Good screen, powerful processor, Android 5.0 Lollipop
Casework not as classy as some, no expandable memory, no IR blaster
The latest version of Google's showcase tablet bumps up the spec, but it also bumps up the price. Will it still be as desirable as its ancestors if it has to compete on a level price-led playing field?
The price may be a bit of a surprise for some. Google's Nexus range has so far stood out by cramming a comparatively high-end spec into a budget-priced tablet. That's now clearly no longer the case and while it's by no means overly expensive, it's certainly not the bargain the Nexus 7 was.
HTC is the manufacturer behind this latest keeper of the Nexus flame and it's another surprise to see that the build quality doesn't quite match the Taiwanese firm's usual high standards. Oh the metal trimmed body feels sturdy and premium, and the rubberised plastic backing feels soft and comfortably warm to the touch. It's getting on for iPad Air 2 levels of slimness and ease of carrying too, measuring just 8mm deep (the Air's a little over 6mm) and weighing a commendably light 425g (actually lighter than the Air's 444g).
But the metal surround sits just a little proud of the display and while this may be intended to protect the screen if you lie it flat, it feels uncomfortably sharp and has a tendency to catch on the fingers.
You can add the Nexus 9 keyboard case which expands the functionality but it'll set you back around £110.
Screen & chassisAt 8.9 inches the screen is just under the 9-inch mark, and very nice it is too. With a resolution of 2,048x1,536 pixels (281ppi) it's comfortably above full HD and actually has the same resolution as the iPad Air 2. Technically, it's slightly sharper since the pixels are crammed into a smaller space and it looks beautifully sharp with rich, bright, but not oversaturated colours. Viewing angles are broad too though there's a little bit of light bleed from the top edge. Not a disaster; but again, a little bit of a quality surprise.
This is the first tablet to feature the very latest 5.0 Lollipop version of Android. It's been highly anticipated, but don't expect a huge leap from KitKat. The new Material look manages to combine practical flatness with a bit of skeuomorphic tactileness thanks to designs that look like paper pages. Overall it's a little more restrained and pastel-shaded than previously but you won't notice too many practical innovations, though you can now swipe down to check your notifications from the lock screen, which is nice.
Software & processor On the less obvious innovations front, Lollipop Android can now support 64-bit processors and sure enough, that's what the Nexus 9 has: a 2.3GHz Nvidia Tegra K1. It's only dual-core, rather than the quad or even multi-core structure we've come to expect on quality tablets, but it's backed by 2GB RAM and thankfully it's no slouch. Apps and menus whiz by speedily enough and it seemed to be up to the mark with smooth delivery of HD games too.
Our AnTuTu benchmark test gave is a score of 34,517 which although very good, it's not quite up there with the 40K+ likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or the Sony Z3 Compact.
The latest version of Google's showcase tablet bumps up the spec, but it also bumps up the price. Will it still be as desirable as its ancestors if it has to compete on a level price-led playing field?
The price may be a bit of a surprise for some. Google's Nexus range has so far stood out by cramming a comparatively high-end spec into a budget-priced tablet. That's now clearly no longer the case and while it's by no means overly expensive, it's certainly not the bargain the Nexus 7 was.
Photography
The 8-megapixel camera comes with autofocus and an LED flash, but there's not much in the way of extras. Picture quality is okay though, delivering a fair level of detail and sharpness, though there's no HDR setting and it doesn't handle low light conditions particularly well.
There are 16GB and 32GB versions available but in both cases, that's the amount of memory you're stuck with, as there's no option to add more via microSD card.
The 6,700mAh battery did a fair job and we came comfortably close to getting two full days of fairly heavy use out of it.
Conclusion We're not angry, just a little disappointed that the Google Nexus 9 is no more than a decent mid-range tablet, rather than a standout bargain like the Nexus 7. It has premium styling, the full HD screen looks lovely, the dual-core processor performs reasonably well and of course it's the first with Android Lollipop. But with competition getting hotter, this isn't necessarily enough to distinguish it from increasingly capable -- and increasingly cheaper -- tablets that are hitting the shelves.
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
