Google Pixel Pill hands-on: Such a terrific concept

The final time we noticed an Android-powered pill from Google was in 2015. To be clear, that predates the complete Pixel lineup (the OG Pixel smartphone launched in 2016). So yeah, it’s been some time. However right here we’re with a model new slate from the corporate: the Google Pixel Pill.

That is the primary time there’s been a pill with “Pixel” in its identify. It’s additionally the primary time a pill has been designed purposely to not depart the home and be on a charger 90% of the time. Confused? Let me clarify what’s taking place right here with our Pixel Pill hands-on.

Google launched the Pixel Pill on Might 10, 2023, alongside its first foldable cellphone, the Pixel Fold. In my Pixel Fold hands-on, I discuss quite a bit about how terrific it’s that Google made the Pixel Fold match the design language we see in its different non-foldable gadgets.

Sadly, Google didn’t attempt so exhausting with the Pixel Pill. The pill appears prefer it got here from the “outdated” Google — the one which designed the Pixel 3 or Pixelbook Go. The Pixel Pill is all curves with a again panel that appears and feels prefer it got here from the design schematics for the Pixel 5. The very thick bezels across the show additionally make it look dated. Most slates from the key producers have pretty minimal bezels.

This all isn’t essentially dangerous, although. In truth, the pill’s design makes it slot in properly with the design ethos of Nest and its good shows. Ultimately, that’s actually the place this pill matches available in the market, so it makes lots of sense.

Exterior of its aesthetic, the Pixel Pill is fairly typical. It has a ten.95-inch LCD panel with a decision of two,560 x 1,600 in a 16:10 facet ratio. Its brightness is fairly restricted at 500 nits (which turned an enormous downside as we tried to {photograph} it underneath the shining California solar). It additionally is available in three colours: Hazel, Porcelain, and Rose.

Let’s be sincere: the Pixel Pill by itself isn’t that fascinating. The dock — which comes with the pill whether or not you need it or not — is the true promoting level of the system and, one may even argue, the complete motive behind the pill’s existence. The dock intends to unravel what Google says is the largest downside with proudly owning a pill: it sits in a drawer unused and, whenever you finally need to use it, you discover its battery useless on account of neglect.

With this in thoughts, the dock isn’t only a charger for the pill. Utilizing a four-pin magnetic connector, you snap the pill onto the dock everytime you’re carried out carrying it round. This costs it, sure, but in addition turns the pill into a sensible show. It pulls out of your Google Images account to be a photograph body, solutions your “OK Google” instructions, performs music and video via Chromecast, and provides you quick-access controls in your good house.

The concept right here is that whenever you need the Pixel Pill to be a traditional Android pill, you simply yank it off the dock and do what you want. Whenever you’re carried out, you snap it again onto the dock, and it turns into a sensible show. This solves Google’s large downside by protecting the pill helpful always.

With out query, this can be a sensible concept. Lastly, Google has found out one thing an Android pill can try this an iPad can’t! Sadly, Google didn’t take the thought the complete mile. The deadly flaw of the dock is that it solely works with the pill hooked up. As soon as the pill comes off the dock, the dock turns into a brick.

This implies you’ll be able to’t have the pill in your hand and Forged to the dock on the identical time. The dock doesn’t grow to be a Nest Audio with out the pill. It doesn’t even grow to be a Bluetooth speaker. It simply…sits there. You’ll be able to simply think about how foolish that is. Let’s say you’re within the kitchen listening to music and need to use the pill to take a look at a recipe. You yank it off the dock and, like a report scratch, your music is now blaring out of pill audio system as a substitute of the dock, which now sits lifeless in your kitchen counter. It’s virtually like Google has solved one downside whereas concurrently creating one other.

This all being stated, the dock itself is sort of good. It has the identical construct type as a Nest Audio and has refined coloring to match the pill. It feels nice to the contact with the woven material materials we see on all Nest merchandise. Snapping the pill on or off is simple and intuitive. It’s so irritating to see Google nail the bodily design of the dock whereas utterly fumbling with its performance.

Google designed this pill to not depart the home. There is no such thing as a LTE assist, neither is there GPS assist. With this in thoughts, it shouldn’t be shocking to listen to that Google didn’t put a lot effort into the digicam {hardware}, both.

The 2 cameras on the pill (one on the entrance, one on the again) are 8MP sensors that each cap out at 1080p. Neither one goes to get you nice pictures or crisp movies. Nevertheless, the one on the entrance of the pill is what you’ll in all probability use probably the most for issues like video calls.

In that realm, Google put some effort into making the pill extra helpful. Throughout video calls, the pill’s software program (powered by the AI smarts of the Tensor G2 SoC) will alter the digicam’s framing so you might be at all times entrance and heart. That is similar to Apple’s Heart Stage function, which does the identical factor.

Fortunately, the Pixel Pill does have entry to lots of the computational pictures options of Pixel smartphones. That features entry to Magic Eraser, Evening Sight, Picture Unblur, and extra.

Being that that is an Android pill, it does all of the belongings you’d count on an Android pill to do. It has entry to the Google Play Retailer and all of the apps and video games you’ll discover there. A few of these apps will probably be optimized for the bigger display, however quite a bit gained’t. Google is attempting to repair this downside, however it’s solely gotten critical about it over the previous few years, whereas Apple has been constructing not solely apps however a complete tablet-specific working system for iPads.

The pill helps using a stylus however doesn’t include one. Google advised us it has no plans to create a first-party stylus for the pill, so, if you’d like one, you’ll want to purchase a third-party unit that helps the USI 2.0 commonplace.

Likewise, Google says the pill helps Bluetooth keyboards, however no first-party folio-style keyboard is within the works.

I gained’t lie: I’m the target market for this system. In my kitchen, I’ve a Nest Hub Max and a low cost Android pill. I exploit the Nest Hub Max as a Google Assistant-powered good speaker, digital photograph body, and good house controller. I exploit the pill for recipes and watching the occasional YouTube video. The 2 screens are proper subsequent to one another, which is sort of comical. Why can’t they simply be one system?

Shopping for the Google Pixel Pill would allow me to preserve counter house by eradicating each the good show and the pill and changing them with the Pixel Pill and its dock. To make issues even higher, I even have a Nest Audio in my kitchen, so the issue of the dock changing into a brick with out the pill hooked up isn’t too large of a deal. I can simply Forged to the Nest Audio as a substitute.

Nevertheless, I notice that my scenario might be not widespread. Most individuals need an Android pill to be very cellular. They need to hand it to their children on automotive journeys or use it to look at motion pictures on an airplane. You are able to do these issues with the Pixel Pill, certain, however that’s not what Google designed the pill to do. It’s designed to dwell in your own home hooked up to the dock 90% of the time.

Kudos to Google for attempting to carve out a distinct segment of its personal within the pill house. It is aware of it might’t compete with the iPad, so it’s attempting to do one thing utterly totally different. That’s nice and all, however the viewers for this explicit system could be too small for it to be a success.

In different phrases, should you’re like me and have very particular wishes in your pill, the Pixel Pill is probably going precisely what you’re searching for. For those who’re searching for an all-around common pill, although, you’re nonetheless in all probability higher off with an iPad.

For those who’re able to make the leap, the Google Pixel Pill is $499. Keep in mind, that value contains the dock and there’s no means to purchase the pill with out the dock. Further docks are $129, in case you need to transfer the pill from room to room. There’s additionally a case for the pill that’s very intelligent, with a built-in kickstand that doesn’t forestall you from docking the pill. That case is $79. All these merchandise are available in three colorways and can be found to pre-order now for a June 20 launch date.