The Mountain View giant firmly believes in the future of Android tablets. In a job offer, Google explains that they are “the future of computing”.
Halfway between the smartphone and the laptop, the touch pad has always occupied a special place. Its hybrid approach is both its strength and its weakness, which may explain the fluctuation in demand. With the health crisis, tablets have experienced a surge in terms of sales and the segment remains dominated by Apple iPads. On the other hand, Android tablets have not yet said their last word and Google seems more than ever confident in the future.
In a job posting for a director of tablet engineering on Android, the Mountain View firm assures that Android tablets are “the future of computing”. We can read : “We believe the future of computing is moving towards more powerful and capable tablets. We’re working on the next chapter of computing by launching seamless support across our platforms and experiences that will unlock new and better ways to be productive and creative.”.
The Android tablet, Google still believes in it
If it is not uncommon to find an ambitious speech in a job offer, Google seems particularly involved. The Californian giant wants to join the effort and recently launched a new project called “Android Tablets”. He even convinced one of Android’s co-founders, Rich Miner, to join the team in charge of the operating system. The objective is to accompany an OS which has not always convinced on the big screen.
A few months ago, Google announced a variant of Android 12 intended to equip devices with large screens. Called Android 12L, this version is currently in beta and targets folding smartphones or tablets. This renewed interest in slates under Android comes nearly three years after the withdrawal of the American firm from the tablet market. In the 2010s, the manufacturer was however particularly active by successively launching the Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 9. It also offered the Pixel C then an astonishing Pixel Slate under Chrome OS which was not released in France. .
Despite the rumours, it’s not certain that Google’s hardware division will try again. The firm seems rather to bet on the software part and its partners to compete with Apple.
Play it like Apple
However, we note a change of strategy on the part of Google, which had mainly focused its hopes on ChromeOS to offer Chromebook tablets. With machines under Android, the American giant multiplies its chances with the risk of duplicating a ChromeOS capable of running the Play Store and Android applications.
This approach is reminiscent of that of Apple, which continues to believe in the iPad. In recent years, the tablet has done everything to get closer to the Mac and the macOS system is regularly inspired by iOS or iPadOS. A merger was even mentioned after the launch of an iPad Pro with an M1 chip, before the firm explained that such a project was not relevant. Anyway, the tablet confirms more than ever that it has a future.
