Google Pixel Tablet 2 hardware upgrades detailed following rumoured cancellation

Much has been said in recent weeks about the state of Google's Pixel Tablet series. To date, Google has only released one Pixel Tablet generation (curr. $359 on Amazon), although it decided to reposition the tablet earlier this year without its charging and speaker dock.

Unsurprisingly, there have been reports that a second-generation tablet was in development. However, it emerged only a few days later that this project, codenamed 'kiyomi', had been cancelled with no sign of an immediate replacement. Now, Kamila Wojciechowska has provided more details about kiyomi, which was expected to launch early next year.

Reportedly, the Pixel Tablet 2 was being developed with a 120 Hz and 10% brighter display, albeit still an LCD panel that outputted at 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. Other similar upgrades over the Pixel Tablet include a 4% larger battery (7,200 mAh) and 4K video-out support via DisplayPort Alt Mode. Moreover, the Pixel Tablet 2 would have featured modest front and rear-facing camera upgrades, although not to the levels of Google's Pixel smartphones.

Furthermore, the Pixel Tablet 2 would have used a lesser Tensor G4 chipset than the one found in the current Pixel 9 series. According to Wojciechowska, Google planned to use Integrated Package on Package (IPoP) to reduce costs, albeit at the cost of increased heat and reduced power efficiency. Nonetheless, this version fo the Tensor G4 would have been an improvement over the Tensor G2 inside the current Pixel Tablet.

Incidentally, this IPoP variant is expected to officially arrive inside the Pixel 9a. Moreover, the adoption of Tensor G4 would have coincided with the inclusion of 5G, GPS and Thread connectivity, which are both missing on the existing Pixel Tablet. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the Pixel Tablet series will return in 2026, let alone what will happen to Google's rumoured keyboard and stylus accessories.