Google has said absolutely nothing about the Nexus 10 2, and the idea of a larger, more premium Nexus slate now seem to have fallen by the wayside. That’s the bad news. The good news, however, is that Google is apparently working on an 8.9in slate – which may either be known as the Nexus 8 or Nexus 9 – and word on the street suggests its an absolute corker.
The Nexus 8 name has been uncovered in the Chromium Code Review by some German developers called Florian Kiersch and Carsten Knobloch.
It doesn’t reveal any more details apart from the name, but we previously saw reports that it may be made by HTC based on rumours and similar code findings. The same code also unearthed the Nexus 6 name for the expected smartphone successor, believed to be in preparation by Google. To learn more about the next Nexus smartphone you’ll find everything you need to know here.
A lot of reliable sources are now claiming that HTC will build Google’s 2014 Nexus tablet offering. According to @evleaks the HTC Nexus tablet is codenamed Volantis or “T1″ but this isn’t all the company is working on – there are two other units under development too, going by the names T7 and T12.
Adding further fuel to the leak-powered Nexus 8 fire is the news that an unknown HTC tablet, believed to be the Nexus 8, has passed through the National Radio Research Agency in South Korea. Now – this could just be an upcoming HTC slate, but multiple sources – including our very own sister site, PC Pro – reckon this is the Nexus 8.
“The other bit of information we got from that leaked image was an alleged model number. The model number in that leaked image is ’0P8210000′ and we see this same number showing up in the RRA certification entry. The certification entry says this device is manufactured by HTC,” reports Android Origin.
If true it would mean the Nexus 8 is undergoing its final regulatory testing before an official release, meaning we could start seeing it pop up inside benchmarks very, very soon.
In recent months, however, the Nexus 8 name has retreated into the background, with the vast majority of current rumours pointing to the Nexus 9 name instead - this is still believed to be the "HTC Volantis" and the "Flounder". Google's Nexus naming does appear to be seeing a lot of chopping and changing though, we've seen the Nexus 6 become the Nexus X in several leaks, so it's not implausible that Google could be switching names on the tablet too.
Nexus 8 Release Date
Initial speculation pointed to a launch either during or in the immediate wake of Google I/O 2014, which of course didn’t happen. As of right now, everybody is stumped in this regard…
@upleaks, the new young-pretender, looking to fill the void left in the wake of Evan Blass' – AKA, @evleaks – departure from the leak business, has some “news” about the apparently impending launch of HTC’s T1 tablet which some believe to be the fabled Nexus 8 from Google.
Posting on Twitter, @upleaks stats: “HTC T1 will be release before Oct 9”. Great. But as one reply to the tweet points out, @upleaks has been wrong about the T1’s release in the past, claiming it would land sometime in August, which, of course, has not happened. Does this mean HTC delayed the launch? Or did @upleaks get his wires crossed?
We do know with a certain degree of confidence that HTC will indeed be building the upcoming Nexus slate – multiple sources, all reliable, have now concluded this.
As for a release date, it’s likely to happen inside Q4 in order to hit the Xmas rush which kicks off in earnest post-September. October is also looking quite likely as multiple Android L 5.0 leaks (aka Lollipop or Lemon Meringue Pie) point to an October rollout to existing smartphones - that's unlikely to happen without the build debuting on a Nexus device first, usually the new smartphone is the forerunner on that, so we're expecting to see the Nexus X by the end of next month. Whether the Nexus 8/9 will tag along, or follow on later, is still up in the air.
Nexus 8 Design
IHS Technology, a technology consultancy firm, told CNET that Google is planning to release a larger Nexus tablet later in the year with a “high performance” screen. The tablet is rumoured to be entering production in July this year but will be made in much smaller volumes than the Nexus 7. It’ll also cost a bit more due to higher specifications according to the firm.
And then there’s this: a tablet called the “HTC Volantis” which Android Police claims is the upcoming Nexus 8. Specs for the device sound impressive too, tallying with what we’ve already heard about the tablet – namely that it will be targeted at competing more closely with Apple’s iPad Mini.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Nexus 8’s specs:
- 8.9" Display at 2048x1440 (281ppi)
- NVIDIA Logan 64-bit processor (Tegra K1)
- 2GB RAM
- 16/32GB internal storage
- 8MP OIS main camera, 3MP front facing camera
- Aluminum zero-gap construction
- Stereo front-facing speakers
- 8.91"x5.98"x0.31" body (that's 22.63x15.19x0.79cm)
- 418g (or 427g with LTE) (that's 14.74/15.1 ounces)
In addition to Android Police’s report, a new Twitter-based leak extraordinaire, one @upleaks, has also chimed in with some “alleged” specs for the Nexus 8. According to the @evleaks-backed leaker, the HTC Volantis will feature a 64-bit Tegra K1 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and an 8MP camera. NFC and LTE will also feature, as will a “high performance” 8.9in display.
Nexus 8 Price
Rhoda Alexander from IHS Technology told CNET she “would not be surprised if it is higher than $299.” Would you spend that kind of money on a Nexus 8 tablet? The source also suggested Google would be producing a third-generation Nexus 7, too. Alexander said, “We still expect to see a 3rd generation of the Nexus 7 product at some point in 2014 but do not have any confirmation of actual contracts for such a product at present.”
Android Police leaked a bunch of information about the Nexus 8 on the eve of Google I/O 2014. You can see a breakdown of the device’s alleged specs above, as well as a picture of what the HTC-built Nexus tablet looks like. According to the report’s sources, Google will release the tablet inside Q4 and it will come in two flavours: 16GB ($399) and 32GB ($499).
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