The Google Pixel Tablet was first confirmed to be in development during Google I/O 2022, and we’ve seen photos directly from the company at that launch event as well as during the Pixel 7 launch. We thought we had a pretty clear idea of what the device will look like, but two new leaked images of the product appear to show an addition to the hardware that we haven’t seen before.
According to two new images provided by leaker SnoopyTech, the Pixel Tablet may be set to include a new button on the edge near the rear camera. In the second image below, you can see a switch on the top left above what we believe to be the volume controls. This is likely a privacy switch, which hasn’t previously been included in renders of the Pixel Tablet.
Take a look at the image at the top of this article, and you'll see it isn't there in Google's previously revealed imagery. Other leaks of the Pixel Tablet, including hands-on photos of the slate, haven't shown the rear of the product in any clear detail, so we're unsure how new this addition is and whether it was included on prototype devices.
The Pixel Tablet is designed to be both a smart display and a portable tablet, so it’s likely this switch is designed to turn the camera and microphone off when you want privacy in your home. Google's Nest products include a similar feature, so it’d made sense if this is what it is here.
The Snoopy image is edited onto the first image here, so this leak doesn’t share anything more in terms of the software to expect on the Pixel Tablet. Largely, not much else seems to have changed when compared to photos we’ve previously seen of the Pixel Tablet. The speaker cutouts remain on both edges, plus you can see the USB-C port on the right-hand edge of the device in image two.
We're hoping to hear more about the Google Pixel Tablet during Google I/O 2023 which is set to take place in just under a month on May 10. We may also hear more about the Google Pixel 7a, the first reveal of the Pixel 8, and we're almost certain to learn lots more about Android 14.