Forget Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Apple iPad Pro – Google Unveils Android Marshmallow-Powered Pixel C Tab

Now it can be told why Google has decided not to refresh the HTC Nexus 9. In its stead comes the 10.2-inch Pixel C tablet that for its screen profile alone is obviously geared for professional users. Powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the new tab is an automatic foe of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Apple iPad Pro. 

While it remains to be seen if the aluminum-wrapped Pixel C is geared up to tussle with the Windows 10-powered Pro 4 and the iOS 9-fired up iPad Pro, the device packs "desktop-caliber," specifications, according to Wired. The source of muscle is an NVIDIA Tegra XI chip that taps into 3GB of RAM. The impressive graphic rendering is due to a Maxwell GPU that fires up the screen in virtually desktop quality as mentioned above.

Speaking of which, the display is nothing short of stunning that beams out in 2560 x 1800 screen resolution with an immersive pixel density of 308 pixels per inch. Per BGR, Google christened its new Android tablet Pixel C mainly because of the jaw-dropping screen.

Yet the Pixel C is more than a tablet as among its chief purpose to existence is to propose a compelling Android alternative to would-be buyers of the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro. Google also optimized the new tab to function as a hybrid, likely replacing the laptop when attached to a keyboard and seamlessly reverting back to a slate when detached.

And the accompanying keyboard headlines everything about the Pixel C, The Verge reported.

"It's a Bluetooth keyboard, but it's perfectly sized to the Pixel tablet and has the same high-quality metal shell. It snaps on with a magnet on a hinge that you can rotate up to a 135-degree angle. It's a firm connection, and the tablet immediately recognizes when it's connected and hides the software keyboard," the tech site said following a brief hands-on with the device.

When the keyboard is connected to the Pixel C, it charges up and a full cycle can last up to two months, the report added.

Now the key edge of the Pixel C against its main nemesis - the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro - is the price, which for the new Google tab starts at $500 for the 32GB edition (the 64GB variant sells for $600). But is should be noted that its partner keyboard requires an additional $150.

At the end of the day though, the Pixel C package will have to convince that Android is optimized for it intended use - as an indispensable professional tool. According to Wired, there are two things that the tablet needs to match - "the iPad's smooth operability and the Surface Pro's enterprise-ready features."

The Pixel C release date is scheduled by Google "in time for the holidays," with the unboxing to include Android 6.0 Marshmallow.