Google gave hints at this year’s I/O 2022 that it was working on a Pixel tablet powered by Google Tensor SoC for the following year, and a similar device recently showed up on a list of Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) products.
The goal of the Universal Stylus Initiative, which is reflected in its name, is to create a standard for active pen input, so that any approved attachment can be used with any certified device. In 2018, Google cooperated with a number of Chromebooks already available on the market that contain support for USI. In February saw the release of version 2.0 of the standard, which included support for NFC wireless charging.
At the event, Google merely spoke the word “Pixel tablet.” Due to the fact that “Pixel” and “tablet” have never appeared together in writing, we are unable to determine if “Pixel Tablet” is the brand extension. USI’s appearance does not provide more evidence or absolutely corroborate that what Google displayed during the I/O conference is what appears on the certification list. However, Google has only released one of these devices. Earlier, the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro display details surfaced online as well.
On the list of USI Certified Products, there is now an entry for a Google product that matches the “Device” specification instead of the “Stylus” description. The product name is “Tangor,” which is a hybrid of citrus fruits, and the model is indeed “Tablet.”
Even though the Pixel tablet isn’t expected to come out until 2023, it’s strange that Tangor is already in a certification database. Archive.org notes that the listing was posted after January of this year, so it’s likely that it was added after I/O. The end conclusion is that it is extremely likely that future versions of Android will also introduce support for the USI specification, but some third-party devices will almost certainly get to the market before Google does.