As we get closer to the expected launch of the rumored Nexus 9 tablet from HTC, more information is now surfacing to bolster claims of an imminent debut.
HTC has not launched a tablet in a good while, and hasn't collaborated with Google since the launch of the original Nexus One. Nevertheless, that could well change soon, as the company is widely rumored to make the next-generation large-screen Nexus tablet for Google.
While the Nexus 10 tablet proved to be less successful than it smaller Nexus 7 counterpart made by ASUS, it seems that Google is not ready to ditch the large-screen tablet territory. The tablet expected to come from HTC will reportedly sport an 8.9-inch display and launch as the Nexus 9. Moreover, the slate is also rumored to come with top-notch specs and features on board, as well as a premium design courtesy of HTC. News of this partnership, however, took some by surprise.
"Google selected HTC over more experienced tablet makers like Samsung to make its upcoming 9-inch Nexus tablet, people familiar with the matter said. HTC engineers have been flying to the Googleplex in Mountain View in recent months to work over the project, they said," reads a new report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
"The choice may seem unusual, as HTC lacks a strong tablet track-record and focuses almost exclusively on smartphones. But Google's decision to pick HTC reflects the software giant's long-standing philosophy of building a broad base of partners. Google likes to change its partners from device to device to avoid any one manufacturer gaining a monopoly, said a person familiar with the matter. That's why Google had been mulling HTC as a Nexus tablet partner since last year, the person said."
As previously mentioned, the new report from the WSJ only bolsters previous claims, as rumors of an HTC-made Google Nexus 9 tablet have been making rounds for quite some time now. Moreover, just recently more tangible evidence surfaced to indicate that the Nexus 9 would make an imminent debut.
More specifically, in some legal documents from NVIDIA, in which the company accused Qualcomm and Samsung for infringing on some of its patents, some very enticing references confirmed what was rumored in regards to the Nexus 9. In the document in question, NVIDIA noted that the Nexus 9 was expected to pack its powerful Tegra K1 processor under the hood, and launch in the third quarter of this year. The company has since revised the document to remove the Nexus 9 reference.
The HTC Nexus 9 should make its official debut next month, but it's all in the rumor state at this point. As always in such cases, it is recommended to take everything with a grain of salt until a formal announcement. We'll make sure to keep you up to date as soon as we learn more, so stay tuned.
