It seems like Google is done with tablets. At least, for now.
Google executives told Bloomberg that the company paused work on a tablet overhaul until it can figure out a “meaningful future” for the product category. Alongside that, executives said Google wasn’t working on a smart ring.
One of the reasons executives gave for not pushing ahead with tablets is that Google thinks people won’t carry much more than just their phones for the forseeable future, along with maybe a watch and earbuds or, possibly, glasses. The company suggested that adding more product types just increases maintenance for end users.
The above details came in a long-ranging report from Mark Gurman, best known for his in-depth reporting on Apple. Gurman dived deep into Google’s hardware efforts, speaking with various executives, including Rick Osterloh, who oversees devices and services at Google, design chief Ivy Ross, and Shakil Barkat, VP of hardware engineering at Google.
While it’s sad to hear that Google is done with tablets for now, it’s not exactly a surprise. There were reports last year that Google had scrapped plans for a follow-up to the Pixel Tablet, so the writing’s been on the wall for a while.
It’s a bummer because the Pixel Tablet was, in my view, a really smart piece of hardware. I still use one to this day as my primary smart home device, and it’s earned a permanent spot in my kitchen. It’s effectively my sous chef when I’m cooking, handling timers and displaying recipes. Truthfully, I don’t use it as a tablet much — I honestly don’t have much use for a tablet — but on the rare occasion a tablet would come in handy, I can grab the Pixel Tablet. It’s a real bummer that Google’s abandoning a pretty decent idea so soon.
Source: Bloomberg
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