Google Pixel Slate: Finally worth the price (while supplies last!)

Google Pixel Slate: Clean look with G logo on one side, camera on the other

When I first heard about Google coming out with the Pixel Slate, the nerd in me was excited! I mean, think about having one device that can do it all- functioning as a full chromebook, as well as a lightweight tablet- both being extremely powerful, with a top notch large screen and speakers, fingerprint sensor built into the power key, and Google’s automatic updates guaranteed until June 2026.

As someone who is cautiously optimistic, I prefer to wait for others to review the devices before I shell out my hard earned money for anything, let alone a premium device. And, boy was I glad I did! The Slate came out to less than stellar reviews, many reviewers showing horribly laggy animations that shouldn’t happen on the cheapest chromebook, let alone ones that cost $600 and up. So, much to my dismay, I decided to remove the device from my wish list.

However, over a year later, it popped back up, seemingly out of nowhere. Google was closing out the Slate after having stated they were out of the tablet game. The best deal in my opinion was the  i5 model, which came in at $400 off of the original $999 price. Making the deal even sweeter, Google threw in their $199 keyboard (sadly, the Brydge keyboard was already sold out on Google’s store) and $99 pen. Despite just moving and racking up some major credit card debt in the process, I couldn’t resist Google’s financing for the device and quickly ordered it.

When delivery day arrived, I couldn’t wait to tear into the box and begin setting up the device but, alas, I had to finish out my work day, so I opted to open it up, admire its beauty for a brief moment, and let it charge so it would be ready for the evening ahead.

These accessories should have always come with the Slate. Now
that they do, it is a great value proposition, especially with the price drop

Once home, I opened up the keyboard and pen, snapped the keyboard in place (more on that in a moment) and was greeted with an instantly functioning chromebook. Now, I’m no stranger to chromebooks, having had Google’s original 2013 LTE chromebook, an older Lenovo, and the current Samsung Chromebook Plus LTE that I use on a daily basis for my marketing duties. But there was something different about this. The screen was absolutely stunning, it was gratifying being able to set up fingerprints, and having a backlit keyboard that seemed to function so flawlessly, all added up to a different user experience.

Look, buttons, and ports

As with nearly every chromebook device Google has put out, the Slate is absolutely gorgeous. With a dark blue color and complete lack of branding other than a little G on the top back corner, the device is sleek and modern. And whether it’s sitting by itself as a tablet or connected with either Google’s folio keyboard or Brydge’s keyboard, it is a marvelously thin and attractive device that exudes class and sophistication. 

The front shows off bezels that are equal all around the device and sufficiently thin. The top bezel has a camera and the two sides house the front facing speakers. You can find a USB-C port on either side at the bottom corner, allowing you to charge from either while being able to connect peripherals, such as monitors, USB-C headphones (or Aux headphones using their included dongle), and anything else that can be connected via USB-C. In my testing, I used a dongle to plug the device into my external display and enjoyed having two screens to work from. 

The only buttons to be found on the outside of the device is a power button with built-in fingerprint scanner, and a volume rocker on the top of the left side. Both buttons are in a great spot to conveniently use them, although I would have liked the power button to be on the right side of the top; although, to be fair, it would make for a strange user experience when using it in it’s vertical tablet form.

Keyboard and Pen

As Apple finally admitted after years of touting the iPad as a touch-only device, having a good keyboard to pair to a tablet is a necessity. Sure, if you’re playing a game, scrolling through social media, or watching video, there is no need for the extra weight. However, the minute you sit down to type out anything longer than a few sentences, it just makes sense to have the tried and true input method that a physical keyboard provides.

Listening to other reviewers, I knew to not expect a smooth process if trying to use Google’s keyboard on my lap, so I sat down at my desk and snapped it together. The magnets on the bottom of the keyboard instantly pulled the tablet into place, ensuring the connector pins were lined up perfectly. There was no connecting to bluetooth, etc. Instead the tablet automatically went from tablet mode to chromebook mode, allowing me to sign into my account with the very comfortable feeling keyboard.

Google's keyboard creates a sleek, stylish device that's great to
use on a table, just not on your lap

Google's keyboard has a great look to it when the device is
closed. And it adds some extra protection as well

After using it for a few days with Google’s keyboard, it started bothering me that I couldn’t use it on my lap while in my car, as I had been doing with the Samsung chromebook for months. It also barely fit on my lap desk that I use when lounging on the couch and even bounced around anytime I shifted positions. So I broke down and decided to check Brydge’s website, hoping they still had a few remaining. To my surprise and delight, not only did they have some remaining, but they too were running a closeout on them. I quickly snatched one up for a measly $80 (normally retailing for $160). 

After receiving it, I was ecstatic that the pairing process was as simple as pressing the on button, holding the bluetooth button next to it for 3 seconds, and finding the device in the bluetooth menu on the tablet. Once paired, the tablet once again automagically transitioned to chromebook mode. After a brief look at the directions to figure out how to enable the backlighting on the keyboard (alt + display brightness key), I was off to the races. I decided to skip the lap desk to see just how much better this keyboard felt on my lap compared to Google’s, and I wasn’t disappointed. Despite not having the fancy circle keys like its more expensive counterpart, the Brydge keyboard is still a pleasure to type on. It still has all the chrome specific shortcut keys as the original, all of which work flawlessly. The best part is that the Brydge keyboard is an exact match to the color and build quality of the tablet itself, making it seem like a regular chromebook while open or closed. Speaking of opening and closing, the Slate will automatically go into and come out of sleep mode when it is opened/closed, regardless of whether the Google or Brydge keyboard is attached. 

The Brydge keyboard gives the Pixel Slate a complete chromebook
matching color and build quality perfectly to the device

Since I am not in the least bit artistic, I haven’t found many uses for the pen, other than not smudging the device with my fingers when using it as a tablet. However, it does work very well, allowing you to accurately click anywhere on the screen when not using a trackpad or mouse. As with the Google keyboard, pairing happens instantly once you insert the battery into the device. The one complaint about the pen is that there is nowhere to store it directly on the pixel, as it does not have a spot to magnetically connect it like the iPad Pro. 

Performance

Opting for the middle of the road i5 version with 8GB RAM, I knew it would be more than powerful enough to handle anything I do on a daily basis, as my Samsung Chromebook Plus LTE has an Intel Celeron processor with just 4GB RAM. Typically, when using my chromebook for work, I am entering information into Doc or Sheet, as well as occasionally using Slides to create flyers. My job recently made the move from Microsoft to G Suite, which was a welcome change for me, as I’ve used Google’s office apps for quite some time and knew the value they bring, especially when working off of a chromebook. One thing that I will be testing in the future is video editing on the device, and will edit this article with my findings. 

Although I’m not a gamer, I wanted to see how it would fare with some of the games I have purchased in the past. N.O.V.A. 3, Riptide GP, and GTA: III all performed well, with great graphics, no lag, and phenomenal sound being delivered by the two front facing speakers. One thing I did notice, however, was the bottom middle of the device began getting warm, but that may have been due to the way I was holding it against my body as I was lounging.

In general use, having several tabs open in up to three virtual desks, I never had any issues, regardless of whether I was listening to music through Google Play or letting YouTube play in the background. The addition of virtual desks in recent chrome updates makes all the difference in the world, as you are able to keep each workspace much cleaner, having only the tabs for that particular project open. The square with two lines to the right button on the keyboard allows you to quickly go from one desk to another, as does a three finger swipe up on the trackpad.

The thing I’m most excited for is that the capabilities of the Slate will continue to increase as Google makes changes and updates to the OS; and knowing these updates will come for another six years means the sky's the limit for what this device will be able to accomplish in the future. 

The only big drawback, as with any chromebook that allows Android apps, is that not all apps are optimized for Chrome OS and some won’t even install. A few apps I tested were essentially a stretched out version of the mobile app, and some don’t allow horizontal mode, leaving the app in a partial screen window. However, most of these apps have a website as well, and browser capabilities happen to be where Google shines. Since you can have bookmarks saved on the browser bar, it makes for a smooth transition. And being able to have multiple desktops means you can keep your workspaces clutter-free, despite using chrome tabs for more applications than you may be used to.

Facebook's app shows up in a weird partial screen that makes it
difficult to navigate. However, switching to the website gives
it the familiar full screen look we're accustomed to

Conclusion

Despite its shaky start, the Pixel Slate has turned out to be a fantastic device. And with another six years of guaranteed updates, it’s not difficult to see how much potential the device has. Although tablets by themselves are a tough sale, the build quality, capability, and functionality of the multiple usage and input methods, paired with the deep discount this is currently being offered at, makes it an easy choice for me to recommend to nearly anyone who doesn’t use special software on a regular basis that would lock them into a Mac or PC. At the time of publishing, the Google store still has them in stock, although I would go ahead and visit Brydge’s website and purchase their G-Type keyboard as well, since it is more functional.