It's been nearly five years since Google released its first Nexus device. With the device, Google is showing how capable and durable its latest Android operating system can be, in a sense of future vision the company has provided its users. Google has teamed with HTC to build the new Nexus 9, the first tablet to run Android 5.0 Lollipop with a Nvidia's powerful K1 chipset.
For many years, Apple's iPad has set the benchmark for tablets. When a person is asked for a tablet, the first thing that has the highest chance to come the mind is an iPad. Google has worked around in making cheap tablets with Nexus 7, putting it in place where Apple's tablet didn't.
With the Nexus 9, Google is taking its third attempt, in a different approach, to compete against the iPad, after the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
The Nexus 9 that comes with three different colors, has a display with the same resolution and aspect ratio as Apple's tablets. Built with sturdy aluminium metal casing, the device feels premium. With a new 64-bit Nvidia processor, first ever in an Android device (after the Nvidia Shield tablet that uses two slightly different CPU architectures) and plenty of RAM, the Nexus 9 is Google's attempt to dethrone iPad. But could it be possible?
To start with, the Nexus 9 is aiming to push Android tablets up to a more premium segment, rather than a cost-optimized device capable to fulfill Android enthusiasts' needs. The device is powered by a 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 which houses two Denver CPU cores clocking at 2.3GHz, rather than the traditional 4+1 Cortex A15 setup. This is further boosted with 2GB of RAM with Nvidia's 192-core Kepler GPU. With dual front-facing speakers and a large 9" IPS LCD display with 4:3 aspect ratio, the Nexus 9 is equipped with a 8MP rear-facing camera with F/2.4 aperture, 1.6MP front-facing camera and a 6700 mAh battery.
The feel of the device is undeniably sturdy and well-constructed. Despite having the same thickness as an iPad Mini with Retina display, the Nexus 9 is heavier due to its plastic-aluminium built, tipping the scale at 15 ounces. Both Google and HTC have given more attention to details to make the tablet feel better on the hands on its users.
The HTC device goes with a 2,048x1,536 AMOLED display that squeezes 281 pixels per inch. This is still below the density in Samsung's 8.4-inch Galaxy Tab S (359 ppi) or the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 (339 ppi). The screen shows crisp colors and great viewing angle, but certainly not an astounding one.
The Nexus 9 comes with the 16GB, as well as the 32GB version.
The star of the show is Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google Android's operating system first unveiled in June 2014 in its 2014 I/O conference.
Like all Nexus devices, the Nexus 9 isn't just meant to an ordinary tablet. The device is built to highlight what Android is capable of. The highlight the star, the Nexus 9 loads the tablet with Android Lollipop, running smoothly thanks to ART (Android Runtime) and the powerful chipset the device is equipped with.
With Android 5.0, Google officially ditched its Dalvik runtime in favor of ART, which promises better performance. With the large battery, Google claims that the Nexus 9 can keep up with normal usage up to 9.5 hours.
With better ability to push against the limits of computing power of a tablet, Google abused Android Lollipop with Material Design that is centered on a new approach to colors, layers and motion. The operating system shows more vivid colors, and animations in the form of layered sheets stacked atop of each other, with shadows to keep them distinct.
Google equipped the Nexus 9 with its best efforts. The device is powerful, and its Android operating system is running smooth. The casing is premium, and with a new positions for the cameras and the speakers, the Nexus is a great device. The slightly beveled metal edges with the soft-touch gives added grip that makes one-handing the Nexus 9 feasible.
But comparing with Apple's more popular iPad, the Nexus 9 still doesn't stand a chance. In fact, in many places, the device just can't keep up. The iPad still feels more solid. However, the Nexus 9 isn't meant to be an iPad killer. And despite the connotation of an iPad as a tablet can't be altered, the Android Lollipop is certainly refreshing with design that really catches the eyes. And the Nexus 9 main purpose is to highlight it.
Android still isn't really built for tablets, and the Lollipop operating system is still young. But with the Nexus 9, Android has never felt so cohesive and purposeful.