HTC and Google's Nexus 9 runs on NVIDIA chip, presales from October 17

HTC has launched the first Android Lollipop tablet*, the Nexus 9. The result of a collaboration between HTC and Google, the Nexus 9 is designed to deliver a premium tablet experience. The Nexus 9 tablet is part of the Nexus family, which also includes the Nexus 6 smartphone, a Google collaboration with Motorola, and the Nexus Player, which runs Android TV and is a collaboration with Asus.

The Nexus 9 comes with features for multi-tasking while allowing for a high level of personalisation and security through a range of secure login functions.

Encased in a brushed aluminum frame, the tablet also has an 8.9" display with 4:3" viewing ratio, and weighs 436g**. The tablet uses an NVIDIA Tegra K1 64-bit dual-core processor that makes switching between tasks both simple and fast, while its Kepler GPU delivers desktop grade performance and graphics in tablet form.

A 1.6MP front camera and an 8 MP rear camera plus a 2K screen (2,048 x 1,536) resolution cover all bases. Dual front facing speakers feature a dedicated smart amp and HTC BoomSound profile for speaker mode, to enable stereo sound from the front of the device.

“The Nexus 9 is a great example of what can be achieved when two companies, united in their passion for innovative technology, come together to create a product with the user experience at the very center of the design process,” said Peter Chou, HTC’s CEO. "HTC’s unrivalled design language combines with the very latest software advancements to deliver a premium tablet, inside and out. We are thrilled to be able to bring this product to market.”

Source: Google blog. Lollipop has over 5,000 new APIs for developers. The new Android OS is designed to be flexible, to work on all devices with multiscreening support, with extended battery life and more control over what can be customised.

The Nexus 9 comes in white*** and black 16GB, 32GB and 32GB LTE models and will be available for worldwide pre-sales from the Google Play store beginning October 17, with shipping and availability in retail outlets beginning November 3. For further information on features, functionality and accessories, visit http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/android-be-together-not-same.html.

*The Nexus 9 is the first tablet to run Android Lollipop as of October 15, 2014.
**Figure relates to the LTE version of the Nexus 9. 
***The soft-grip back will come in black, brown and white. Different models may be available in only black or only white.