Google Google Pixel Slate Tablet 12.3" - 64 GB SSD - Review

The refurbished Google Pixel Slate tablet offers a stunning 12.3-inch display and great speakers for media at around $300, making it a decent budget pick for entertainment. However, its dated Intel m3 processor, limited 64GB storage, and the need to buy a separate keyboard hold it back as a general-purpose device.

The Google Pixel Slate is a weird one. It's a 12.3-inch ChromeOS tablet from a few years back, built around an 8th Gen Intel Core m3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. These days, you'll find it floating around refurbished for about $300, which puts it in a strange spot against modern Android tablets and iPads. If you're looking for a big-screen tablet for watching movies or browsing the web, the Slate's high-resolution display and front-firing speakers are a real draw. But if you need a laptop replacement for serious work, its ChromeOS limitations and aging hardware might give you pause.

Let's talk about that hardware. The Intel Core m3 chip was fine for its time, but it's not keeping up today. In our database, its CPU score lands in the 87th percentile, which sounds good until you remember we're comparing it to a lot of older, budget tablets. For basic tasks like web browsing, streaming video, and using Android apps from the Play Store, it's perfectly adequate. The real star here is the screen. That 12.3-inch 3000x2000 'Molecular Display' is sharp and bright, scoring in the 92nd percentile. It's fantastic for movies and reading. The 8GB of RAM is solid for multitasking in Chrome, but the 64GB of storage is a real bottleneck, ranking in the bottom third of all tablets. You'll be relying on cloud storage or a microSD card (if you have an adapter).

At around $300 refurbished, the Pixel Slate is a budget-friendly way to get a large, high-quality screen. The problem is the total cost of ownership. To use it like a laptop, you need the $150+ keyboard folio. Want to draw or take notes? The Pixelbook Pen is another $100. Suddenly you're pushing $550 for a system with an old Intel chip and 64GB of storage. For that money, you could get a brand-new mid-range Android tablet with more storage or put it towards a base model iPad.

This is where things get tricky. The Slate's main rivals are the Apple iPad (9th or 10th gen) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE. The base iPad gives you a much faster Apple chip, a huge app library, and better long-term software support for a similar price, though its screen isn't as nice. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE offers a great 12.4-inch screen, an S Pen included, and the full flexibility of Android. If you need a true laptop replacement, even a used Microsoft Surface Go 3 running full Windows is a more capable productivity device, though it'll cost more. The Slate's ChromeOS is its biggest differentiator, and it's a love-it-or-hate-it thing.

Skip the Pixel Slate if you need a primary work machine. Its ChromeOS limits and accessory costs make it a poor laptop replacement. Also, avoid it if you download lots of apps or media offline, as 64GB fills up incredibly fast. Gamers and digital artists should look elsewhere, too. For those users, a base model iPad with more storage or a Samsung tablet with an included S Pen would be a much better investment.

Should you buy the Google Pixel Slate? Only in a very specific scenario. If you want a beautiful, large-screen tablet almost exclusively for watching videos, reading, and light web browsing, and you're on a tight budget, the $300 refurbished price is tempting. The screen and speakers are that good. But for almost anyone else, it's a hard sell. The aging processor, tiny storage, and extra cost for accessories make it feel like a compromised package. Think of it as a gorgeous TV you can hold, not a computer.