Pixel Tablet could include support for third-party styluses

Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet might support the cross-manufacturer USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) standard, allowing it to be used with a range of third party styluses, if a recently-discovered entry in the USI’s list of certified products is to be believed. The entry, which we spotted via NuGiz, lists a device from Google with the product name “Tangor” and the model number “Tablet,” which are presumably placeholder names for the Android-powered tablet Google announced earlier this month.

USI is an industry-wide stylus standard that Google joined in 2018. It’s already supported across a range of Chromebooks, allowing them to be used with a variety of styluses from different manufacturers. But while there are plenty of proprietary stylus / Android tablet offerings (like Samsung’s S Pen for its Galaxy tablets), no tablets have been certified to work with the universal USI standard.

Earlier this year, the USI announced version 2.0 of the standard. This version includes a new wireless charging feature that could allow compatible styluses to be charged by simply being placed next to a supported device, similar to what Apple offers with the Apple Pencil 2 and select iPads. It’s unclear which version of the standard Google’s tablet might support.

As 9to5Google notes, it seems unusual that Google’s tablet has appeared in the USI’s database this early, after Google said it’s targeting a 2023 release. According to the Wayback Machine, the listing first appeared at some point after January. Neither the USI nor Google responded to The Verge’s request for comment.