So far, the rumor mill has suggested that Google is prepping two new Nexus phones for 2015, but there’s no word of a Nexus-branded tablet. That’s still the case, but according to a new report, Google is indeed creating a new Android tablet.
The Pixel C is said to be a new Android 6.0 tablet that’s a part of the same Pixel family as Google’s high-end Chromebooks. The Pixel C, reportedly codename “Ryu,” is said to feature a 10.2-inch display at 308ppi with a very bright backlight rated at 500 nits. Inside the Pixel C is expected to be a quad-core NVIDIA X1 processor, 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a USB Type-C connector.
The shell of the Pixel C will reportedly be like the Pixel laptops. That is, a metal body with a lightbar on its rear to indicate battery life. Google is also expected to offer aluminum and leather keyboard accessories that attach to the tablet itself.
Google is expected to show the Pixel C at its big event tomorrow, but a launch may not happen until November. As for price? That’s a mystery, but given the Pixel C’s rumored specs and the prices of the Pixel laptops, don’t expect the Pixel C to be cheap.
Google showed an interest in using a tablet as a sort of laptop replacement with the Nexus 9, which had an optional keyboard folio accessory. This Pixel C sounds like the next step in Google’s effort to make an Android tablet that you can use to get serious work done. Given Apple’s recent iPad Pro announcement, it sounds like we could see Google and Apple battle it out for your laptop replacement dollars this holiday season.
