Leaked Pixel Tablet 3 details reveal it will have two USB-C ports but an inferior Tensor G6 chip
After a hiatus, Google returned to the tablet scene in 2023 with the launch of the Pixel Tablet. While it hasn't announced a successor yet, details of a Pixel Tablet 3 have surfaced. This leak not only reveals details of the Pixel Tablet 3, but also reveals that Google has long term plans for its tablets.
The Pixel Tablet (curr. available on Amazon for $319) isn't like most tablets as it has a charging speaker dock which allows it to transform into a smart display like the Google Nest Hub Max. It connects to this dock via a set of pogo pins on the back which is actually a USB 2.0 connection.
A new leak reported by Android Authority has revealed that the Pixel Tablet 3 will retain the pogo pins which means it should have a dock. Whether it is the same dock as the Pixel Tablet or a new one remains to be seen. However, the pogo pins isn't the main focus of the report.
According to the source, a document has revealed that the tablet, which is expected to launch in 2027, will have a second USB-C port. The document specifically mentions that the Tensor G6 chip will have a second USB-C controller for tablet only use cases
.
This additional port is said to meet USB 3.2 specifications and has support for DisplayPort output, allowing users to connect up to two displays (with daisy chaining). The number of displays connected can reach up to four if a user connects two displays to the other USB-C port. The connections for the port are said to be physically on the opposite side of the chip to make signal routing easier for tablets.
The addition of a second USB-C port may point at the Pixel Tablet 3 being a more productive device than its predecessor. However, that will mean Android will also have to gain some serious productivity features for it to be worth using as a desktop OS.
In addition to the info about the extra USB-C port on the Pixel Tablet 3, Android Authority has also revealed details about the Tensor chipset that will power it. The info also comes from the leaked materials from the Google gChips team.
The documents reveal the Tensor G6 will power multiple Pixel devices described as Premium 26
, Base 26
, Fold 26
, and Entry Phone 27
. These devices are likely the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and the Pixel 11a respectively.
There's also a Tablet Pixel 27
believed to be the Pixel Tablet 3. This means the Pixel Tablet 2 should arrive next year and that there will be a 2-year gap between Pixel tablets. It can also be deduced that the Pixel Tablet 3 will likely launch before the Pixel 12 in 2027. What is more interesting is that the Tensor G6 inside the Pixel Tablet 3 and Pixel 11a will not be as powerful as the one in the Pixel 11 series.
While that should not be much of a surprise since Google already uses a less-powerful version of its Tensor processors in the Pixel A-series, this case is a bit different. Google's Tensor chipsets have been manufactured by Samsung's foundry which uses two different packages - iPoP and FOPLP. The Tensor chips with an iPoP package are cheaper to manufacture but are not as efficient as those with FOPLP.
However, Google is switching to TSMC to manufacture its Tensor chips, and there won't be the option for two different packages. So how will it differentiate the chips with respect to performance? According to the source, Google is considering fusing off defective parts of the TPU for chips that should be discarded. These chips will therefore have reduced AI performance which will distinguish them from the better chips.
The effect of this reduced AI performance is presumed to result in some AI features not being available on devices powered by the inferior chips or maybe the AI features working slowly. In addition to an inferior version of the Tensor G6, it is also expected that there will be differences in RAM between the main Pixel phones, the Pixel A-series, and the Pixel Tablet which should also affect performance.
