In a move just slightly atypical of an IP-protective company like Google, an accessory it never officially released is now showing up across online retailers — unannounced, unsupported, and actually kind of awesome. Say hello (again) to the Pixel Tablet Pen, the stylus that was supposed to launch alongside the Pixel Tablet but got quietly scrapped before hitting store shelves. Or so we thought (Source: 9to5Google).
The Pixel Tablet Pen is dead. Long live the Pixel Tablet Pen
You can buy one right now
Reunited and it feels so good. Stylus images courtesy of Ben Schoon at 9to5Google.
Despite Google never formally announcing or shipping this accessory, the Pixel Tablet Pen has started appearing for sale across Amazon, Goofish (a Chinese marketplace), and other sketchy-but-functional corners of the web. The kicker? These aren’t knockoffs. These are seemingly legit units from Google’s own production run.
It certainly appears to be authentic Google hardware.
Back in late 2023, a “Pen for Pixel Tablet” with model number GM0KF surfaced in regulatory filings and leaks. Designed to work over USI 2.0, which the Pixel Tablet supports natively, the pen had an understated, off-white design, a side-mounted button, and a USB-C port for charging. Pretty standard stuff for a first-party accessory. But then, radio silence. Google never mentioned it publicly again.
Now it’s 2025, and you can grab one of these unreleased styluses for about $25 on Amazon. Listings typically describe it as a generic USI 2.0 stylus, but the hardware tells a different story. Units still carry the GM0KF model number, Google’s logo on the button, and a “Designed for Google” label on the box. This isn’t some third-party clone. This was Google’s actual pen, made in actual factories, just never sold through actual channels.
I’m honestly a little surprised Google shipped these out to the open third-party market with all that clear branding.
In testing, the stylus does exactly what you’d expect. Input is smooth and accurate, hover detection works, and setup is instant—no pairing necessary. It even charges over USB-C with a status light to let you know when it’s juiced up. The one bummer? The physical button doesn’t appear to do anything. Maybe it was meant for app shortcuts or input toggles, but right now it’s just a clicky fidget switch.
So, why did Google kill it? Who knows? Google’s accessory support for the Pixel Tablet has been weak since day one, and the stylus probably got the axe during one of the company’s frequent hardware strategy reshuffles. No official word has come from Mountain View, and at this point, none is expected.
- SoC
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Google Tensor G2
- Display type
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IPS LCD, 60Hz
Part tablet, part Nest Hub Max, Google’s Pixel Tablet is still the company’s flagship large-screen Android offering. Now, you can even get the unreleased Pixel Tablet Pen to go along with it.
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