Tech giant Google is said to have partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC in making the Nexus 9 tablet with aluminum casing, and the device is expected to battle head on with Apple's next generation of iPad Air.
The rumors were further intensified by NVIDIA's legal document against Samsung and Qualcomm published in NVIDIA's website, which allegedly shows that the Google tablet will be powered by the Tegra K1 chipset and will be manufactured by HTC. However, neither Google nor HTC confirmed the partnership or the existence of the device.
Other than the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, the Google-HTC Nexus 9 tablet is rumored to pack the following specs and features:
- 8.9-inch screen display with 2048 x 1440 pixel resolution and 281 ppi
- 2 GB RAM
- 16 GB and 32 GB storage variants
- 8 MP back camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and LED flash
- 3 MP front-facing camera with Full HD capture
- HTC's front-facing speakers
Another main feature that the tablet is expected to have is the upcoming Android L OS, which is reportedly the biggest Android version in history. The new mobile software is reported to be packed with more than 5,000 new Application Programming Interfaces (API). However, nothing is finalized and more could be revealed in the final build.
Meanwhile, it has been rumored that Google-HTC Nexus 9 will be released this month or later this year. A report from Android Authority, which cited two different sources familiar with Google's plans, stated that the Nexus 9 tablet might be released alongside "a new software initiative" and will probably debut either on Oct. 15 or 16. Previous reports claimed that Nexus 9 will be released in the fourth quarter, just in time for the holidays, to take advantage of the gift-giving season.
However, Google is mum about the details of its devices and roadmap. Thus, consumers must painstakingly wait until the tech giant or its partners announce any major update.
