flexibility. Expandable storage to 128gb, otg support for usb devices, HDMI port to connect to a monitor or TV. Powerful processor and graphics, front firing stereo speaker with bass speakers also, stylus support and runs stock android. All it lacked was 64bit support and a second USB port for power while I use the otg function. I'm gutted Nvidia will not make another! It's a 2014 tablet and the battery still runs a full HD high bitrate video for 8 hours.

 

[mrtraver]

Other than the Nvidia shield tablet, there has not been an affordable high performance tablet since the Nexus 7 was killed off. The Nexus line represented affordable performance, while Pixels have a dumb name and cost too much for what you get.

 

[mrtraver]

The Nexus Tablet suffered from the problems I pointed out above. Google over-focused on the wrong specs and didn't strike a good balance between features/performance/price.

Sure, the Nexus tablets were not perfect (I would have traded the fancy Fraunhofer sound system for expandable storage and HDMI-out like my Shield tablet has), but at the time I bought it, I could find nothing else that came close to the performance for under $400. I have never had any battery or performance issues with my 2013 Nexus 7. I still use it for media consumption, but the touchscreen sensor went wonky and would not consistently register touches so it became useless for gaming.

 

[SirDigby]

No surprise, Google abandoned the Pixel tablet very early, leaving it with a LOT of bugs and performance issues. I very much regret buying one, especially in 2017. Hey ho, you live and you learn.