TheGoogle Pixel Tabletis meant as a home and entertainment-first device, and its charging dock with its Nest Hub-like functionality makes that extra clear. Google still added support for USI 2.0, the stylus connectivity standard that lets you use a single pen across different devices without pairing. It looks like the company even accommodated for magnetic pens, with the top back of the tablet providing a firm magnetic grip on a stylus.
I was curious how well the Pixel Tablet would perform as a note-taking and annotation device, so I purchased thePenoval USI 2.0 pen, one ofour favorite stylus pens. The $60 stylus might be a little overkill (there are many cheaper options), but I liked the understated design and the fact that it has a USB-C port, which means no AAAA battery switching or any other exotic charging solutions. It even offers magnets, which allows you to attach it to some devices.
To my surprise, the magnets in the Penoval pen make it perfectly easy to attach it to the back of the Pixel Tablet, leaving it in one line with the rear-facing camera in the top left corner. The combination of the Hazel version and this pen in particular makes for a beautiful look. Penoval was kind enough to place the magnets in a way that its branding is facing the back of the tablet, leaving you with a clean back and stylus. You can even access the Penoval’s USB-C port to charge it while it’s attached to the tablet.
In contrast to the iPad, where the Apple Pencil snaps to the side of the tablet, this back-facing solution makes a lot of sense for the Pixel Tablet. After all, it’s supposed to sit docked to its charging base most of the time, and with the pen on the back, it doesn’t disrupt the understated look and feel of the tablet at all. At the same time, the pen is always there, sitting readily available on the back of the tablet whenever you want to jot something down.
The presence of these magnets on the Pixel Tablet make me question whether Google originally intended to ship the tablet with a stylus. In fact,there were rumors and even leaksthat pointed to Google-made stylus and keyboard accessories for the Pixel Tablet, which haven’t ended up launching with the device (in fact, Android Authorityjust provided more evidencethat a Google-made stylus could be in the works as this story was posted). If this is something you’re disappointed in, then it should at least offer some remedy to learn that you can recreate the first-party pen experience very closely with a third-party stylus. Now we just need to hope that Google will makesome of the smart stylus featuresfound inAndroid 14compatible with USI pencils.
Google Pixel Tablet
The Google Pixel Tablet is a home-first device, but it nevertheless offers USI 2.0 stylus compatibility. If you’re looking for a tablet that can live on a dedicated dock in your home and also lets you take notes easily, it’s worth considering it.
