Watching content on small screens, or listening to music and podcasts on your phone speakers isn’t ideal when you’re at home surrounded by smart devices.Casting to a nearby Chromecast, speaker, TV, or docked smart display is easy, but the process isn’t as streamlined asHandoffin the Apple ecosystem, which allows effortless transition of content from one device to another. Now, we have a glimpse of a Pixel Tablet feature that could allow casting if you’re just standing in front of the device.
Casting to any smart device usually mandates that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and running an app that supports casting the content. Therecently launched Pixel Tabletcould support casting in this entirely new way, perhaps because of its Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip. So far, the chip has only supplemented theNearby Shareperformance of the tablet, but one would assume Google is bound to develop more software features.
Twitter user@AssembleDebug spotteda feature introduction screen explaining you could cast content to the Pixel Tablet by merely standing in front of it and hitting theCastbutton on your device (via Mishaal Rahman on Twitter). Although the animation on the screen was baked into Android 13, labeled as theMedia Tap to Transfer feature, it could be exclusive to the Pixel Tablet for now.
You see, the UWB chip enables precise geolocation of devices in three-dimensional space because it can sense the general direction and distance of nearby compatible devices. This could allow casting if your phone is close to the front of the tablet. Google doesn’t explain how the casting would work, so we cannot confirm if the feature will be limited to UWB devices, or function with NFC and Bluetooth tech as well, Rahman points out.
The technical aspects notwithstanding, this way of casting to a Pixel Tablet could make life a lot simpler for the average content enjoyer. It could also be a part ofGoogle’s planunveiled at CES 2023, to make audio content “move with you” throughout the day. In our minds, that should resemble Bose SimpleSync technology that automatically switches speakers depending on your proximity to different Bose gear in your space. However, Google could treat a simpler, more intuitive casting experience as a stepping stone to complete reliance on the proximity of devices.
We cannot wait to try out this way of casting to a Pixel Tablet, and it sure will wow your friends at the next get-together after the rollout. We just hope the tech matures soon and trickles down to affordable smart home gear that doesn’t have UWB capability, eventually dissolving our envy of Apple’s Handoff feature.
Google Pixel Tablet
The Google Pixel Tablet is a unique device in its own right, combining the versatility of a large-screen tablet and a docked smart home hub, all enabled by the stock Android OS we love. You might love it even more if casting to it just needs your phone up close in front of the Pixel Tablet.
