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Google Pixel Slate M3 Review

The Google Pixel Slate M3 is a tough tablet to evaluate. It’s the first tablet in Google’s series of high-end Chrome OS devices, designed to take on the likes of the iPad Pro and Surface Pro. To judge by its components alone, the Pixel Slate seems capable: It includes impressive internals (Intel i7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage), a gorgeous OLED display, a virtually bezel-less design, and four speakers tuned by AKG to provide outstanding sound quality for viewing videos or listening to music.

Hardware

Explain the Graphics, Processor, and Memory 

Chrome OS on the Google Pixel Slate M3 is housed in a magnesium chassis lavishly polished to a mirror sheen. When in laptop mode, the 8MP camera on the back faces you, and the bezels are made of metal. The specifications are top-notch, including up to 512GB of SSD storage space, 16GB of RAM, and your choice of an Intel Core m3-7Y30 or Core i5-7Y54 CPU. It also contains a fingerprint reader, an NFC chip, a 2MP front-facing camera, dual stereo speakers, four microphones for out-of-the-way voice commands, and two USB-C connections. https://www.example.com/?HUsBg0-59edc9

Google Pixel Slate M3

Android Applications

Apps that run on Android cannot be found in the app drawer of a Chrome OS device like the Pixel Slate m3 until they have been downloaded from the Google Play Store in a separate tab. Most customers would be satisfied (our evaluation unit had no app compatibility concerns). There’s also a dedicated tab in the Chrome Web Store for searching for Chrome-only add-ons. There’s no need to worry if you’re an iOS app developer: No apps developed for Apple’s iOS platform will run on the Pixel Slate.

The Google Keyboard and Pen

Both are excellent and come standard on every Google Pixel Slate M3. Apple’s Smart Keyboard has been around for a long time for good reason; entering text is a fundamental function of the device. While Android Pie’s on-screen keyboard is much improved, nothing beats the speed and precision of a physical keyboard. This is especially true for touch-typing since I could achieve speeds of up to 80 words per minute on my previous MacBook Air but could never hope to achieve such results with a portable virtual keyboard.

Specifications

The 12.3-inch LCD screen on the Google Pixel Slate m3 comes in two different resolutions: the standard version has 3,000 by 2,000 pixels (293 PPI), while the high-resolution larger version has 3,180 by 1,800 pixels (260 PPI). Google claims you may request a taller model when purchasing if you know in advance that you’ll need it; in the case of our review device, that latter arrangement provided us with less than 1-millimeter additional space between its chin and its keyboard.

Good Design and Construction

Since releasing the first Pixel laptop late last year, Google Pixel Slate m3 hasn’t made many changes to the hardware’s appearance. The new model is similar to its predecessor from a year ago, except for thinner bezels and an improved screen. This isn’t always negative since we found Google’s original designs to be rather impressive. Thanks to its narrow side bezels, the new 12.3-inch 3000 x 2000 (293 PPI) touchscreen looks and feels as large as a 13-inch display, yet it’s really smaller than most 13-inch laptops on the market.

Display

Google Pixel

The screen of the Google Pixel Slate m3 is 12.3 inches in size and can show images at a resolution of 3000 by 2000 pixels. It has a 60 Hz refresh rate and can display various colors and a high dynamic range (P3). Additionally, the viewing angles are excellent. Due to the absence of a notch, you can fully use your device’s display without sacrificing your app’s usable space.

The desktop Chrome experience is replicated in the mobile version of the browser; windows and tabs are tiled to make the most efficient use of available real estate, and you can easily reposition them by dragging and dropping their tabs, or even split them in two if they grow too large for the available real estate.

Performance (Speed, Multitasking, etc.)

Despite costing more than many Windows laptops, a tablet with an Intel Core m3 processor will run you around $600. According to a performance test conducted by CNET, Google’s Chrome OS gadget is about 20% slower than comparable leading 2-in-1s with low-power Y series CPUs. In addition, unlike Windows and macOS, Chrome OS does not yet support true multitasking. In what way? Since you can only use one app simultaneously, your 2-in-1 is wasting much of its potential. Sometimes, even if I’m merely typing in Word while watching Netflix in another window, neither application will reply until I adjust my attention.

Sound Quality

The Slate M3 has amazing audio quality. The two front-firing speakers have a respectable loudness output. No pitching will be heard, but the speakers may provide a satisfyingly deep bass. Furthermore, you don’t need to be concerned about the tablet’s general performance. Its 8GB of RAM and 8th generation Intel Core i5-8200Y processor guarantee that it performs well in all areas.

The Google Pixel Slate M3 has an outstanding design as well. The gadget weights 1.6 pounds and is only 7mm thick. Although the display is not edge-to-edge, it has a 2.5D screen with rounded edges. Its metal body provides a similar smooth feel to the most recent Pixel phones. The ecosystem of compatible accessories is another benefit. The Slate M3’s screen is amazing, and the audio quality is superb.

Energy Retained in a Battery

Chrome OS is designed to work with Google’s cloud services and ecosystem, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that devices like the Pixel Slate m3 have less battery life than, say, the iPad Pro or even other Chromebooks. Its battery life is comparable to other high-end tablets, lasting 8 hours with mixed usage and 5 hours with video playing. However, you should anticipate anything from 4-5 hours of battery life if you’re using it for higher tasks, like working on Office files or presentations. That’s not horrible, but bigger users should probably pack a charger just in case.

Camera

Since its beginning, Google Pixel Slate m3 has focused its resources on developing software, an area in which it has found great success in recent years. Google’s Pixel phones have the greatest camera technology ever used in a smartphone. The Pixels are exceptionally proficient because they engage in extensive computational photography, a process that involves combining several photos into one superior whole.

Now you can use the same technique on your tablet camera; Slate m3 claims that it employs all four cameras simultaneously to give you post-capture bokeh blur. We don’t know how well it will do in the real world, but we applaud Google for taking a risk.

The Slate m3 has a lot going for it, including a gorgeous display, a responsive keyboard, excellent audio, and lengthy battery life. This device is not without its flaws, though; there are a few major issues that Google has to address as quickly as possible. Google Play applications will not provide the native tablet experience until much later.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (starting at $999 with an optional $199 keyboard) is a good option if speed and battery life are your main concerns. Still, you should remember that iOS may not have everything you need to replace your current laptop, mainly if you rely on external storage or prefer a touchpad. The Surface Pro 6 with a keyboard and pen can be had for $1,128 (about $1,560)

Right now, I’d say that the Slate m3 seems like a gadget for the adventurous sorts that love Android and Chrome and are OK with some first-gen problems. When those problems are fixed, Google will have a fantastic convertible.

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