HTC is allegedly grooming a new Nexus tablet with an 8.9-inch display, which would be called Volantis or Flounder, web blog Android Police claims.
The web blog says the new tablet is internally referred to at Google as Nexus 9, but the final name may still change before it gets rolled out in the market. Android Police is completely sure, however, that the HTC Volantis tablet is no rumor at all.
“This information won't be treated as a rumor, since we feel confident in our information, and we've heard about Volantis from multiple sources as early as Q1 2014,” reads Android Police’s post.
Based on the information sourced by said web blog, HTC’s Nexus 9 has the following specs: 8.91"x5.98"x0.31" body (22.63x15.19x0.79cm); 2048x1440 display (281ppi); main camera of 8 megapixels OIS, front-facing camera of 3 megapixels; 64-bit processor NVIDIA Logan (Tegra K1); 2GB RAM; 16 or 32GB internal memory storage; 418g or 427g with LTE; front-facing stereo speakers; and aluminum zero-gap construction.
Android Police shows leaked images of the new tablet but still says it might not still be the final look of the upcoming Nexus tablet.
“Right off the bat, Volantis looks like the love child of LG's Nexus 5 and ASUS' 2013 Nexus 7 (and maybe the iPad Mini), but the image above obviously doesn't quite correspond with the listed features,” it says, adding that the photos might be the early look of the device as opposed to the approved specs mentioned above.
For instance, the stereo speakers are apparently not seen in the device and the casing of the tablet doesn’t look like the aluminum built it has promised.
Android Police’s sources also revealed the likely price ranges of the HTC Volantis tablet. Price begins at $399 for 16GB storage and $499 for 32GB. For LTE connectivity, consumers may have to shell out additional bucks, estimated at $600+. As always, prices may still vary prior to its official rollout.
While the prices looked more expensive than HTC’s existing Nexus 7, the web blog says Nexus 8 seems to be packed with much better hardware and also a few add-ons such as keyboard case. Android Police’s source says the hardware is pretty much ready.
Expected release of the Volantis or Flounder tablet is sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, the web blog also claims.
HTC initially produced smartphone devices grounded on the Windows Mobile OS of Microsoft until it started its transition to Android OS devices in 2009.
