Google Store drops Pixel C, but another detachable tablet is in the works
We've said it before and we'll say it again – Android tablets are in a really awkward place right now. Devices like the Galaxy Tab S3 and Amazon's line of Fire tablets stick out as some of the best options, but as a whole, the interest in large touch-screen canvases with Android has died down a lot.
Now, it appears even Google is calling it quits with Android tablets. The Pixel C is the last Android-powered tablet that Google released, and it came out all the way back in 2015. The Pixel C's remained at its MSRP of $599 nearly its entire life with discounts being few and far between, and it's also been sold out for a while, too. Now, the Pixel C has officially been removed from the Google Store for good.
The only laptop/tablet you can purchase on the Google Store is the Pixelbook, and while it does run Chrome OS, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Jerry noted in his review of the Pixelbook that it "is as much tablet as a laptop", and a lot of this has to do with how well Chrome OS has evolved over the years for things like using apps, playing games, and watching movies. The Pixelbook is proof that Google's tablet future lies with Chrome OS rather than Android, and the axing of the Pixel C is just reinforcement of this.
On that same note, new details of an upcoming Chromebook have recently emerged, as well. There have been murmurings of a detachable Samsung Chromebook since last month by the name of "Nautilus", and according to a new commit, Nautilus is referred to as having a stylus that can be stored in the Chromebook itself (ala Samsung's Chromebook Pro).
This can be seen with text such as "PEN_EJECT" and "TEST=Verify that the 'stylus tools' menu gets launched when I eject the pen on nautilus", and while exact details on the stylus aren't mentioned here, it'll likely perform similarly to what we've seen from past Samsung Chromebooks.
We still aren't sure when we'll get a public announcement of Nautilus, but if the Pixel C had to die in order for it to live, you won't find us complaining about that at all.
Be an expert in 5 minutes
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android
Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.