Google has officially stopped making the Pixel Tablet Pen, which is a third-party stylus for the next generation Pixel Tablet. It ends a development spin that Google worked at offering an in-house stylus solution for the tablet devices in the market.
Google Stops Production of Pixel Tablet Pen
When it was first released sometime last year, one of the key highlights of the Pixel Tablet was the support for the USI 2.0 interface that allowed it to work with a number of styluses. This decision was quite unexpected as the market expected Google to come up with its own stylus, but what they got was a search company supporting third-party pen producers.
The Pixel Tablet Pen was at first presented as an optional accessory that can be purchased along with the second generation of the gadget and seamlessly fits into its interface for users who are eager to harness the drawing and note-taking possibilities of the gadget. However, it appears that there was less demand for a Google-branded stylus than had been thought, and so the product range was withdrawn.
When Google adopted the USI 2.0 standard, the Pixel Tablet suddenly became compatible with a variety of writing pens from different producers. Though it contributed to its versatility, it disburdened the Pixel Tablet Pen, as users could use the USI 2.0 stylus. Lack of a proprietary pen may also have hampered tablet differentiation from competitors in the market by Google.
As the Pixel Tablet Pen has been discontinued, Pixel Tablet users, from now on, will have to use only non-authorized USI 2.0 styluses. This shift also supports Google’s approach of flexibility and compatibility over developing a specific Google accessory.
Google's Discontinued Stylus for Pixel Tablet: The "Pushuukan" Project
It emerged this week that Google was developing a dedicated stylus for the Pixel Tablet under the project codename “Pushuukan.” This stylus project had gotten to the status of having its solutions regulated for certification across many relevant global markets. However, these innovations never saw the light of day: the stylus was released alongside the Pixel Tablet 2 and then discontinued.
Google seems to have no idea about what it is doing with its tablet ecosystem after the cancellation of the Pushuukan stylus. The halt on the production of the stylus implies that Google may have decided to reconsider whether consumers need an exclusive stylus for use with the Pixel Tablet, bearing in mind that it supports other third-party USI 2.0 styluses.
Even though the stylus was never made public, the early information of its production shows that Google aimed at providing a better experience for users of tablets. As Google designed the accessory specifically for the Pixel Tablet, Google would ensure that when based on the device's capabilities, it offered a much improved user interface for drawing, note-taking, and much more.
The stylus, which was given the model number GM0KF, was almost ready for certification, which also means that Google had spent a lot of money on this project. However, the cancellation could mean either that the company was never really happy with stylus performance or performance in the market and therefore decided to shift their competitive advantage strategy towards other segments of the tablet.
While specifics remain unknown about the Pushuukan stylus, its future is uncertain for Pixel Tablet users, who are uncertain; new developments in the product have shown that there is hope in the future of the Pixel Tablet for users who rely on stylus input. Further, of course, it remains unknown whether Google will return to the stylus concept or stick with the separate options once again.
Specifications of the Google Pixel Tablet Pen
The Google Pixel Tablet Pen is just an accessory for the Google Pixel Tablet, and it has some features that may help the users of this tablet. It was expected that the stylus would have two colors, white and gray, and may be named “Porcelain” and "Hazel," referring to the Pixel Tablet. This would have given a unified and sleek appearance to users who like to correlate their navigation gadgets.
For its durability, the Pixel Tablet Pen was planned to have interchangeable tips, so pen tip changes wouldn’t be a regular thing on this pen. It was important to make the design efficient for long-term usage for drawing or note-taking purposes while being very functional.
One of the most notable aspects of the Pixel Tablet Pen was an incorporated button for that purpose of note-writing. This button would have given the user the ability to open miscellaneous note-taking apps at a go, and with that, the user’s time would be saved, hence increasing productivity. A feature that might have been beneficial to users of the pen in covering ideas and concepts without interruption was possible with such a feature.
Convenience-wise, the Pixel Tablet Pen was predicted to be magnetically compatible with the keyboard and act as a charging dock. This feature would have helped the pen to click on a keyboard attachment for charging and working as a docking station. This integration was supposed to automatically make the tablet users’ experience better if most of the time they use the tablet for work or creating something.
The Pixel Tablet Pen also gathered the goal of providing handwriting to text conversion, where the users need to write with the pen and the tablet converts that handwriting into a typed text form automatically. This functionality alone would have worked even in applications that were not designed specifically for stylus usage, additional mobility. Nonetheless, these features never saw the light of day as the stylus was eventually axed because it lacked the differentiation against the existing competition to force people to use the default, which was USI 2.0-compatible pens.
