Nexus 9 review roundup: Google's new tablet fails to emerge as an iPad-killer

While the Nexus 9 is listed for pre-order on the Google Play India store for Rs 28,900, it is already available in select markets such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and so on. Several tech critics have already got their hands on the tablet and dished out their opinions on how the device fares. Let’s take a quick look at what these critics think about Google’s new tablet. With the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, Google isn’t going the usual budget way, and instead telling us how the company is capable of turning its Nexus into a premium line. The Nexus 9’s price tag that reads $399 (16GB, Wi-fi), translating to approximately Rs 24,500, will vouch for it. Looks like, the Nexus 9 has taken inspiration directly from iPad or the device was simply built to take on the iPad, if we may say so. However, some believe the Nexus 9 is no competition to iPad. [caption id=“attachment_237910” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] A good Android option[/caption] TheVerge highlights, “With the Nexus 9, Google is putting forth its best effort to beat or match the iPad. But unfortunately, the Nexus 9 doesn’t beat the iPad in anything. And in many places, it doesn’t even keep up.” Further talking about the design, the reports states, “In terms of size, the Nexus 9 sits right between the iPad mini and iPad Air, but it’s no more portable than the Air, despite having a smaller display. It’s slightly shorter, slightly narrower, and slightly thicker than Apple’s flagship, but takes up the same practical space in my shoulder bag (and doesn’t fit in the pockets of any piece of clothing I own). It’s virtually the same weight as the Air 2 and noticeably heavier than the mini 2 or 3, so it can be tiring to hold in one hand for long periods of time. Given that the Nexus 9 doesn’t offer any apparent physical size advantages over the Air 2, I’d rather have the iPad’s larger display than the 9’s jack-of-all-trades compromise.” [caption id=“attachment_237909” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Vibrant and snappy display[/caption] The HTC-built tablet doesn’t have too many complaints about the screen, rather its impressive. Google’s latest Nexus tablet features an 8.9-inch IPS display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The Nexus 9 features 2048 x 1536 pixels of resolution that places it at par with the Apple iPad Air. In fact, it brings the said resolution on a smaller display. In its review, Gigaom points out, “The screen is great. Colors are vivid and punchy. One of the other big and powerful Android tablets that came out this year is the Samsung Tab S, which uses its AMOLED screen as its main selling point. In my opinion, the screen on the Nexus 9 can stand up to any Android tablet, especially for everyday usage.” “Reading newspapers or magazines is a pleasure on the Nexus 9. I’m not a big gamer, but I booted up Asphalt 8: Airborne, and the graphics looked great and there was no discernible lag or frame rate issues. Board games like Settlers of Catan looked great and adapted to the 4:3 screen well,” adds the report. The Nexus 9 seems like a real disappointment when it comes to the camera. The camera’s focus, in particular, has been receiving a lot of flak. “HTC’s Nexus 9 isn’t a stellar performer in that regard (camera). The 8-megapixel rear shooter hunts for focus in anything but the best lighting conditions and resulting photos are also grainy in low-light, and the flash doesn’t try to do anything more sophisticated than wash out a subject completely. Shutter lag is so significant you’ll probably have missed what you were trying to shoot by the time the tablet takes the picture anyway, however, so the other complaints aren’t even going to matter much in the end,” Techcrunch writes in its review. [caption id=“attachment_238089” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] iPad Air 2 still a better option[/caption] The Nexus 9 is still a good bet when it comes to the Android tablet bandwagon. The device runs pure Android and the latest one, this makes it set apart from the rest. “The interface is so smooth that it feels almost like liquid, and its playful pop-art look brings more personality to Android than I’ve ever seen before. Android feel like it was thoughtfully crafted rather than coldly programmed. And playing up the connection to Google Now is wise: The service that aims to predict what you might need—appointments, sports scores, flight details, package deliveries, nearby concerts, upcoming birthdays—before you ask for it is one thing Google has cooked up that Apple still can’t match,” explains The Wall Street Journal . Techcrunch sings to a similar tune, “The HTC-made Nexus 9 is among the best Android tablets in terms of pure performance. In that regard it lives up to this tradition, and also shows that despite taking a few years off, HTC can still go toe-to-toe with other Android OEMs in the tablet game.” However, it still doesn’t match up to the iPad when it comes to customising the OS for the tablet. Most of the reviews talk about how the new Lollipop is lively and amazing to use, but the company hasn’t done much to customise the OS for the tablet. There are not many factors that would differentiate the look, feel or specific features of the OS on the tablet compared to a smartphone. [caption id=“attachment_237829” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] The camera is a big disappointment[/caption] “For all that Google has done to improve the hardware on its Android tablets, the app situation is where Apple still has the farthest lead, and the Nexus 9 and Lollipop do nothing to close that gap,” says TheVerge. WSJ also opines the same, “Unfortunately, when it comes to apps, Android still feels behind the curve compared to iOS. The iPad just has more apps tailored specifically to the larger display.” Having said that, the device is good with processing speed. After testing the Nexus 9 for several benchmarks, PCWorld states, “This is definitely a device for the power hungry. You don’t have to worry about the tablet slowing down when you switch between a graphics intensive game and your remote desktop, for instance. It’s a tablet you can confidently use for entertainment and productivity.” There have been some contrasting opinions coming in for its battery life, depending upon the kind of usage. We will talk more on the battery life, once the device reaches our test labs and we’ve conducted our real-world battery test. All in all, the Nexus 9 comes across as a good Android tablet, but would compete only with the Android clan. It gets a slick UI, amazing processing power and good display, but disappoints with mediocre camera functionality, build and customisations for the tablet. It is still a stretch away from bringing some stiff competition to the reigning iPad.