Google challenges Apple's market position with new Pixel C tablet on top of Nexus and Android 6.0

Google has finally taken the curtains off its latest offerings. Along with the much anticipated Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the company announced the new Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and the Pixel C tablet on Tuesday.

But with Apple also fresh from its product launches, the question now boils down to how Google's product will perform against Apple, particularly considering the long standing Apple-Android rivalry.
Confirming the numerous leaks and speculations that were rampant prior to the announcement, Google unveiled its “worst kept secret,” the LG-made Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P – a 5.7-inch device with a Type C USB port that comes with the Marshmallow operating system. As if to veer away from doing the normal, the company decided to back off from a Nexus tablet, instead unveiling a new tablet on Tuesday.

The new Pixel C tablet comes from the same makers of the Chromebook Pixel laptop. As its name implies, the tablet runs on Android and not Chrome OS. The device is aimed to offer better productivity for users, similar to the promise of the Microsoft Surface and Apple iPad Pro.

The Wall Street Journal's Nathan Olivarez-Giles said Google's move to offer a new tablet was no shocker.

"It’s no surprise that Google is entering the performance tablet market at a time when interest is high. Media tablet sales remain stagnant, except at the extreme low end where as little as $50 will get you a useable device,” he said. “Google’s rival, Apple, is pushing toward the premium end, with an enterprise-friendly iPad Pro that has, yes, an auxiliary keyboard (and a stylus, too)."

In another article by TIME, the publication claims that regardless of the specs of the smartphones under the tech giants, the "rule of feel" should guide consumers in picking out the best device. It always comes down to whichever suits a person's hands best.

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