The Google Pixel tablet is getting an update that makes it a little more useful as a smart home device. in a blog post published todayGoogle said the $400 Pixel tablet can now cast a live feed from a Nest video doorbell to show who is at the front door and give you the option to talk to them or send a quick response.
The characteristic, which was teased for the first time this summer — works with all Nest doorbells, including the first and second generation wired versions and the Nest Doorbell battery, and is part of the Google Home public preview. The tablet must be locked and docked to its charging speaker dock to display a full screen view.
Considering that Google Nest Hub smart displays have had the ability to announce visitors and show a live view from the doorbell for years, their omission when the Pixel tablet launched last year was puzzling. But it was in line with how Google presented its new home tablet as decidedly not a smart display.
I was also sad that Google didn't give the 11-inch tablet the option of an always-on smart home control screen, like amazon did with the Echo Hub. Instead, we have a shortcut to a “home panel”with a complicated user interface.
But with this new update, at least some of that missing functionality is here. And who knows? Maybe the update is an indication that a second generation of the Pixel tablet is in the works, and maybe it's everything the first generation isn't, at least as far as the smart home is concerned.
