Google I/O 2024 is fast approaching, and as usual, some sort of hardware announcement is expected, including the mid-range Google Pixel 8a. This is because Google is reportedly planning a refresh of the original Pixel Tablet.

This is according to a report from Dealabs, which claims that Google will change the way the Pixel Tablet is sold. The main change seems to be that Google will sell the tablet by itself, meaning there will be no charging dock. It is unclear if the two will continue to be available as a set, but the charging dock is expected to be sold as a standalone accessory.

As for the tablet itself, it may not change at all; according to Dealabs, the tablet will still be sold in the same 128GB and 256GB configurations as before. It has also been reported that Google will stick with the same porcelain and sage green color options currently available in the EU. My guess is that if this refresh happens, Google will stick with the existing colors in other regions as well. Dealabs claims that the 128GB Pixel Tablet will cost €609, €70 less than the current tablet and speaker bundle. 256GB tablet will be €729, which seems to be a €50 price drop. The standalone Pixel Tablet dock is currently priced at €149.

The Pixel Tablet is considerably more expensive in the EU than in the US, starting at $499. Therefore, it is a bit difficult to speculate how prices will change here. However, given that the Pixel Tablet dock alone sells for $129, it makes sense that the price difference would be smaller than this. It would probably be $60 at most, and the two together would be a much better value.

The report mentions nothing about internal changes, which may be more of a marketing change than a specific upgrade. So while not a Pixel Tablet 2, this change may provide a way to purchase one of the best Android tablets without paying extra for a dock that may not be needed.

However, the release date is still unknown, but if these changes are to be made, they are expected to be announced at Google I/O 2024 on May 14; the status of the Pixel Tablet 2 is still unknown, but it seems unlikely we will see it this summer.