Google Pixel C? Not another tablet + KB!?!
So, Google is on the bandwagon now as well with the Pixel C tablet.
Do these companies think at all about target markets? I have my doubts. At least with the ludicrous profit margins and the legions of fans the iPad Pro is practically ensured to be a financial success. This tablet makes many of the same mistakes as the iPad Pro, but should be less successful.
Before I dive into the negatives, the one positive is Android. This if this thing were running ChromeOS it would be dead in the water.
First, the price. $500USD + $150USD for the keyboard. Even without the keyboard this is expensive for an Android tablet. And, being in the 10 inch realm it puts itself in direct competition with the iPad Air 2. Sorry Google, your largest market is people who can't afford Apple products. Add in the keyboard and this is actually more expensive than the 64GB iPad Air 2, and even more expensive than an entry level Surface 3 (without Keyboard).
I have to say, for the price, I think most users would just buy a 64GB iPad Air 2 with a cheap 3rd party KB accessory if they were in the market for a tablet with a mobile OS an occasional utility as a productivity device, and those who are more productivity oriented would probably be an easy up sell to an entry level Surface 3 with a cover. People who insist on Android could simply find any number of more affordable Android tablets with accessories at potentially save themselves hundreds.
At that price they can't even compete with their own OEMs. And a large part is just brand image. As stated, Android, by and large, is popular because it is cheap.
Which leads to the next point. I laughed when I saw the device size. At 10.2 inches it is exactly .1 inches too large to be eligible for free MS Office. This almost seems like it has to be intentional. But it immediately makes the price point even more annoying. Again, Android users buy the least paid apps and pay the least over all. They aren't going to fork out money for an Office 365 sub. Which might draw them to Google Docs... but no. Office is absolutely needed in many companies and Google Docs is explicitly not allowed in companies where they don't have privacy agreements in place with Google.
And, not to mention that for less money you could get the iPad Air 2 which could run full Office with a sub or any much cheaper and just slightly smaller Android tablets or any of an array of cheap Windows 10 convertibles. It is just another nail in the coffin. It isn't a killer on its own. I imagine most Android users are quite happy with Google Docs. But again, at that price point for an Android device it is just a kick in the face. And, really, why 10.2? Where doe this size come from? 10.1 has been the "standard" for 10 inch tablets for a while with them actually trending smaller or going much larger. This is just a REALLY weird decision.
[update]
Apparently 10.2 inches was chosen to mimic a standard A4 sheet of paper. *Face-palm*. WHY?!?!?!?!?! It is a tablet, not a stack of paper. These are not things that should be considered when designing a tablet!!! I feel like they must have called up Jony Ives and contracted him our for a day. This is the same sort of lunatic garbage Apple spews. NO ONE will pick this up and say "Hey, this feels more natural than a 10.1 inch tablet because it reminds me more of a piece of paper". NO ONE!!!!! "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills".
[/update]
The keyboard I guess needs to be the next piece. It is better than the iPad Pro, but retains most of the same faults and adds some new ones just for the sake of being quirky it seems. It beats the iPad Pro KB because it supports multiple angles. That's the only way. It has the same issue where it isn't as tall in laptop mode as the tablet (no track pad in iOS and Android), which just makes it look weird.
On the cons, the area under the part which props it up is still flat like the iPad Pro or other 3rd party keyboards, which means it will really only work well on flat surfaces, like a desk. The keyboard also can't be propped up on a desk so that you can type on an angle.
Again, I don't think either this or the iPad Pro are actually trying to compete with the Surface Pro... but would it hurt to actually look at and use your competitors product? You KNEW that a 1st party tablet offering with a keyboard would get compared. You had YEARS to improve on their design. Neither Apple nor Google has even managed to match it.
The next flaw with the keyboard here is that it attaches itself to the tablet via magnets. I'm sorry... we're not talking about magnets on the Surface keyboard covers that not only lock tight, but also slot into grooves and with a wrap around cover. We're talking about magnets on a sheer surface.
The reviews I've seen are saying that the magnets are strong, or in some cases "really strong"... but that just creates a whole different problem. Especially when you consider the weight of these components which are really light. If it truly takes any effort to separate the two, then it is likely completely disproportionate to the weight.
I expect to see either a lot of complaints that the cover came loose in a bag and the screen got scratched or cases of people hulking out on the things and sending the tablet or cover flying. Only time will tell there.
Do these companies think at all about target markets? I have my doubts. At least with the ludicrous profit margins and the legions of fans the iPad Pro is practically ensured to be a financial success. This tablet makes many of the same mistakes as the iPad Pro, but should be less successful.
Before I dive into the negatives, the one positive is Android. This if this thing were running ChromeOS it would be dead in the water.
First, the price. $500USD + $150USD for the keyboard. Even without the keyboard this is expensive for an Android tablet. And, being in the 10 inch realm it puts itself in direct competition with the iPad Air 2. Sorry Google, your largest market is people who can't afford Apple products. Add in the keyboard and this is actually more expensive than the 64GB iPad Air 2, and even more expensive than an entry level Surface 3 (without Keyboard).
I have to say, for the price, I think most users would just buy a 64GB iPad Air 2 with a cheap 3rd party KB accessory if they were in the market for a tablet with a mobile OS an occasional utility as a productivity device, and those who are more productivity oriented would probably be an easy up sell to an entry level Surface 3 with a cover. People who insist on Android could simply find any number of more affordable Android tablets with accessories at potentially save themselves hundreds.
At that price they can't even compete with their own OEMs. And a large part is just brand image. As stated, Android, by and large, is popular because it is cheap.
Which leads to the next point. I laughed when I saw the device size. At 10.2 inches it is exactly .1 inches too large to be eligible for free MS Office. This almost seems like it has to be intentional. But it immediately makes the price point even more annoying. Again, Android users buy the least paid apps and pay the least over all. They aren't going to fork out money for an Office 365 sub. Which might draw them to Google Docs... but no. Office is absolutely needed in many companies and Google Docs is explicitly not allowed in companies where they don't have privacy agreements in place with Google.
And, not to mention that for less money you could get the iPad Air 2 which could run full Office with a sub or any much cheaper and just slightly smaller Android tablets or any of an array of cheap Windows 10 convertibles. It is just another nail in the coffin. It isn't a killer on its own. I imagine most Android users are quite happy with Google Docs. But again, at that price point for an Android device it is just a kick in the face. And, really, why 10.2? Where doe this size come from? 10.1 has been the "standard" for 10 inch tablets for a while with them actually trending smaller or going much larger. This is just a REALLY weird decision.
[update]
Apparently 10.2 inches was chosen to mimic a standard A4 sheet of paper. *Face-palm*. WHY?!?!?!?!?! It is a tablet, not a stack of paper. These are not things that should be considered when designing a tablet!!! I feel like they must have called up Jony Ives and contracted him our for a day. This is the same sort of lunatic garbage Apple spews. NO ONE will pick this up and say "Hey, this feels more natural than a 10.1 inch tablet because it reminds me more of a piece of paper". NO ONE!!!!! "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills".
[/update]
The keyboard I guess needs to be the next piece. It is better than the iPad Pro, but retains most of the same faults and adds some new ones just for the sake of being quirky it seems. It beats the iPad Pro KB because it supports multiple angles. That's the only way. It has the same issue where it isn't as tall in laptop mode as the tablet (no track pad in iOS and Android), which just makes it look weird.
On the cons, the area under the part which props it up is still flat like the iPad Pro or other 3rd party keyboards, which means it will really only work well on flat surfaces, like a desk. The keyboard also can't be propped up on a desk so that you can type on an angle.
Again, I don't think either this or the iPad Pro are actually trying to compete with the Surface Pro... but would it hurt to actually look at and use your competitors product? You KNEW that a 1st party tablet offering with a keyboard would get compared. You had YEARS to improve on their design. Neither Apple nor Google has even managed to match it.
The next flaw with the keyboard here is that it attaches itself to the tablet via magnets. I'm sorry... we're not talking about magnets on the Surface keyboard covers that not only lock tight, but also slot into grooves and with a wrap around cover. We're talking about magnets on a sheer surface.
The reviews I've seen are saying that the magnets are strong, or in some cases "really strong"... but that just creates a whole different problem. Especially when you consider the weight of these components which are really light. If it truly takes any effort to separate the two, then it is likely completely disproportionate to the weight.
I expect to see either a lot of complaints that the cover came loose in a bag and the screen got scratched or cases of people hulking out on the things and sending the tablet or cover flying. Only time will tell there.
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