There is no doubt that Apple has cornered the tablet market, especially in the United States. But even if "iPad" is synonymous with these devices in your mind, it's worth remembering that there are other excellent alternatives on the market. If you already own some Google smart home products, like the Nest Mini, something like a Pixel tablet might make sense.
If you've been thinking about switching from an iPad to a Pixel tablet (or even if you haven't yet), Google has made a pretty tempting offer. The company recently started offering Pixel tablets without a charging speaker dock. While the docking station turns your tablet into a smart home display, you can save $100 by opting for just the tablet. While $399 is better than $499, it's not what I'd call an interesting deal. Google also offers a trade-in program for your old Samsung or Apple tablet, which, depending on the model you're giving up, could get you a Pixel tablet for free: you just pay the tax.
Which trade-ins can get you a new Pixel tablet for free
You don't even need to own a newer iPad to take advantage of this deal. Google will accept iPads as old as the iPad 6, launched in 2018. If it's in good condition, your credit will be $399, which happens to be the price of a base model Pixel tablet. Even if your iPad is damaged, you can still get $200 in compensation as long as it turns on. Given that the updated iPad 6 is currently selling for $164 on Amazon, that's a hell of a deal. Interestingly, $399 appears to be the highest price Google has offered for any iPad: whether you have an iPad 6 in good condition or the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro, you can get it for $399.
Google will also accept your Samsung tablet, but not as many. Depending on the model, you can get up to $350 and as low as $100. (I guess the iPad does hold its value.)
Whether you think it's worth giving up your 6-year-old iPad depends on how you feel about buying a 128GB Pixel tablet without a dock. If you want to upgrade to 256GB of storage, you'll only pay the difference of $99 (again plus tax) after trade-in. Same story if you upgrade to a 128GB tablet with a docking station. If you go all out and upgrade the docking tablet to 256GB of storage, you'll pay $199 instead of the $599 MSRP.
The only catch is that you need to pay in full when you buy a Pixel tablet. Google will send you a mailing kit of your old tablet and, after inspection, refund it to you at the agreed-upon trade-in value. Finally, as long as you're willing to part with your old iPad, you can buy a new Pixel tablet for just the tax.
Pixel Tablets Eligible iPad trade-ins are virtually free.
