I’m not here to tell you that the new Google Pixel Tablet is better than an iPad. Putting aside the Android versus iOS/iPadOS discussion, Apple has clearly had a headstart in the tablet space and put in the effort to maintain a consistently solid strategy across more than a decade, while Google tried and stopped and changed directions so many times. Apple has had 13 years to refine its tablet OS and attract third-party app developers to get to where it is today with the iPad — miles ahead. So the comparison between the two isn’t even logical.
Still, having used the Pixel Tablet for over a week now, I can say that Google positively surprised me a few times. There are little features here and there that make some aspects of the experience on the Pixel Tablet better than on my iPad Air. Let’s explore them together.