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Google's Nexus 9 available early next month with Android 5.0, starts at $399
Today's the day Google fans have been waiting for: the announcement of this fall's Nexus lineup. It's essentially an annual tradition at this point, since the last few Nexus devices have arrived at the same time of year. Along with a 6-inch smartphone and a media streamer called the Nexus Player, Google's introduced an 8.9-inch tablet built by HTC aptly called the Nexus 9. This slate, which is available for pre-order this Friday and in stores on November 9th, starts at $399 for the base 16GB WiFi model; $479 for the 32GB WiFi; and $599 for a 32GB LTE variant that comes packed with penta-band HSPA+, quad-band GSM/EDGE and CDMA. As is often the case with brand-new Nexus phones and tablets, the 9 is among the first to get the latest version of Android -- in this case, it's Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nexus 9 will be the first in the lineup to come with 64-bit support, thanks to the dual-core 2.3GHz NVIDIA K1 chipset inside. You'll also get 2GB of RAM; an 8MP rear-facing camera with autofocus, BSI and f/2.4 aperture; a 1.6MP selfie camera; dual-band WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; and a 6,700mAh battery. HTC was also able to slide in its signature BoomSound stereo speakers, which have been impressive on its flagship devices. Sadly, wireless charging isn't included. The 7.9mm-thick slate will be available in black and white and weighs in at 425g (436g for LTE).
NVIDIA hints at an HTC Nexus 9 tablet coming within weeks
Remember those hints of HTC returning to tablets? Yeah, the cat's out of the bag. As part of its patent lawsuit against Qualcomm and Samsung, NVIDIA has revealed that it expects a Tegra K1-powered "HTC Nexus 9" sometime within the third calendar quarter of the year. That would theoretically put the launch sometime before the end of September. However, don't get your hopes up for a release that soon. HTC just sent out invitations for a "double exposure" media event on October 8th, and there's still no guarantee that the Nexus 9 will surface at that gathering. Given that the slate is supposed to be running Android L, any unveiling will likely hinge as much on Google's progress as it does HTC's.
HTC's first tablet in years pops up in a trade group filing
HTC hinted that it would get back into tablets this year, and there have been detailed rumors covering the effort. However, tangible evidence of that hardware has been hard to come by -- until now, that is. The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified the "Flounder," a tablet that would run Google's upcoming Android L. While the listing doesn't say much by itself, the model numbers match those in an @upleaks post mentioning that there would be a WiFi-only model as well as LTE variants for both the world at large and American CDMA carriers (think Sprint or Verizon). These tidbits don't confirm many of the other rumored aspects of the slate, such as the 8.9-inch display, Tegra K1 processor or Nexus badging. However, they at least suggest that HTC is close to releasing its first tablet since 2011's Flyer and Jetstream -- if you've spent years hoping for a follow-up device, you may well get your wish.
