Nexus 9: HTC is back with the Nexus and Tablet business

HTC has been a pioneer when it comes to Android devices. Not only they were the ones who made the first Nexus smart phone but they were also among the first to come out with a premium Android tablet with the HTC Flyer. Now with the Nexus 9, HTC is finally back in the game with tablet that’s not only high in spec but also premium to touch and use. The bezels are thin and it also gets brushed metal sides while the back gets a soft grip finish with subtle curves.

Like the number suggests, the Nexus 9 is a 9″ tablet (8.9″ IPS LCD to be precise) and it does a more squarish 4:3 display aspect ratio like the iPad mini and the Xiaomi Mi Pad. Resolution wise, it pushes a similar 2048×1536 pixels that does a respectable 287 ppi (pixels per inch). In front, it is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and like what you would expect from HTC, is the inclusion of its BoomSound front stereo speakers.

Like its earlier rumours suggest, it runs on a newer 64-bit 2.3GHz Nvidia Tegra K1 chipset but mated with a standard 2GB of RAM. For storage, you’ll have the option for 16GB or 32GB of storage which is non expandable. For imaging, it gets a 8MP f/2.4 camera with LED flash while the front gets a 1.6MP f/2.4 shooter. Connectivity wise, it gets NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi 802.11ac (2×2 MIMO) and GPS. Obviously out of the box, it runs on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop.

There will be 2 versions available, a WiFi only unit that weighs 425 grams and a 4G LTE variant that’s slightly heavier at 436 grams. With a 6,700mAh capacity battery on-board it has a respectable thickness of 7.95mm. It is thin but not as thin as an iPad Air (7.5mm) or a Galaxy Tab S (6.6mm). There are total of 3 colours available – Indigo Black, Lunar White and Sand. With the arrival of the Nexus 9, Google has finally removed its ASUS based Nexus 7 from its product listing.

For more information, head over to the Nexus 9 page.