Gadgetory

for years google has been chasing the iPad it went low-cost and small with the Nexus 7 then big and high-resolution with the Nexus 10 with its new $399 Nexus 9 available today Google has taken its closest shot to the iPad yet the Nexus 9 Hardware should look familiar it's quite literally last year's Nexus 5 smartphone stretched to a tablet size but this time HTC is building the device instead of LG some of HTC's influence can be found on the metal trim around the 9 and front-facing speakers but this is definitely a Google design through and through the 9 is available in three different colors but our review unit here is a basic soft touch black the sides of the tablet are metal but the back is soft touch plastic and it's really prone to catching all kinds of fingerprints and just human grease it feels ok but it doesn't feel nearly as nice as Apple's iPad Air's or iPad minis little details like the power button and the volume rocker feel cheap and low rent it weighs just under a pound which is in spitting distance of the air to Zoe and it's a bit heavier than an iPad Mini it's just under 8 millimeters thick not as thin isn't there - but definitely thin enough to not make it much of a difference but though the Nexus 9 is a smaller display than the air 2 it feels much closer to Apple's larger tablet than its mini versions it's comfortable enough to hold for longer reading sessions but it can be unwieldy to use in one hand the 8.9 image displays the same resolution and aspect ratio as the air 2 but it's just not nearly as nice looking the colors often look washed there's a visible air gap between the glass and the LCD itself and the backlight is easily visible on the sides of the screen it's not a bad display for a low-cost tablet but when the Nexus 9 is playing in the same price bracket or higher as an iPad it's just not up to par the front-facing speakers are a nice touch it's something I wish Apple would implement on the iPads they're loud and clear and even though my hands cover them when I hold the tablet and landscape they don't really get muffled as a result there's also an obligatory 8 megapixel camera and flash on the back of the nine and a 1.6 megapixel camera up front for video calls neither camera is hugely impressive but they get the job done for what they're expected to do in addition Google is offering a keyboard case for the Nexus 9 it pairs over NFC and Bluetooth and it's also about 129 dollars unfortunately the case isn't available for purchase yet and Google wasn't able to provide one to us in time for this review well regardless of its hardware the Nexus 9 is mostly showcase for Android 5.0 lollipop lollipop is the biggest revamp to Android in years and the Nexus 9 is the first device shipping with the new platform there new animations new design ideas and better performance all over the place it's the best Android has ever looked and felt and it really lays the foundation for a modern mobile platform the animations are pretty informative and the new multitasking menu is nicer to look at and nicer to use the whole platform itself is just downright pretty Google has updated many of its core apps to integrate with lollipops new design and features including an all-new Gmail app that works with virtually any email account and the new calendar app that displays contextual images and pictures based on your appointments it's a great platform but there aren't many places outside of Google's own apps where it takes advantage of the larger display on the Nexus 9 it really feels just the same as a phone OS stretched to a larger screen there are some neat software tricks Google's specifically built for the Nexus 9 you can double tap to wake the screen and the okay Google Voice command works even when the display is off just like Motorola's Moto X the 9 is the first Nexus device to come with a 64-bit processor it's powered by Nvidia's Tegra k1 it's got a ridiculous number of cores and 2 gigabytes of RAM but even with all that processing power the 9 lags in places where it shouldn't and apps take an awful long time to load the 9 can handle gaming fine and HD videos aren't our problem but it gets really warm in a short time with just moderate activity and it gets downright hot when it's doing something intensive like playing boat simulator the Nexus 9 is Google's best attempt at matching the iPad but despite the new processor better build quality and improved display Nexus 9 still feels 2 steps behind where Apple is and nearly $400 for a 16 gigabyte model the Nexus 9 is playing in the big leagues with a minor league team making it tough to recommend to anyone other than Android diehards you