Features like a night light for blue light reduction, split screening apps and a ‘do not disturb’ feature help bring Chrome OS to parity with Windows 10 and macOS computers. One of the biggest reasons why I think the Pixel Slate is a solid laptop-replacement is its Type-C port, which supports all sorts of external devices. In the main Settings screen, under “Display,” you’ll see a selection of languages and resolutions to choose from. i also opted to try the M3 instead of the I5 just to see if the lower end does work for me and whether i need to upgrade or not. As I streamed tracks from the band Idles on the slate, I managed to fill a dining room, as well as two adjacent rooms with post-punk group's heavy riffs and belting vocals, and even muffle the laundry machines going upstairs.

Don't overlook the little squiggle in the top of the on-screen keyboard that you get in tablet mode: tapping on that opens up handwriting mode, which will allow you to type by hand-writing (or doodling) letters with a finger or stylus. The Pen offers 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is half as much as you get with the Galaxy Book's S Pen and the Surface Pen (both 4,096), while Apple doesn't specify the pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil.This, coupled with the fact you can side-load Linux applications, means that on paper it should be the ultimate convertible, featuring many more desktop services than the competing iPad, and sleeker, tablet-first dimensions of the Surface Pro. Not only does this slate pack one more than the new iPad Pros, these actually support external storage (the iPad Pro doesn't), so the Pixel Slate can actually fit into a modern working environment, rather than just rely on cloud storage.

As a result, the iPad Pro remains a better choice for creatives on the hunt for a mobile touch-up or sketch station. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising.This is a big step up on the iPad Pro keyboard cover, which is cramped, no matter how you look at it. The bottom navigation bar has shortcuts to installed apps, plus a battery icon and shortcut to basic settings for items such as Wi-Fi and screen brightness. The display is far from edge-to-edge, but in hand, the tablet’s metal chassis feels every bit as premium as the iPad Pro, and it has all the trimmings of a modern convertible.

Everything else about the tablet remains, including a fingerprint sensor embedded into the power button, two USB-C 3. The Pixel Slate gets pretty bright, emitting up to 337 nits, which beats the 316-nit premium laptop average and comes close to the 350-nit Galaxy Book 2. Pressure sensitivity is fine for basic doodling in the preinstalled Sketch and Paint apps, although it did suffer the occasional hiccup in Adobe’s Creative Suite. nit max brightness it gives the Pixel Slate an above average, albeit not mobile HDR-capable, 1473:1 contrast ratio. Pop off the keyboard and the UI will change to display all the installed apps in a grid format, which makes it easier to navigate using just touch inputs.If you’re a regular consumer who’s fully embedded in Google’s application and services ecosystem, and are looking for an all-in-one convertible that works equally well as a tablet and laptop, the Pixel Slate is a great device. It also provided smooth scrolling as I skimmed the Google Doc for this review and responded to three-finger swipe gestures for viewing all open windows, a trick I tried out on a whim, checking to see if Google was aiming for parity with Windows 10 and macOS. plus i figure i get the keyboard now to have it just in case they discontinue it and it's no longer available).