Along with revealing the Tensor G2 processor and Charging Speaker Dock features of the Pixel Tablet, Google also demonstrated more Android UI displays that were inspired by Smart Displays.
an Android tablet
Google stated clearly that “Android, including Material You, is the foundation for Pixel Tablet.”
The Pixel Tablet is the finest way to experience Android on a tablet, just as our Pixel phones have always been the best and purest expression of the operating system.
In order to illustrate this, we examine how the Pixel homescreen appears on tablets. Despite all the additional horizontal space, At a Glance, which is already receiving some improvements with the Pixel 7, appears in the top corner and is once more left-aligned. In addition to apps, the dock has a voice-activated Search bar, Assistant, and Google Lens access. The homescreen appears to be set up in a 64 arrangement.
It’s intriguing to see which apps Google put in prominent positions on the Pixel Tablet’s homescreen. We take Recorder as a clue that Google will be altering the tablet user interface, which may resemble the current landscape design quite a bit. The inclusion of Recorder alongside Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Keep shows that Google wants the Pixel Tablet to provide a positive productivity experience, especially with the Workspace suite of apps.
Google TV, YouTube, and Photos are all examples of the tablet’s content consumption capabilities, while the latter is also intended to demonstrate how image editing will look better on a larger screen. The Personal Safety app is a more intriguing addition; it’s unclear how it will function.
We see the dual-column Settings app once more, this time with Wallpaper & style selected. Without any notifications, the lockscreen just centres the two-line clock, as can be seen. Otherwise, icons for everything else are displayed in a tray and notifications with a maximum of five lines appear to the right. Underneath A closer look reveals a much larger media player.
Last but not least, there is a shortcut to Home on the lockscreen that opens the smart device controls. Tapping demonstrates how controls for the Nest Thermostat display as a right-aligned pop-up window, even though the primary user interface is still just a grid. This UI maintains context, and it would be beneficial if that component appeared more frequently on Android.
Pixel Tablet’s Smart Display User Interface
The time and At a Glance are displayed in the corner when the Pixel Tablet is connected to the Charging Speaker Dock and displaying slideshows, and “This tablet” is indicated by the Cast icon in the upper right.
When Google Assistant is opened while docked, a bottom sheet UI that fills the entire screen width loads. (Slightly narrowing the focus wouldn’t harm.) The Nest Hub displays command transcripts at the top of the screen, the reverse of what Google is doing with docked music controls. With its enormous cover art, scrubber, play/pause, shuffle, rewind, and even Cast controls, the Now Playing interface is remarkably similar to the Smart Display version.
Apps for Android tablets
Additionally, Google gave a brief overview of a few fresh tablet-optimized applications and stated that it “worked closely with developers to ensure apps take advantage of large screen capabilities like split screen and stylus support.”
Google Home: The I/O design was based on an earlier version. This new one still employs a navigation rail, but has five tabs rather than two, which makes it seem much nicer. We can see how the Favorites screen makes use of the extra room for a fantastic tablet experience. We also get to see the camera stream user interface.
Google Camera: We have app controls located to the left, using design cues from version 8.7 on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. This has a pill-shaped controller and a settings dropdown in the upper left corner.
Google One: Here’s another look at the app, which resembles the website but isn’t yet available.
