Latest news with #PixelTablet
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boost Celero5G TAB Review: Boost's excellent budget tablet offering
Carrier-branded devices often carry a stigma of being poor, bottom-of-the-barrel alternatives to those from well-known brands like Samsung or Apple. The big three carriers offer them, and budget carriers like Visible and Boost Mobile have them. These devices are mainly for those who don't care about which phone or tablet they use as long as it works. Plus, they're cheap. I discovered how bad carrier devices can be when I reviewed the Boost Summit 5G smartphone, so I didn't have high hopes for Boost Mobile's new tablet, the Boost Celero5G. However, I was surprised by how much value and quality were squeezed into this budget tablet, especially being from a carrier. If you're in the market for a cellular-supported tablet, consider the Celero5G TAB. The Boost Celero5G TAB will be announced on June 3, 2025, and will retail for $200 with a $20 a month data plan. For existing Boost Mobile phone plan customers, the tablet will be available for a discounted price of $100 with the data plan. It will be available for purchase online at the Boost Mobile website or in its brick-and-mortar stores starting on June 3. For a $200 tablet, the Boost Celero5G TAB has much to like that helps it punch above its weight class. The build quality on this device is stellar. The device is made of plastic with a finish that feels like metal. This makes it feel more premium than other tablets at this price point. The back has an interesting, almost two-tone finish. Most of the device is a light gray, while the top fifth is a slightly darker gray. The camera module features a stylish, textured finish with concentric circles around the lenses and flash. I like the way the tablet looks, and I think it's stylish. The weight and thinness of the tablet are good. It's 0.32 inches thick and weighs 520g. It's 0.02 inches thicker and 27g heavier than the similarly sized Google Pixel Tablet. While the difference in thickness may be hard to differentiate, I find the tablet slightly heavy to hold at times, but it's good overall. It comes with an IP52 water and dust resistance rating. That's good enough to throw it in a backpack and for it to survive the occasional spill. It's all you need for a tablet that you'll mostly use for entertainment. Others in the segment, like the Pixel Tablet and entry-level iPad, don't have an official IP rating, so it's nice to see one listed. The screen is also great for this price point. The Celero5G sports a 10.95-inch FHD IPS panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. It's not the most premium panel you'll find on a tablet, but it's great for watching videos or TV shows on the go. Its viewing angles are good, although the screen gets darker as you move side to side. The 90Hz refresh rate is a nice touch, as the nearly twice as expensive entry-level iPad and twice as expensive Pixel Tablet have 60Hz refresh rates. The bezels are reasonable to grip a tablet of this size. Could they be smaller? Sure, but I don't think they need to be. The speakers are the standout feature of the device. The Celero5G features one speaker on each side of the device, which sound solid. They're not the loudest or richest sound you'll hear, but they beat out tablets twice their price. The included BoostMax Audio software, included with the tablet, takes it to the next level. When you open the app, you can adjust the intensity of the sound and five volume profiles: Automatic, Music, Video, Games, and Voice Enhance. Using these profiles changes the sound output to fit the content you're consuming, and it makes a difference. Changing the profile to Video while watching YouTube balances voices and background music to optimize the listening experience. Changing it to Music while listening to new songs brings up the bass and makes instrumentals sound clearer. I like how you can customize the speaker based on what you're doing to enhance the sound. Can you do a similar thing through a third-party app? Sure, but it's nice that this is included out of the box. The internal specs are good for the price. It comes with a MediaTek MT8755 processor and 4GB of RAM, which does all you need. It can handle multiple apps, multiple browser tabs, and light gaming. I never found that it choked up while I was using it, but I didn't push it too much. It comes with 128GB of internal storage, and you can add 1TB of storage through a microSD card. I'm glad when a device has expandable storage, and I'm glad Boost didn't skimp here. The Celero5G features a 7,500mAh battery, providing great battery life when paired with the MT8755 and 4GB of RAM. I can go over a week without charging the tablet. I spend a few hours a day watching videos or doing light reading. When I need to top it off, it charges to full in a little over an hour and a half with the included 20W wired charging. Face unlock is enabled through the 5MP front-facing camera, and it works well. It's not Apple's Face ID in terms of usability and security, since it only uses the camera. However, it unlocks the tablet reliably in good lighting conditions. I can use it when looking straight at the tablet and at angles of about 25 degrees in either direction. It makes unlocking the tablet quick and easy, and I'm glad it's included. While there's a lot to like about the Celero5G, it has drawbacks. Like most tablets, the Celero5G TAB includes front and rear-facing cameras, but they're unremarkable. While functional for casual use, don't expect groundbreaking photography from a tablet, especially at this price point. Video calls will look acceptable with the 5MP front-facing camera. However, the 13MP main sensor and 2MP depth sensor on the back don't stand out much. They take fine photos but are better suited for scanning documents and not much else. The software experience is basic Android and nothing more. It includes all you expect from Android on a tablet, like the dock, Google's Entertainment Space, and Google Kids Space. There are no additional features or skin on the experience, just plain Android. That's not necessarily bad, if it wasn't for the bloatware. There is an absurd amount of bloatware on this tablet. It's similar to the experience I had with Boost's Summit 5G smartphone, where more than half of the pre-installed apps on the device were apps I didn't want. I get that bloatware is necessary to lower the cost of a budget device, but it's unbearable. Worse, some apps I deleted reappeared randomly, no matter how many times I removed them. This persistent bloatware is unacceptable, and its cause remains unclear. There's also a persistent notification to get me to set up Boost's game service to recommend mediocre games and finish setting up my device. Finishing setting up my device means giving Boost my demographic information so it can sell more ads to serve me. I understand that it's necessary, but it takes away from the user experience and makes the device feel cheap. Updates are a question mark. Boost does not officially give a promise for updates, so it's unknown how long it will provide them. This lack of a clear update roadmap is a concern for future-proofing and security. When I reviewed the Summit, it seemed to get bimonthly updates, but we'll see what happens with this device. It appears that updates bring back previously removed bloatware. Even if they're available, they seem to make regressions in some ways. While there are great budget tablets, I think the Boost Celero5G TAB stands out from the crowd. It features a nice screen, great battery life, and a solid experience. I recommend it as a good option for many people, except for one issue: it's only available for Boost Mobile customers. I think it is a viable competitor for those looking at the Google Pixel Tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+, or an entry-level iPad. However, its limited availability makes it a difficult sell. For those shopping at this price point who don't want Boost's service, the Galaxy Tab A9+ is a better option. It's available as a Wi-Fi-only tablet or as a cellular-enabled tablet on other networks. If you're open to Boost's service, or are a customer, and want a cellular-enabled tablet, the Celero5G is a great option. There is a lot of bloatware and a big question mark for long-term support, but if those aren't a concern, it may be worth considering.
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Google's 11-Inch Pixel Tablet Is $100 Off With Prices Starting at Just $299
You don't always need a laptop to get things done these days, especially if you're using web-based apps or consuming media. In fact, when streaming shows or movies, drawing or taking notes and more, a good tablet is a much better option. And right now, you can pick one up with a $100 discount. Amazon is currently offering the Google Pixel Tablet for just $299, which is $100 off the standard $399 price for the 128GB model. For the bundles with the dock, Amazon's prices start at $399, $100 off the standard $499 price. We don't know how long these prices will last, so we suggest ordering soon to avoid paying more later. So, what makes the Google Pixel Tablet better than other Android tablets? For one, it uses a "clean" version of Android, without the extra stuff from other manufacturers like Samsung's OneUI and OnePlus' OxygenOS. If you prefer a pure Android experience, Pixel devices, including the Pixel Tablet, are the way to go. And Google packed the Pixel Tablet with its own Tensor G2 chip, just like the Pixel smartphones, so it's an overall optimized experience when you use Android to stream video and audio, play games and more. The Tensor G2 chip is also optimized for power efficiency in Pixel devices, so it should last all day before you need to plug it in and top it off again. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. If you just want a tablet and don't have any smart home gadgets, you probably don't need the speaker dock. But if you do have some smart home devices, a Google Pixel Tablet with the speaker dock can be particularly useful as a smart home hub. Regardless of which option you choose, the Pixel Tablet has access to Google Gemini, the company's AI system. This means you'll get cool photo editing tools, like the Magic Eraser or the new Magic Editor. And Gemini can help you brainstorm ideas, summarize text, take notes, generate images or do a Google search just by drawing a circle around what you want to search for on the screen. Why this deal matters Though it's not the lowest we've seen, this Amazon deal gets you the Google Pixel Tablet for $100 off the standard price. You really can't go wrong if you just need a tablet for basic tasks and activities. At $299, it's a better value right now than Apple's iPad, which starts at $349. And if you want the charging speaker dock, that bundle is also $100 off, discounted to $399.
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Google's 11-Inch Pixel Tablet Is $100 Off With Prices Starting at Just $399
You don't always need a laptop to get things done these days, especially if you're using web-based apps or consuming media. In fact, when streaming shows or movies, drawing or taking notes and more, a good tablet is a much better option. And right now, you can pick one up with a $100 discount. Amazon is currently offering the Google Pixel Tablet for just $299, which is $100 off the standard $399 price for the 128GB model. For the bundles with the dock, Amazon's prices start at $399, $100 off the standard $499 price. We don't know how long these prices will last, so we suggest ordering soon to avoid paying more later. So, what makes the Google Pixel Tablet better than other Android tablets? For one, it uses a "clean" version of Android, without the extra stuff from other manufacturers like Samsung's OneUI and OnePlus' OxygenOS. If you prefer having a pure Android experience, Pixel devices, including the Pixel Tablet, are the way to go. And Google packed the Pixel Tablet with its own Tensor G2 chip, just like the Pixel smartphones, so it's an overall optimized experience when you use Android to stream video and audio, play games and more. The Tensor G2 chip is also optimized for power efficiency in Pixel devices, so it should last all day before you need to plug it in and top it off again. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. If you just want a tablet and don't have any smart home gadgets, you probably don't need the speaker dock. But if you do have some smart home devices, a Google Pixel Tablet with the speaker dock can be particularly useful as a smart home hub. Regardless of which option you choose, the Pixel Tablet has access to Google Gemini, the company's AI system. This means you'll get cool photo editing tools, like the Magic Eraser or the new Magic Editor. And Gemini can help you brainstorm ideas, summarize text, take notes, generate images, do a Google search just by drawing a circle around what you want to search for on the screen, and more. Why this deal matters Though it's not the lowest we've seen, with this Amazon deal, you can get the Google Pixel Tablet for $100 off the standard price. You really can't go wrong if you just need a tablet for basic tasks and activities. At $299, it's a better value right now than Apple's iPad, which starts at $349. And if you want the charging speaker dock, that bundle is also $100 off, discounted to $399.
Phone Arena
3 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Amazon is selling the 256GB Google Pixel Tablet (sans dock) at its lowest ever price again
If you're looking for the best Android tablet money can buy in 2025, the Pixel Tablet is... probably not it. But if you think you can settle for a decent device with a large but not uncomfortable screen, respectable processing power, excellent sound, and above all, stellar software support, this might be the moment to pull the trigger. That's because Amazon is slashing a whopping 140 bucks off the Google-made slate in a 256GB storage configuration and a single Porcelain color option at the time of this writing. If the hefty new discount happens to feel familiar, you should know that retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, as well as Google itself, have offered it a couple of times before. Wi-Fi Only, 256GB Storage, 8GB RAM, Google Tensor G2 Processor, Android 13, 10.95-Inch IPS LCD Screen with 2560 x 1600 Pixel Resolution, 8MP Rear-Facing Camera, 8MP Front Camera, 7,020mAh Battery with 15W Charging Capabilities, Porcelain Color, No Speaker Dock Included Buy at Amazon But the last time was around two months ago, and at least to my knowledge, no Pixel Tablet variant has been marked down more steeply than this at any point since the product made its commercial debut back in the summer of 2023. That means that you're looking at a very hard-to-turn-down promotion that may never return, as sooner or later, Google will retire this device... and unfortunately probably not roll out a sequel. Initially released alongside a speaker dock that clearly not everyone appreciated, the Pixel Tablet is deeply discounted here all alone. Still, you should be satisfied by this thing's productivity and entertainment prowess, especially for that price. Can you do better in the sub-$400 segment? Our not-very-flattering in-depth Pixel Tablet review from a couple of years ago certainly seems to suggest so, especially if you look at all those amazing mid-rangers Lenovo often sells for around $300... or even less. But Lenovo has nothing on Google in terms of software updates, so if you plan to use your tablet for more than a couple of years, this may well be your best choice... if you hurry. And yes, in case you're wondering, the 128GB variant (with or without a bundled dock) is also discounted right now, just not as steeply, making the 256 gig model an undeniably better "investment."
Android Authority
21-05-2025
- Android Authority
Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 brings lock screen clock customization to Pixel Tablet
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 adds lock screen clock customization to the Pixel Tablet. The new beta allows users to adjust the style, color, and size of the lock screen clock on the slate. It looks like you can choose from five different clock styles. Google's new Material 3 Expressive design direction in Android 16 is all about making the user experience more lively and playful. Along with fresh fonts, icons, and new UI components, Google continues to prioritize user control and customization. In line with its mission to make Android feel more personal, the company is now rolling out new lock screen clock customization options not only on Pixel phones, but finally, also on the Pixel Tablet. With the launch of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, Pixel Tablet users can finally personalize their lock screen clocks. Just like on Pixel phones, you can head to Settings > Wallpaper & style to change the clock's appearance. There, you'll find options to adjust the style, color, and size of the lock screen clock. Thanks to user Petro on Discord, who shared screenshots with our own Mishaal Rahman, we now have a closer look at the customization options. It looks like you can choose from five different clock styles, each with adjustable color and size settings, so you can really make it your own. On the phone side, Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 brings updates as well. The revamped Wallpaper & style app on Pixel phones features a cleaner UI for lock screen customization and adds a slider to adjust the weight and width of the clock. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
