Google Pixel Slate Review: Beats Apple & Microsoft

Published on December 12, 2019
Google Pixel Slate Review: Beats Apple & Microsoft
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The iPad Pro from Apple, the Surface Pro 6 from Microsoft, Both devices are fantastic, but neither provide a tablet or laptop equally effective. Surface is more focused on the later while iPad is more focused on the former,

But now a new option is available which is Google Pixel Slate. Taking advantage of both the strengths of Chrome OS and Android, Google has developed two platforms which can combine mobile and desktop communications in a new way.

Design

We like the current Google design language. The company’s approach to design is more cohesive than ever, whether it’s redesigned web apps or a Pixel 3 smartphone. It is playful, colorful and lightweight. One of the best examples of this new identity was the Pixelbook. A fresh air breath in MacBook Silver Sea lookalikes.

Slightly different look has been given to Pixel Slate. It’s simpler, dark and a little bizarre. On Pixel 3 and Pixelbook, there is no unique2-tone material break. This little splash of interest is missing. The back of the Slate is a color called Midnight Blue, a dark shade of the Navy. It is serious, understated and does not match the Google hardware’s current look.

Competitors such as iPad Pro and Surface Pro have a better look than the Pixel. In particular, the new iPad Pro, with its fine bezels, looks obsolete in the black chunks around the Slate display.

The slate is durable and rigid to retain in hand. If you are using them alone, large bezels can provide a better grasp. Google says the majority of heavier components have been difficult to put into the center of the device to make the feel more equilibrated. Weight of Pixel Slate feels like less than it actually is

Pixel Slate, without the keyboard, has an average of 1.6 pounds weight and 0.28 centimeters of thickness and is just slightly lighter than Surface Pro 6. In terms of footprint on the table, it is nearly identical to Surface Pro 6. Both devices are not so portable as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, only 0.23 inches thick and 1.4 pounds weight. The iPad is always the favorite device for a tablet.

There are two USB-C ports available in Pixel Slate. There is also a power button. It also works as fingerprint. One rocker volume, which runs along the edges of the device. There is no headphone jack available on Pixel Slate. That’s why, integration of a USB-C port on either side is particularly good. You can charge it when connected to wired accessories such as a keyboard, monitor and mouse. In contrast to iPad Pro, a 3.5 mm USB-C dongle is included in the box in the Pixel Slate.

Keyboard

It does not have a $99 pixel pen or the $149 folio keyboard so that it positioned itself as tablet. That’s too bad since the keyboard is an intelligent combination of ideas that we’ve seen in the2-in-1 area and great for use.

 The Surface Pro Type Cover looks like it from front, leaving space for a full-sized keyboard and touchpad. It’s like the iPad Smart Keyboard Folio but with a sophisticated twist on the back. The top fold attaches to the device’s back magnetically. If you emulate the feeling of the Surface Pro 6 kick stand, you can change the viewing angle in a single hand. Leaning the angle back does not enhance the overall size of the desk. This is a disgusting aspect of the kickstand design of the Surface Pro. You can also flip the keyboard underneath the screen magnetically to connect to the media mode basis.

Resolution

The 3:2 display appearance ratio of the Google Pixel Slate is perfect for a 2-in-1 device. It still offers higher screen images as a widescreen of 16:9 despite of being not as big as the 4:3 iPad Pro. Amazingly 3,000x 2,000 or 293 pixels per inch are the screen resolution. This is a sharp jump from the Surface Pro 6 or the Pixelbook. Even more than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it is the most dense pixel screen you can actually buy on a tablet.

 Audio

Pixel Slate has the best set of speakers ever heard on a tablet to match that unbelievable display. We’re not sure about Google’s type of magic, but it sets the new standard. Bass reaction is surprisingly good, because an audio spectrum usually is not part of the laptop. We could easily select the bass lines and the kick drum thump. Only the iPad Pro and its four-speaker settings are the real Slate competitor.

Battery

The Slate is designed for web browsing, and its battery life stands out. Slate ran a little longer than the claim of Google; 10 hours and 45 minutes in lightweight browsing. It lasted just over 12 hours on the local video loop. It lasted for seven hours in a heavier workload and is just over four hours in our intense Benchmark.

These are more impressive numbers than they might be. They struck the Surface Pro 6 on the whole because of the size of the battery which is 48 watts per hour compared with Surface’s 45 watts per hour. Google also beat the MacBook Air devices and the original Pixelbook. Even with its 37 watt-hour battery, iPad Pro claims similar duration of ten hours, but the Slate does it according to our tests.

Final Words

The pixel plate it is better than the Surface Pro 6 and also better than the iPad Pro. However, the strengths of the two devices exceed any of the pixel slate strength. With perfect speakers, flawless display and a folio keyboard, The Slate is at an effective spot at present, even though its top competitors are not soundly defeated.

Read Next: Apple MacBook Air 2019 Review: Its MacBook Air 2018 With Few New Features

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