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Google practically giving away Pixel Tablet with iPad trade-in program

Pictured: Alap Naik Desai
By Alap Naik Desai
May 10, 2024
Featured image for Google practically giving away Pixel Tablet with iPad trade-in program

Google is running an iPad trade-in program for its Pixel Tablet. The search giant is practically giving away its relaunched Pixel Tablet.

Google relaunched the Pixel Tablet this week. This time around, Google seems to be focusing on affordability. Hence, the company is offering the tablet’s charging and speaker dock as an optional accessory.

Several generations of the Apple iPad qualify for the Google trade-in program for the Pixel Tablet. Google seems eager to give away its new Pixel Tablet for free if it receives a working iPad.

Google is offering a maximum discount of $450. However, only the iPad Pro (6th Gen) qualifies for this amount. The Google Store in the US has put a product listing for the Pixel Tablet, which states,

“Get a Pixel Tablet (128GB) for as low as $0 with eligible trade-in. Starts May 7, 2024, at 7:00 am PT and ends May 20, 2024, at 11:59 pm PT. Trade-in values vary based on condition, year, and configuration of your eligible device, and are subject to change upon inspection. Representative trade-in devices for max trade-in amount: $450 for iPad Pro (6th Gen).”

Specifically speaking, Google is reportedly offering “boosted trade-in values” of $399 for the iPad Air (2nd, 4th, 5th Gen), and the iPad (7th, 8, 9th Gen).  Google could even be quite forgiving and accommodating about the condition and generation of the iPad it accepts.

It appears the only mandatory criteria to qualify for the trade-in program is a working iPad Air, iPad, or iPad Pro tablet. Hence, it might be possible to grab an old, working iPad tablet for cheap from online marketplaces and send it to Google, as some social media users have suggested.

Is the Google Pixel Tablet a worthy alternative to the iPad?

Without the dock, the 128GB version of the Google Pixel Tablet costs $399, while the 256GB version costs $499. Needless to say, these prices are quite low compared to the Apple iPad.

The Google Pixel Tablet features a 10.95-inch with a 1600×2560 resolution. Google has embedded an LCD touchscreen in the tablet. A Tensor G2 chipset powers the tablet, which is paired with 8GB of RAM.

The tablet packs a 7,020mAh battery with support for 15W wired charging. There’s an 8 MP front-facing camera.

These specs certainly aren’t eye-catching. However, the Pixel table would be the first to receive Android 15. Moreover, Apple iPad owners, who have used their devices heavily, may not find a better deal that bags them a brand-new tablet in exchange for a working device.

The discounts that Google is offering for its Pixel Tablet seem to suggest the trade-in program is a promotion in disguise. Google could be trying to get people out of Apple’s walled garden and into its own. The trade-in program currently appears limited to the US but Google may extend the same to other regions where the Pixel Tablet is officially avaialble.