Nexus 9 Release Date, Specs Rumors: Bigger Than iPad Mini, But Is It Better?

Rumors surrounding the Nexus 9 have gone into overdrive after it was discovered that a yet unnamed Android tablet manufactured by HTC had been submitted for approval to the FCC. Gizmodo has since reported that the tablet was passed by FCC testing.

Previously a number of sources including the Wall Street Journal and Android Police had mentioned that Google had chosen HTC to manufacture the tablet. This news seems to have been confirmed by the FCC filing. After the FCC filing, the focus has now shifted to the design of the Nexus 9 tablet. Gizmodo has rendered images of the tablet based on photos provided in press materials, that were leaked to Android Police. Based on the images, Gizmodo states that the front the Nexus 9 looks like an iPad Mini but has the characteristic Nexus 5 features including a HTC logo at the back.

Among the other information released by Gizmodo, is that the tablet will feature zero-gap aluminum construction and speakers that face towards the front of the phone.

The nine inch Nexus 9 is also rumored to be bigger than the iPad Mini. Gizmodo rounding up the rumors about the tablet also states that its screen measures 8.9 inches and has a 4:3 aspect ratio with 281 pixels per inch.

This resolution is slightly lesser than that of the iPad mini, which has a smaller 7.9 inch screen that gets upto 326 pixels per inch.

As for the cameras on the Nexus 9 tablet, per rumors it is supposed to have a 3 megapixel camera in the front and a 8 megapixel rear camera.

Other rumors about the price put that 16GB Wi-Fi Nexus 9 at $400 while the 32GB will cost $500. This effectively means that the Nexus 9 will be priced in the same range as the iPad Mini, but it will be $100 cheaper than 10 inch tabs specifically the Galaxy Tab S and Xperia Z2.