May is normally a busy month in the mobile realm, and this year it's shaping up to be even more hectic than usual. Google's I/O 2024 conference is set for next week perhaps the most important event in Android all year and hardware releases are ramping back up from their post-MWC lull. Add big moves from Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI to that ingredients list, and you've got a recipe for mobile mayhem. Lots has happened this week, but we've got you covered with the five biggest headlines all in one place.

Circle to Search is one of the best features that Google has released in years. The company knows it, too, which is why it’s been advertising the feature everywhere. Circle to Search allows you to quickly highlight some text or images on your screen, and it will then search for that info on Google. The company has been slowly rolling out the feature to more and more devices since the original announcement, and now it’s making its way to the company’s Pixel Tablet.

After debuting on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in mid-January, Circle to Search quickly made its way over to the Google Pixel 8 series via a surprise Pixel Feature Drop that very same month. The feature remained exclusive to Google’s and Samsung’s latest flagship phones until late March, which is when Google rolled it out to its own Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 7a. Meanwhile, Samsung rolled out its big Galaxy AI feature update to the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Tab S9 series.

At MWC, TP-Link showed me its new Matter-compatible smart home hub, the Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase. And there’s just something about it that reminded me of the Google Pixel Tablet — specifically its charging dock. Just look at it.

In a general way, the Tapo H500 serves the same purpose as the Pixel Tablet: It’s a central place for you to control your smart home. But that’s where the similarities end, really. Everything about the HomeBase is different. For one, you bring the tablet. You can put your iPad, your Galaxy Tab, or even skip the whole tablet part and close down the tablet latch. To control connected devices, I had to open the TP-Link Tapo app installed on the iPad in the demo area.

The Google Pixel Tablet has had the odd deal here and there since its launch last year but has mostly stayed stubbornly around retail price. That’s understandable, given it was already on the affordable side compared to the competition. But you now have the chance to score a 25% discount on the Android tablet, with it reduced to only $449 on Amazon.

Google Pixel Tablet (256GB) for $449 ($150 off)

As Google's first tablet in many years, the Google Pixel Tablet is a solid mid-range entry to a crowded market. It offers solid performance and an appealing screen at a reasonable price. One of the ways it stands out from other comparable slates is how customizable it is. This extends to the home screen, which gives you a range of options to personalize the look and feel of your new tablet. Here's how to inject some of your personal aesthetic into your Pixel Tablet experience.