14 DAY TRIAL // The race of tablets that can double as laptops is about to become a lot more interesting, as Google, Microsoft's long-time adversary in so many businesses, is getting ready to introduce its very own Surface rival called Pixel C.
A report by Android Police claims that Google will unveil on September 29 a brand new tablet that won't carry the Nexus name, but will be sold under the Pixel C moniker.
This isn't surprising if we have a look at the specs sheet, as the Pixel C won't be a tablet per se, but a device that can also replace a laptop and offer better productivity on the go.
The Surface approach
In order to achieve this increased productivity, Google will go for the same configuration as Microsoft and equip the Pixel C with a removable keyboard. With the keyboard attached to the device, it can be used as a laptop, while without it, the Pixel C becomes a tablet, which is exactly the approach that Microsoft Surface has been using since October 2012, when the RT model launched.
In Google's case, the Pixel C will run Android Marshmallow, which might be a little surprising, given the fact that the search giant usually turned to Chrome OS for devices that are supposed to be used as a laptop.
But on the other hand, this could be a sign that Google's working to improve the productivity side of Android, and Marshmallow could bring significant changes in this regard.
Technical specifications
The Pixel C will come with appealing hardware specs. First of all, it'll have a 10.2-inch display with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels and it will be powered by an Nvidia X1 quad-core processor. 3GB of RAM will also be offered.
In addition to the removable keyboard, the Pixel C will also come with USB Type-C support, which makes sense on such a light device, as it allows you to both charge the device and connect additional peripherals. The Pixel C will ship with the same charger as the Pixel, so charging both with it should be possible, the source says.
As far as pricing is concerned, the Pixel C won't come cheap, which once again sounds a lot like Microsoft's strategy. Pricing info on the new Pixel isn't yet available, but it's believed it would get closer to the Surface 3, which means that the most affordable model might cost around $500.