Google Nexus 8.9 made by HTC is tipped for June - a 'high-performance' tablet with 2K+ display, and a $300+ price
Speculation that Google is indeed planning to release an 8.9" Nexus tablet this year, is starting to pile up, and now we have two more candidates for the rumor mill. Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet and monitor research at IHS Technology, has confirmed the speculation, revealing some very interesting facts about the tablet.
First off, the Google Nexus 8.9 is likely to be a "high-performance" device, with "volume production expected to start in July or August." She also adds that "this will be a lower volume product, carrying a premium price tag to support the specifications," and "would not be surprised if it is higher than $299." Another juicy tidbit is that Alexander thinks HTC will be the manufacturer of Google's larger tablet, which we've heard before.
Nexus 8.9 will be a lower volume product, carrying a premium price tag to support the specifications
Hot on the heels of these claims, comes another report, by Digitimes Research, which reiterates that the Nexus 8.9 will start production in July. It also confirms the top-shelf specs and price tag, saying that the tablet will feature a screen resolution of "more than 2K," and a price tag north of $299.
Given that the tablet with the highest pixel density so far, Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, has 2560x1600 pixels display, and the next player, Kindle Fire HDX 8.9", flaunts the same resolution, Google might go as high as that for the Nexus 8.9. Samsung's darling retails for $399, and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" is $379. Thus, if Google prices the larger Nexus slate a tad above the $300 mark, those two might have a veritable competition, given how popular the Nexus line of devices is. Also, if HTC is indeed the one building this slate, we can reasonably expect a premium design, in addition to the premium specs.
As for the announcement and release date, we can't wait for the Google I/O conference at the end of June, and we'll tell you why - Taiwanese media published recently, that Google will be releasing an HTC-made "high-end" Nexus tablet in Q3. Now, these new reports come to basically say the same thing, and confirm mass production for July, so there's every chance that Google will be announcing the Nexus 8.9 on June 25th, when its I/O conference starts.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: