Is the Google Pixel Tablet Actually an Option for Professional Video Editing?
... and how will this Android product compete with the new iPad Final Cut Pro?
It’s 2023, and the world of video editing is getting both smarter and easier. With AI innovations coming out of the wazoo now, new automation and streamlined workflows are all the rage. Perhaps because of this, or simply concurrently, the video editing industry is also shifting towards less advanced features and more useability.
With the recent release of Apple’s new Final Cut Pro for iPad (which has been released to mixed reviews so far), it appears that other creative tech companies and brands are also looking for ways to streamline video (and photo) editing for a new class of digital creators.
So, before you go and buy an iPad and sign up for FCP, let’s take a look at some recent reviews of the Google Pixel Tablet and its creative editing tools and features to see if it might be something you—a beginner to advanced video professional—could consider using for any upcoming projects.
Video (and Photo) Editing with the Google Pixel Tablet
As you can see in the video review above by YouTuber Julia Trotti, there’s a lot to love about how intuitive and easy-to-use many of the built-in tools and features look to be with the Google Pixel Tablet.
Of course, off the bat, most of these look to be most helpful for general content creators with an emphasis more on photo manipulation than high-end video editing, but you can get the gist of how this Pixel Tablet is designed to work.
Here’s a quick breakdown of everything featured in Trotti’s video above:
- 00:00 Intro
- 00:12 Tablet vs Hub Max
- 01:13 Transferring from Pixel phone to tablet
- 01:51 In-App Photo editing
- 03:39Lightroom Photo editing
- 07:10Lightroom Video editing
- 08:25 Adobe Rush + CapCut Video editing
It’s mostly just cool to see just how easily this Tablet workflow syncs with your Pixel smartphone. Despite how it might appear in the professional industry world, not everyone is a devout iPhone and Apple user for life. So to see some sophistication coming from Google is always a welcome competitive addition.
The Pixel TabletCredit: Google
Tools and Features with the Pixel Tablet
Looking more specifically at this Pixel Tablet and all of its bells and whistles though, it is harder to see how it might be super appealing to a more seasoned video editor considering this workflow for anything besides photo touch-ups or basic editing while on a run-and-gun video shoot with an insanely quick turnaround.
Here are the main specs and features of the Pixel Tablet:
- 11-inch display with 2,560 by 1,600 pixels
- 276 pixels per inch
- 500 nits of brightness
- Anti-smudge coating
- 24-bit color depth (16 million colors)
- 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage
- Google Tensor G2 with Titan M2 security coprocessor
- 8-megapixel f/2 front camera
- 8-megapixel f/2 rear camera
- Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Long Exposure, Panorama, Night Sight, Live HDR+, and more
- Included speaker dock
- Fingerprint lock
- Three microphones with noise suppression
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2
- Google Assistant built-in
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours of video streaming with charging via the dock or USB-C (sold separately)
- Weight: 17.39 oz (493 g)
Also, unlike Apple’s Final Cut Pro for iPad, Google isn’t providing its own video editing software here. The video above makes use of Adobe Rush as the primary video editing tool. If you’ve been a Premiere Pro and After Effects user for years, might make this a bit more appealing since Rush is quickly becoming a serviceable sister app to the two mentioned above. But, of course, without the same level of sophistication.
Is the Pixel Tablet Actually an Option?
That's the real question here and one unfortunately one which might not have a full answer here off the bat. Would I pick up this Tablet for around $500 and start working on video projects on it today? Probably not.
But then again, I wouldn't do that with iPad Final Cut Pro today either. I simply prefer to edit videos on a desktop or laptop and with my preferred suite of Adobe apps.
Now, if there were a need for an on-the-run solution for shooting rugged documentary-style web content where I felt pretty OK with quick and rough edits being released online. Maybe it would make sense to use a Tablet and Adobe Rush combo which would be much cheaper and lighter than lugging around a MacBook Pro. (Although the new MacBook Air models are quite intriguing for this as well.)
Ultimately this will be a question for you and your specific creative editing needs. The Lightroom photo editing tools and features in particular do look quite helpful for the certain type of hybrid content creators. So if any of these features seem appealing to you, and you don't mind the price which is quite affordable, it could certainly be worth your consideration.
The Pixel TabletCredit: Google
Pricing and Availability
The Google Pixel Tablet is available now starting at $499.
How do you feel about this Tablet and its video (or photo) editing possibilities? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.