Numerous reports have claimed that HTC will make the next Nexus tablet, a high-end 8.9-inch device that could be unveiled this summer, including Google code leaks that revealed an HTC Volantis/Flounder is in the works. However, Android Police received more details about the tablet from a tipster, including a full list of specs and what looks like an early draft image for the device.
According to the publication, the tablet is internally referred to as the Nexus 9, although the name could change by the time the tablet hit stores.
When it comes to specs, the Nexus 9 is a beast, packing an 8.9-inch display with 2048 x 1440 resolution (281 pixel per inch and 4:3 aspect ratio), 64-bit NVIDIA Logan (Tegra K1) processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB of storage, 8-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), 3-megapixel front-facing camera, stereo front-facing speakers and Android under the hood.
The device measures 226.3 x 152.9 x 7.9 mm and weighs 418g (Wi-Fi version) or 427g (LTE model).
Interestingly, the device will have a high-quality build as well, featuring an “aluminum zero-gap construction with tapered sides.”
The publication has also obtained pricing details for the tablet, and from the looks of it, the Nexus 9 will not be as affordable as its predecessors. The Wi-Fi versions will cost $399 or $499 depending on storage choice, while LTE models would be even more expensive.
The Nexus 9 is expected to be the launch device for Google’s Android L released, and hit stores at some point in the fourth quarter of the year, therefore a Google I/O launch seems out of the question.
Android Police says the hardware already exists, according to its sources, with some Googlers already testing Nexus 9 versions. HTC has not made a Nexus device since the first ever Nexus handset, the HTC Nexus One.
The leaked document detailing the HTC Nexus 9, and a render based on it follow below.
