One of the more unconventional tablets format wise, the Nexus 9 was unveiled back in October, but is now available to the public, if only from a few sources thus far.
HTC has been tapped by Google to manufacture the Nexus 9 tablet. It’s unconventional in that it has a 4:3 aspect ratio display, unlike the typical 16:9 wide-screen format of other tablets. And with a 8.9-inch IPS LCD display the Nexus 9 may be closest in format to the iPad Air 2.
Right now, the Nexus 9 is available for outright purchase for $399 at the Google Play Store. That’s just for the 16GB WiFi-only version. The 32GB version sells for $479. The device comes in Black Indigo, Lunar White and a color Google refers to as Sand.
Nexus 9 is also available through T-Mobile with 4G LTE connectivity. Some buyers can get the device with no money down and a payment of about $25 a month. According to a 9to5Google.com report, T-Mobile users would end up paying about $600 for the 4G LTE-enabled version over the course of the monthly payments on the device.
Whether or not it’s connected to a T-Mobile data plan, the Nexus 9 could be a decent value for small business owners who need to stay productive on the road.
Despite the odd aspect ratio, the Nexus 9 seems designed to be quite versatile. When it needs to be portable, it has a brushed metal frame and soft grip backing. Accessories, like a Bluetooth keyboard enable users to turn this into a smaller laptop.
It’s running the latest mobile operating system from Google, Android 5.0 Lollipop. And Google promises updates to Android 5.0 will be delivered first to Nexus 9 users.
Both the 16GB and 32GB versions of the WiFi device are sold with 2GB of RAM and they run the latest version of Android on a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver processor. Google says that the powerful 64-bit processor gives the Nexus 9 desktop-like strength.
The Nexus 9 has an 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera that features an LED flash. And there’s a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats and selfies.
Image: Google
Aira Bongco
I guess it is still an elusive gadget that is only available at certain plans. Oh well, I don’t know what’s special about it except for the fact that it has the same aspect ratio as the iPad 2.
Chris
The difference is that it’s just about as powerful and prices for the air 2 can go upwards of 800+ yet the best LTE for the nexus is around 600 as mentioned. So I don’t know about you but I like having money.