Nexus 9 a new tablet by HTC ?

The Nexus program from Google is in an awkward position right now. Rumors of a Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 have come and gone, along with the possibility that the former wouldn’t ever get to see the light of day. Android Silver has been another hot topic, only confusing things more, so it’s comforting to finally see something concrete come up again. Today, the Nexus 9 has broke cover, HTC’s newest Nexus device.

First things first, this is likely the tablet we previously referred to as the Nexus 8 — everything lines up with rumors of that device (it’s made by HTC, and runs on an NVIDIA chip). Without further ado, let’s get right down to the specs of Volantis, the codename for the tablet.

The display is expected to have an 8.9-inch size with a resolution of 2048×1440, bringing the pixels-per-inch count to 281. This apparently has an aspect ratio of 4:3, but the resolution and ratio don’t line up here. It’s possible that the software navigation buttons are being included, which could possibly account for the difference.

The processor is a 64-bit NVIDIA Logan, which is better known as the Tegra K1. We do not yet know the clock speed of the K1 on this alleged Nexus 9. The rear-facing camera is an 8MP shooter with optical image stabilization, and it’s backed up by a 3MP front-firing unit. 2GB of RAM and a choice of 16 or 32GB of internal storage make up the rest of the leaked specs.

Let’s talk design for a second. The dimensions of the Nexus 9 are expected to be 8.91 inches by 5.98 inches by 0.31 inches. It’ll weigh 418g assuming you pick up the WiFi-only model, but the LTE-supporting equipment will tally to 427g. It also apparently has an “aluminum zero-gap construction with tapered-sides,” but the render shown in the alleged leaked Android Police source image doesn’t exactly line up with that (the image above is a render of the render to better show details), rather showing more of a cross between last year’s Nexus 7 and the Nexus 5. The stereo front-facing speakers are also absent from the render, but this is HTC we are talking about — it wouldn’t be surprising to us to see these design elements on a device from it.

Availability has also tentatively leaked. Assuming things don’t change before HTC and Google are ready to take the wraps off of the tablet, the WiFi-only model will likely cost $399. The 32GB model would add an extra $100 to do this, making the total price $499. LTE support adds even more, and Android Police speculates that this could push the price into the $600+ range. This is a wild departure from the Nexus 7 of yesteryear (and the year before), and quite frankly we’re displeased at this point — it is a Nexus, after all.

Nexus 9 is apparently the tentative launch name, but Android Police hasn’t confirmed that as the official launch name quite yet. Also, with all the turmoil going around in Nexus world, this may not even come to fruition — although we certainly hope it does.

This tablet will allegedly launch alongside the Android L-release in Q4 of 2014. Mark your calendars, folks, this will be big.

Source: Android Police