Google Planning to Launch Premium Pixel C Tablet With Android Marshmallow Later This Year

LONDON -- It is fair to say that Android tablets have never really caught the imagination in the way Apple's iPad has done. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the main gripe among users is that Android apps -- in general -- are not optimized for larger screens in the way iOS apps typically are. Google is set to launch a new device aimed at developers, which it hopes will change this.

Google's Chromebook Pixel laptops have been high-end, premium devices, which have been aimed directly at developers and a new report from Android Police says the company is ready to launch a new product in the range later this year called the Pixel C tablet. According to a source familiar with Google's plans, the company will launch the 10.2-inch tablet later this year, though there is a possibility that it could make an appearance at Tuesday's Nexus event.

In terms of specs and appearance, the Pixel C will mimic the sleek, metallic look and feel of the Pixel laptops, but it will run Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) rather than Chrome OS -- the company's laptop-based operating system. This is not part of Google's Nexus program which sees the search giant partner with a hardware manufacturer to develop smartphones and tablets for a general consumer audience. The Pixel C won't feature another company's logo and will likely cost a lot more than a typical Android tablet.

One of the selling points of the Pixel C will be a detachable keyboard which will come in two finishes -- leather and aluminum -- and it will charge automatically when closed. The tablet, like the company's latest Chromebook Pixel laptop and its upcoming Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P smartphones, will be charged using the new USB-C port. The Pixel C will also feature a lightbar on the rear to indicate how much battery life is left.

In terms of hardware, the Pixel C, code-named Ryu, is set to feature a 10.2-inch display with a pixel density of 308 pixels per inch (for reference, the iPad Air 2 has a pixel density of 264ppi) and a super-bright backlight capable of 500 nits. Inside, there's an Nvidia X1 quad-core processor paired with 3GB RAM.

Even if the Pixel C does make an appearance at the event Tuesday, it is not set to launch until November and while pricing is unknown, if the Pixel laptops are anything to go by, then the Pixel C won't be cheap.