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The very first tablet built from the ground up by Google has gone on sale in the UK.
The Pixel C was announced alongside the company’s latest smartphones back in September, and briefly previewed, but now the 10-inch displayed device has hit Google’s online store.
Running Android Marshmallow – the newest version of the mobile operating system, the launch marks a big step for Google in terms of hardware as it is the first time they haven’t had a manufacturing partner for a smartphone or tablet.
The likes of LG, Motorola and HTC have built devices in the past, with Google then running them under their own-brand Nexus banner.
The Pixel C is a further departure from that, but is still very much on-trend for tablets right now. Why? Because just like the newly launched iPad Pro and the established Microsoft Surface, it has a detachable keyboard. Though this is an optional extra, costing £119 if you want to go full hybrid with the device.
The keyboard connects magnetically and automatically syncs with the device.
The Pixel C also has the new USB-C connection point for charging – the new industry and universal standard that is also on the latest MacBook, and new Nexus phones.
The display has over 4 million pixels – 308 per inch – and is running an Nvidia Tegra X1 64-bit processor. The rear camera is also 8 megapixels.
Google confirmed two storage options – a 32GB version which costs £399 and a £479 64GB.
The 32GB is the same prize Apple charges for half the storage in an iPad Air 2, while the 64GB is exactly the same price as an Air 2 of the same size. In short, this is a shot across the bow from Google.
