Google Pixel C
Performance
The Pixel C's earned the best 3DMark score among the tablets we evaluated, and its high Geekbench score was comparable to other premium tablets on the market. In our hands-on testing, we found that the Pixel C could readily handle multitasking and high-end gaming in titles like "N.O.V.A. 3: Freedom Edition" with no slowdown issues.
The Pixel C's specifications are stellar on paper, with a 10.2-inch display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1800 pixels. It's a marginal but beneficial bump in resolution compared to other top tablets, which generally reach the 2048 x 1536-pixel range. In our hands-on testing, we were impressed by the Google tablet's phenomenal screen and display performance. During testing from our colleagues at Laptop Mag, the Pixel C had a top-in-class brightness rating of 509 nits, which is a unit of measurement for the luminance of a screen. Text and images were displayed with excellent fidelity and virtually free of noticeable pixilation. Overall, the Pixel C's display abilities deservedly place it in the same league as other premium tablets we reviewed.
The Pixel C also performed solidly during battery benchmarking tests from our colleagues at Laptop Mag. In their testing, a tablet loops through webpages at a constant brightness until it powers down. With its mark of 11 hours and 8 minutes, the Pixel C's tested battery life falls in line with comparable premium tablets, which regularly break the 10-hour mark in Laptop's testing.
Portability
The tablet relies on a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging, and it has a basic stereo speaker setup with average audio quality. Note that this tablet supports neither mobile data connectivity nor microSD cards. However, the Pixel C can be configured with 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.
The Pixel C's keyboard dock accessory – which has to be purchased separately during the checkout process – manages to solve most of the pitfalls tablet keyboards typically fall into. The sturdy dock features the same style of metal used on the tablet and a full plastic keyboard with a comfortable level of key travel, which refers to the distance you have to press a key down. While the keyboard smoothly integrates with the tablet in some areas (for example, the dock can be charged wirelessly through the tablet), it can be awkward in other places. For instance, the Pixel attaches to the dock via a rotatable magnetic pad that provides functionality somewhat like a tablet.
While the pad provides a full laptop-like range of viewing angles for the Pixel C, detaching it from the tablet requires a forceful tug. In addition, the keyboard's narrow dimensions force the Enter key to be aligned vertically instead of horizontally. Still, the physical strengths of the Pixel C make up for these occasional quirks and make it relatively friendly for business and student users.
As with other mobile operating systems that have tried to move toward a tablet PC experience, the Pixel C and Android are still going through some growing pains. App optimization remains a mixed bag for Android computer tablets, as programs like ESPN's Fantasy Football and Instagram still default to menu layouts meant for mobile phones. In these situations, you'll frequently find issues like a lack of support for horizontal views and menus with large amounts of unused screen space, since these apps were originally designed for a phone display.
Cameras
Google includes a standard 8-megapixel (rear) and 1.2-megapixel (front) pair of cameras on the Pixel C that provided standard image fidelity in our hands-on testing. We took a variety of outdoor and indoor test images, and they had reasonable color reproduction and detail. Google includes several software tools for functions like panoramic, close-up and 3D-like 360-degree photos. The cameras aren't especially remarkable, but provide enough fidelity and features for most home users.
Help & Support
By default, Google offers a one-year warranty on the Pixel C. The company also offers support through a variety of channels, including phone agents, live chat and social media. The company's online support section features a standard FAQ-style layout that covers issues like charging questions and keyboard configuration guides.