Google reportedly cancels Pixel Tablet 2 and might quit the category — again

Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google had canceled its development of the Pixel Tablet 3 — even before announcing a second-gen model. Well, today Android Authority is saying that it’s in fact the second-generation Pixel Tablet that has been canned, meaning that the device released last year will apparently be a one-off and that Google is bailing on the tablet category for the second time in a little over five years. At best, we’re in for a long pause until the next one.

If true, the news would suggest that sales of the Pixel Tablet have been so poor that Google has decided further investment in a follow-up just isn’t worth it. As recently as last week, there were rumors of new features and a keyboard accessory for the now-abandoned product.

It’s worth noting the possibility that Google’s Nest division will take over its large-screen product ambitions and focus on devices like the Nest Hub and Hub Max instead of standalone tablets.

Helped in no part by its on-again, off-again strategy, Google has always struggled to meaningfully break into the tablet market and produce a contender capable of rivaling Apple’s iPad in sales and mainstream success. It got off to a promising start ages ago with the Nexus 7, but never really put up much of a fight after that — even if the hardware was nice. Android badly lags iPadOS in the number of third-party apps that are optimized for tablets, another issue that has held back Google’s efforts. The company originally said it was done making tablets in 2019 after its Pixel Slate received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

The Verge has reached out to Google for comment and clarification on its tablet plans.