I found this, I'm wanting to get a pixel tablet in about a week or so. Title just got me wondering a bit, though it's probably just a little bit sensationalized
I think it'd be nice if they offered an option without the base for $400 especially since the hub experience on it as it is currently isn't very good. All hub mode does currently is turn it into a glorified digital picture frame with the home controls button in the bottom corner and the Google Home experience isn't as good as a Nest Hub.
As it is right now, I wouldn't consider the Pixel Tablet as a replacement for the Nest Hub.
I initially hoped it would have a hub specific interface that looks similar to the Nest Hub. Instead though, the dock basically puts it into screensaver mode and the home icon pulls up the basic Google Home like if you were to tap the quick settings icon.
As a tablet, it's decent but I wouldn't get it if you're mostly planning to use it with Google Home as I think the current experience is disappointing.
Agreed. It seems like the "Hub" mode is just a fancy screensaver which is a placeholder for something more.
I do like the tablet but the "hub mode" is nothing more than a fancy charger with a speaker. I have to keep a Nest Mini next to it for my smart home things to work in that room when I take the tablet to another part of the house.
I have a Pixel Tablet and I really only used the speaker to charge it, but I'm probably going to stop because the base is becoming very flakey with my experience. The speaker randomly loses power and I'll have to unplug and plug it back in about a dozen times before it'll start getting power again and this problem started a week after getting it. The charger is not damaged in any way which leads me to think it's probably defective.