Since Google appears to have foregone releasing an update to the Nexus 7 line-up and rumours began to emerge of a HTC built Nexus 9 – codenamed Volantis/Flounder, the Android world has been waiting for more information. Since the rumoured release date for the tablet was around October/November, the expectations for more information has been low, but maybe, just maybe the Nexus 9 may have just surfaced briefly in Korea.
The Korean equivalant to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Radio Research Agency (RRA), has just certified a tablet made by HTC, which also carries a model # associated previously with Volantis/Flounder. Last month, retiring internet leaker evleaks, posted a picture of the rear of a tablet with the words ‘Flounder’ and ‘0P8210000’ clearly on the rear.
The model # has now surfaced at the RRA, with HTC Corporation listed as the company submitting the tablet for certification.
As you can see, the listing on the RRA doesn’t have a huge amount of detail on the device beyond the description :
(Wireless device for wireless access systems including wireless LAN) using specific low power wireless devices)
So with that description, it’s obviously not a 3G/LTE version. But that wouldn’t preclude another model being certified down the track.
Whether this is the rumoured Nexus 9 or not is another issue, perhaps HTC is just making a tablet with a Nexus-like codename. We have a fair while to wait, but the rumoured specs are still looking pretty good :
- 8.9″ Display at 2048×1440 (281ppi)
- NVIDIA Logan 64-bit processor (Tegra K1)
- 2GB RAM
- 16/32GB internal storage
- 8MP OIS main camera, 3MP front facing camera
- Aluminum zero-gap construction
- Stereo front-facing speakers
- 8.91″x5.98″x0.31″ body (that’s 22.63×15.19×0.79cm)
- 418g (or 427g with LTE)
The Nexus 9 (Volantis/Flounder) is rumoured to launch in the later part of the year, most likely around the October/November time frame we normally see a new Nexus phone. So, just a little longer to wait.
Is this the Nexus 9? Will you buy a Nexus 9 or would you prefer a Nexus 7 (2014)?
This can’t come soon enough! I hope it will herald some new thinking from Google (ie. from Sundar) around Android tablets and associated ecosystem. His rollout of Android Wear for example has gone really well, lots of support from manufacturers and devs, all positive news, unlike what happened when tablets were introduced…
I would rather an 8 inch version to upgrade my n7 2013. 9″ is just a touch big IMHO…
Ha. I was just thinking a 9″ tablet was a touch small. I’d like an update of the Nexus 10.