Pixel Tablet leaks reveal more about what we can expect from the dock
Google Home app code reveals alleged “Hub Mode” for the Pixel Tablet when paired with the dock.
What you need to know
- Google Pixel tablet still awaited to hit the retail stores.
- A recent leak showcases the speaker dock that the Pixel tablet sits on.
- The code found in the Google Home app indicates a new “Hub Mode.”
Google Pixel Tablet is the much-awaited device from the search giant yet to go live to the public. While we already know how it looks from Google I/O 2022 and during the Pixel 7 series launch, new details emerge regarding the accessories it supposedly comes with.
The new Android tablet is confirmed to come with a stand, dubbed “Google Pixel Tablet Stand, “ as noted by the tipster Snoopy Tech. It's a dock for the upcoming Pixel Tablet that will likely convert the Android tablet into something akin to a Google Nest Hub Max when not in tablet mode.
The shared pictures by the tipster hint at a speaker setup incorporated into the alleged dock. It also has a power input at the back, hinting at a Home Hub functionality when placed on it. The tablet should be sitting on the dock with its handy magnetic pogo pins and the same set of pins that will presumably feature at the back of the device.
Google Pixel Tablet Stand pic.twitter.com/YFH6tf9ooBMarch 23, 2023
The setup reasonably resembles live images of the Pixel Tablet that popped up on the Facebook Marketplace last December.
The expected motive with the whole docking functionality is to replace the current Nest Hub devices, as rumors imply a Pro model in addition to the yet-to-be commercially available Pixel Tablet.
On the other hand, a recent 9to5Google report did some digging with the Google Home app as part of its APK Insights initiative. The code found in the app hints at the Pixel Tablet entering the “Hub Mode” when placed on the dock implying the essential physical connection with the pins.
The 9to5 report further says that when not in Hub Mode, the dock accessory is primarily regarded as a speaker, which can be paired with the Google Home app. This would be a good way to utilize the dock, making it useful even when not connected to the tablet.
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With Google I/O 2023 nearing, we expect to learn more about the tablet at the event.
Vishnu is a freelance news writer for Android Central. Since 2018, he has written about consumer technology, especially smartphones, computers, and every other gizmo connected to the internet. When he is not at the keyboard, you can find him on a long drive or lounging on the couch binge-watching a crime series.