Is Google cooking up a brand new Nexus 9 to take on the iPad Air? According to a new report that is indeed the case, with Google getting ready to have its manufacturing partners begin building the new high-definition device this coming July.
Digitimes on Tuesday cited its own research arm in reporting that Google will launch two new Nexus tablets in 2014. In addition to an updated Nexus 7, Google is reportedly prepping a new 8.9-inch Nexus tablet that will feature a Retina-busting screen with better-than-2K resolution.
“Although Google may still release a smaller-size model in 2014, its strategy of skipping most of the sizes in the 8-inch range and going for an 8.9-inch display – a size that [could] be categorized as large-size tablet (9-inch and above) – shows that the Internet giant is starting to shift its focus to large-size tablet applications,” Digitimes Research analyst Jim Hsiao wrote.
According to the report, Google’s 8.9-inch Nexus tablet will likely be among the first devices to run Google’s upcoming new Android 5.0 operating system, which is expected by some to be unveiled during the annual Google I/O developer conference in June.
Hsiao also postulated that the new larger Nexus slate will be priced at or around $299, which might make it an unbeatable deal.