Review
Roderick Scott 0

I'm not going to lie.  The tablet space for Android is in a weird space right now.  There are a slew of Samsung Android tablets in the market right now alongside NVIDIA's gaming slates, Lenovo has some, and then some.  But it seems like they're just existing.  Hell, the tablet market in general may have already peaked as even iPad sales aren't what they used to be.  But at the end of the day you can always count on a Google Nexus tablet.  

With 2 generations of the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10, Google is back w/ an in-between size + w/ the 8.9inch Nexus 9.  It feels like a Nexus tablet as it has a polycarbonate rear but adds a aluminum trim for a more premium feel to it while still being relatively light.  We'll dive into the newest member of the Nexus family of tablets to see where it fits in.  Can Google satisfy users w/ a smaller high-end tablet?  Or is the Nexus 7 its own worst enemy?  We got our analysis and answers below.  



nexus 9

nexus 9 display 2

nexus 9 display

Display

HTC made sure you had something beautiful to look at w/ the screen on the Nexus 9.  It sports a 2048 x 1536 resolution w/ 4:3 aspect ratio (similar to the iPads) on an IPS LCD.  All of this gives you bright + accurate colors, great viewing angles, and overall great for visuals.  Whether like or dislike HTC's devices, you can count on them to offer great displays and continue to do so w/ this tablet.  

Performance/Battery Life

Google switched things up a bit this time around for the processor.  NVIDIA is providing the CPU w/ their 2.3GHz 64-bit Tegra K1 processor + 192-core Kepler GPU inside coupled w/ 2GB of RAM.  While I was nervous about them going w/ another chipset maker other than Qualcomm, this thing handles like a champ.  All across the boards: gaming, media, and simple processes like opening + closing apps w/ ease.  

On the battery side of things, you have a 6700 mAh battery pumping it w/ juice.  Google quotes it for having just under 10 hours of straight battery life.  Heavy usage got me around 5 hours on a single charge while moderate (every here-and-there) usage got me around 3 and half days before getting the low battery alert.  I've been using it to catch up on shows like Flash, Gotham, Once Upon A Time, Revenge, How To Get Away w/ Murder, and more on Hulu.  Watched Django Unchained again on Netflix, some gaming, and to keep up w/ all of my YouTube subscriptions on it.  So depending on your usage it should be fine for you.

nexus 9

Cameras

The N9 seems to have your atypical tablet shooter specs as its equipped w/ an f/2.4 8MP sensor on the rear + a f/2.4 1.6MP in the front.  I honestly don't expect it to motivate me to start taking photos w/ a tablet and it doesn't.  The images are grainy for the most part, even in great lighting.  Other than the most recent iPad Air, what slate offers great optics anyways?

Sound

With HTC being behind it, BoomSound makes its way to a tablet.  So no more having to deal w/ a crappy single speaker tablet experience when you got 2 front-facing ones pumping.  At maximum volume, the sound isn't ridiculously loud as it offers a great balance of sound for all media.  This helps makes the Nexus 9 easily one of the best tablets for streaming music and other forms of media.

N9 Lollipop software

Software

Being the 1st official device on the market to run Android 5.0 Lollipop, it definitely comes bearing a plethora of gifts.  There hasn't been a change this big since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  Along w/ the visual beauty that is Material Design you get tons of new features as well.  
N9 Lollipop software 2

Lollipop is Google's best iteration of Android both visually and features-wise.  

Android 5.0 brings new things like multiple users w/ guest accounts, double tap to wake, notification access via the lockscreen, a native battery-saving mode, hands-free Ok, Google access, tap-and-go which uses NFC + Bluetooth to transfer your info from your older Android device to your new one, quick access to settings, Priority Mode which is like a Do Not Disturb, and the ability to 'pin' apps so other users can only access specified apps.  Also on the Nexus 9, you can enjoy desktop-style shortcuts w/ Google Drive apps.  All of this to help make your Android experience better than before.  
nexus 9 review grade

The Nexus 9 joins the short list of Android tablets that I would personally recommend.

TG 2 Cents

The Nexus 7 has been the staple of Android tablets in my opinion offering a portable size while guaranteeing to always have the latest version of Android.  Even the high-end Nexus 10 was a bit of cult classic even though it didn't translate into sales.  Only time will tell if the N9 becomes a top seller.  However, the Nexus 9 does succeed in being the in-between the 2 tablet as it can be for productivity as well as entertainment.   It performs well in about every category that matters.  There isn't a long list of Android tablets that I would personally recommend but the Nexus 9 made it to short list alongside the Nexus 7.
*Note: I would highly-recommend to grab the Keyboard Folio accessory w/ it for those of you who have pre-ordered as it enhances the user experience a great deal.*  

To Buy Or Not To Buy

You have to consider starting at $400 for the Android version if the Retina iPad mini is worth while for you.  For you 1st-gen Nexus 7 + Nexus 10 owners looking to upgrade this is an easy buy.  For those of you who still own last year's Nexus 7 perhaps not so much.  
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Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.