Could Google could be planning a return to Android tablets to tackle Apple's iPad?

(Image credit: Google )

The concluding tablet Google made was 2018's middling Pixel Slate — something that was discontinued afterward a unmarried generation. Information technology used Chrome Os, and to observe an actual Android tablet made past Google, you lot accept to go back even further to 2014's Nexus 9.

But there are signs that Google may be taking an interest in tablets again. A fresh flake of show comes in the form of a job listing spotted by 9to5Google where Google is looking for a "Senior Engineering Managing director, Android Tablet App Experience."

"We believe that the future of computing is shifting towards more powerful and capable tablets," the listing begins. "We are working to deliver the next chapter of computing and input by launching seamless back up across our platforms and hero experiences that unlock new and better ways of existence productive and artistic."

To be articulate, the listing doesn't mention new Google branded hardware. Indeed, it specifically discusses working "closely and collaboratively with OEMs manufacturing Android Tablets and the developers building apps for them," which doesn't sound like first-party hardware at all. However, would a company that believes tablets to be the "future of computing" actually merely leave the playing field open to rivals without putting its own skin in the game?

An Android tablet future?

At that place are a couple of other interesting data points. In a long read nearly the history of Android tablets, ComputerWorld noted that in March 2021 Rich Miner, one of the original founders of Android, returned to the fold equally CTO Android Tablets after 11 years abroad from directly Android-related projects. Interestingly, he retweeted the article with an intriguing caption:

Definitely a sad story, just there is an indication of hope at the end. What is that @richminer guy up to... https://t.co/quYezfYOhPJanuary 27, 2022

Run into more

He then replied to someone's praise for the tablet-based Android 12L update, describing it equally "a slap-up start". That could mean nothing, or you could infer that it's just the start, and nowhere about the final destination.

There's fiddling sign that Google is working on a tablet right now (a patent did surface terminal twelvemonth, simply information technology was really submitted in 2019), although the long rumored Pixel Fold (or possibly Pixel Notepad) could well combine tablet and phone form factors if and when it appears.

But even if at that place's no dedicated hardware in production right now, having a vocal internal champion for Android tablets could change that trajectory. And while the iPad dominates the market with around a 34.6% marketplace share co-ordinate to IDC, Samsung'south 17.vii% divide isn't to be sneezed at. Hopefully; Google volition agree and we'll finally see a worthy successor to the Nexus line in the next few years.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, roofing phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional mag too. When not weighing upwardly the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably observe him tackling his ever-growing games excess. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth fourth dimension.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/could-google-could-be-planning-a-return-to-android-tablets-to-tackle-apples-ipad

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Could Google could be planning a return to Android tablets to tackle Apple's iPad?