As an Android substance abuser , I sometimes experience defeat after sitting through an Apple event , especially when there are new , covetable tablets like the iPad Pro . It remind me that there are too few viable option in Android body politic .
Android lozenge are in a lamentable state . Even those deserving buying are not as flashy or as capable as what Apple foretell this week . The new iPad Pro ’s start price of $ 799 is n’t all that usurious either , debate what you give up choose asimilarly - priced Samsung pill . And with the plus of Apple ’s home - brew M1 Chip , reinforcement for mmWave 5 guanine , and an radical - wide 12MP front camera with Center Stage feature ( plus LiDAR support around back ) , I ’m feel utmost envy .
So what ’s a locked - in Google substance abuser say to do if they want a lozenge that is n’t running iOS ? We hold out hope that Google will reveal a central processing unit for its Pixel line of devices . Thelatest rumorsindicate that the next coevals of Pixel smartphones will be the first to be powered by Google ’s own “ GS101″ Whitechapel CPU . That does n’t needs think that Google would then successfully launch an iPad sea wolf . But it would help ease a few of the other stumbles the ecosystem has had and perhaps pave the mode for what could eventually be an Android tablet you ’d like to buy — maybe even an Android tablet you ’d consider over the iPad .
Photo: Sam Rutherford/Gizmodo
Imagine a Pixel processor
Google has already mold the Pixel in its visual sense , but it ’s had less control over the constituent inside the smartphones . It ’s rolled with Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon processors since the first Pixel devices , which is why the Pixel 2 , 3 , 4 , and 4a smartphones had an tally Visual Core or Neural Core to aid the phone summons AI queries and high - solving picture taking shots .
However , there ’s no need to piece on the extra processing top executive if it ’s already built in . AsAndroid Intelligencepoints out , building the Pixel chip in - theatre entail it would be developed specifically to what the machine is made to do :
As it stands now , Google is dependent upon companies like Qualcomm for giving it that framework and determining much of what it can do with its Pixel product . And for a company that ’s laser - focused on expanse like machine learning and an always - listening Assistant service , that create some serious limitation with the character of experiences it ’s capable to provide .
Photo: Sam Rutherford / Gizmodo
Developing the Pixel chip specifically for Pixel - stigmatise hardware would also help prolong the living of some erstwhile devices .
Imagine extended device support
Apple ’s client satisfaction military rating are through the roof , part because it supports more of its elderly equipment , allowing phratry more time before they raise . iOS 14 defend devices all the fashion back to the iPhone 6S , and that speech sound ’s virtually six years old !
Imagine look this kind of long - terminus machine livelihood on an Android gimmick . The political platform has nonplus exponentially near at software package updates since Google separated constituent of the operating system of rules so they could be updated through the Google Play Store rather than expect for the carriers and manufacturers to force them through . software system updates are guaranteed on Pixel devices only for up to three years .
A Pixel cow dung can help oneself Google leave supporting for its devices beyond the marketed ledge sprightliness . Even with all the after - marketplace ward-heeler and third - political party translation of Android floating around , that ’s not something your intermediate consumer wants to deal with at the destruction of the solar day . This kind of prolonged support can also help lay down more tenacious - term make loyalty , which — if the last reportedPixel sales numbersare any indication — Google is struggling with .
Imagine if Google still supported the first-generation Pixel.Photo: Alex Cranz / Gizmodo
Imagine an Android tablet
Google launched an Android tab with the HTC - manufacture Nexus 9 back in 2014 . It was a humongous tablet at the time with its 9 - inch display and mighty 2.3GHz Nvidia Tegra K1 . It was an fantabulous tablet for Android developers , but it was otherwise too underwhelming to knock the iPad from its tablet stool .
Then Google tried the tablet thing again with the Pixel Slate , except this metre the equipment used Chrome OS , which has Android app compatibility . The gadget had impressive performance bench mark and a vibrant , high - density video display . It even had Pixel Pen support , though it failed to take in traction in originative community the path the Apple Pencil did . The keyboard case was n’t very stable either , making it unvoiced to dock the tab for farseeing round of type . In the end , the Slate did n’t sell well , and Google quietly discontinued it .
Samsung is still the only player in the game even seek to make competitive Android tablet , and theGalaxy Tab S7+isn’t a bad choice if you ’re married to the idea of sticking with Android . It bid some of the features usable on the iPad Pro , including a beautiful showing and an accurate S - Pen with built - in magnetic charging . But Samsung is selling its translation of the Android ecosystem , and it ’s not exactly bonk forquickly updatingto the latest version of the software . Not to mention the fact that Android still needs some tweaking before it ’s entirely competent for productivity .
The Pixel Slate: What could have been.Photo: Alex Cranz / Gizmodo
There is no indication that Google has program to venture back into Android tablets or that it would even seek to put forth something that would compete with the new iPad Pro any clock time soon . It ’s more potential we ’ll see a Chrome tablet , especially following report that the purported Pixel chip could determine life in a tablet - same Chrome machine down the tune .
Whatever the plan is , here ’s to skip Google follows through with these in - firm chip rumors . Every Apple effect that features a issue - edge iPad on presentation is a further reminder of what we ’re missing out on in the Android region : platform conservation of parity . A impost chip for the Pixel devices would be only the start of fully combine the Google ecosystem and making its hardware a executable alternative to Apple .
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