Pixel Tablet getting closer: this is how the Hub Mode will work

The Pixel Tablet is getting closer and, according to various rumors, could debut at Google I / O in May. Will be the reference tablet for Google, to the point that it will also bring with it innovations for the Google Assistant and Discover interface.

Also for this reason (and also thanks to the Android 13 beta) we know that a Hub mode is foreseen: by connecting it to a dock, the Pixel Tab it will turn into a sort of smart displaythus adapting the user experience to the context of use.

And 9to5Google news arrives today on this dock, which will be a decidedly important accessory for the ecosystem. For the first time, we also have images, posted on Twitter, of what one of the planned docks looks like.

As reported by 9to5, in fact, Google will sell two different docks: both will be used to recharge the device (and send it to Hub Mode), but one of the two will also have integrated speakerwhich will therefore improve the audio performance.

In the images of the tweet above, the dock in question should be the one without speakers.

Regardless of the speakers, however, by unpacking the Google Home app apk and reading the code, we learn that the Hub Mode Pixel Tablet’s will launch automatically when you plug your device into the dock and will be more of an interface changer. With the tablet in Hub Mode, in fact, it will be possible castare contents to tablet (feature not available when Pixel Tablet is docked).

Furthermore, according to the code contained within the apk, when the tablet is not connected, the dock is treated as a speaker within the Google Home app, with the possibility of selecting the room in which it is positioned. It cannot be excluded that, even without the Pixel Tablet connected, it will be possible to play music from the dock with built-in speakers.

In any case, it should be a matter of a few weeks by now: we will soon find out all the details on the Pixel Tablet, a device on which Google seems to be betting a lot and which could turn out to be a great idea.