Either I got very lucky, or all of these reviewers got unlucky (or a bad early batch)

[Vance14]

I have no "bounce" in the back cover, at least none that I can notice.

I watched Gravity last light in the dark and noticed no significant light-bleed. A tiny bit in one corner that I would never have noticed if someone hadn't said to look for it.

I have only noticed no more heat than I have felt in every device I have owned.

I have had no sluggishness, it is have been the fastest, smoothest device I have owned, including iOS devices.

Unless you prefer metal to soft-touch (I don't) then the build quality and "fit and finish" of my Nexus 9 is the equal of my wife's iPad Air.

What I can say without doubt is that this is the best Android tablet I have used and, because of Lollipop, better than an iPad Air.

 

[jerrykur]

How about the buttons, people say they are wobbly and fit poorly, and battery life?

 

[Vance14]

How about the buttons, people say they are wobbly and fit poorly, and battery life?

the buttons are not wobbly at all, but they do fit too flush. But with the tap to unlock, this is not nearly as big an issue. Still, that is one gripe. Battery life seems about average, but it has only been one day so it is very hard to say. It is definitely not something with impressive battery life, but does not seem to drain too quickly either. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

 

[Nursedad]

My experience as well. Back cover doesn't flex at all on my unit. Consistent with your N9, my screen has some slight light bleed in the dark, but no more than any other tablet I've owned.

I can feel some heat during some games (e.g. Modern Warfare), but it's not hot.

Performance has been flawless for me. Lollipop is a very nice to use on this device.

 

[flugelboy]

I guess I'm on of the lucky ones as well. I do have a "slight" flex in the back, but I only noticed it after I read about it and looked for it. I would never have even realized it if I wasn't looking.

I see very little light bleed. No more than on any other of my devices.

Heat has not been a problem even while playing games. Even my n7 got warm once in a while. CPUs do that.

The buttons are fine. They don't wabble one bit. They are pretty flush with the aluminum case, but seem to stick out about as much as the buttons on my N5. Maybe a hair less but unless you measure with a micrometer, you won't notice a difference.

The only gripe I have is that it is a bit too expensive. The 32gb price would have been more acceptable with 64gb.

I agree with everybody else. Lollipop is awesome. I can't wait for the OTA for my N5.

 

[jstwondrng]

My experience as well. Back cover doesn't flex at all on my unit. Consistent with your N9, my screen has some slight light bleed in the dark, but no more than any other tablet I've owned.

I can feel some heat during some games (e.g. Modern Warfare), but it's not hot.

Performance has been flawless for me. Lollipop is a very nice to use on this device.

I'm still waiting for the "sand" release of the tablet but I'm kinda glad it's still unavailable. I want to take time to play with a demo unit in store to see if the complaints by reviewers and early adopters are accurate. If I'm investing 500+ on this device, I don't want shabby hardware.

J

 

[Vance14]

It will be interesting to see whether the reviewers just got a bad early batch, or whether the whole first run had problems and we are just the lucky exceptions. All I can say is that I am thrilled with mine and have no "buyer's remorse" at all. This is the best tablet I have owned by a wide margin (better than three iPads, the Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab).

 

[jerrykur]

It will be interesting to see whether the reviewers just got a bad early batch, or whether the whole first run had problems and we are just the lucky exceptions. All I can say is that I am thrilled with mine and have no "buyer's remorse" at all. This is the best tablet I have owned by a wide margin (better than three iPads, the Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Tab).

Was you Nexus 7 a 2013 model. I am interested because my Nexus 7 2013 has been trouble free with not light bleed, reboots, etc. The only things I do not like about the Nexus 7 is the screen is too small for my aging eyes and the power button is too close to volume rocker so I sometimes accidentally power off the tablet.

 

[Vance14]

Yes, I had both Nexus 7 models and I didn't have any issues with the 2013 at all. I really loved how light it was, but I just wanted something a little bigger as well (without getting a "full" sized tablet). This is really the perfect size for me. I do wish it was just a tad lighter, but then again I love the solid feel and build quality, so it is a trade-off.

 

[gene1138]

just got mine and so far I'm loving it. After reading some of the reviews and posts, I had a sense of trepidation waiting for it to be delivered and that it would be immediately sent back. As I opened the box I was half expecting it to just fall apart in my hands.

I was pleasantly surprised that did not happen and so far I'm really liking the quality of it. It feels like an enlarged Nexus 5 which I think has a really good feel and the 9 is just the same.

The buttons are not wobbly but they are low profile. I have no issue with their use. They are easy to press and responsive.

I do have just the slightest flex in the very center of the back. But this is the same amount of flex I have with my Nexus 5 & 10. Guess that's just how Goggle likes to design them with a little give in the back.

I did notice a little bit of warmth up by the camera during the initial setup and downloading of apps. Seems to have cooled off now. This will be watched when I put it through its paces.

I'm in a bright office now so I can't tell about light leaks. But the screen looks very good. Colors look accurate and vibrant.

Lollipop is just awesome and buttery smooth. Haven't seen any hiccups so far.

Guess I'm lucky too with a good build or something.

 

[bigbadtone]

Another positive tablet experience here too.

FLEX
I have a white one. There is no flex in the back and I got my whole team at work to try it as the online reviews made me feel I must be delusional.

LAG
No lag yet here at all, but then my 2012 nexus was great when I got it on launch day so I'll wait to see on this one. I don't use widgets if that makes any difference.

DISPLAY
There is a tiny bit of light bleed at the top, but I'd have never noticed it if I was not looking for it and I don't think its going to bother me at all. Other than that the display looks fantastic to me.

BATTERY
So here I'm unsure. Picked it up about 7pm tonight and it was around 70% (similar to how I left it this morning). All I have really done is some internet browsing (an hour or so) and as I type its down to 48%, is that bad?

LOLLIPOP
Like others have said, its awesome. Can't wait for my 5 to get it! The one thing I'll say is I may not need Swiftkey anymore as I really like the new keyboard and the vibrations too.

BUTTONS
Not sure what the reviews are going on about here. The buttons do not wobble and they are not ’mushy'. They are clicky and responsive, definitely better than my nexus 5 if that helps anyone. Tap to wake is great although I forget it's there.

HEAT
I noticed a bit top right yesterday, but this evening after spending longer on it nothing.

BUILD
If a premium build simply means an aluminium back with an apple on it then this device is not premium. Personally I hate using my iPad 4 out of it's case as its too slippy and cold, this feels much nicer.


Does it feel like its worth £400? Probably not, the jump to 32gb is overpriced like Google accessories are but 16gb is too small for me.

I don't have the dilemma others do when choosing a tablet as I don't like iOS (anymore). So for me so far, I'm extremely happy with my purchase. Although I full-on HATE HTC for their half price stunt.

 

[Vance14]

It really does seem that those of us buying it on opening day, rather than getting a review unit, are not having those issues. Too bad that the impression of the tablet is being set by the reviews.

 

[djm7541]

I think that the tablet market is pretty far along. Most of us in here and elsewhere have positive memories of our first tablet purchases. I own a iPad 2 that I bought in June 2011. That was a great purchase, if one considers what I spent, and how much use and enjoyment I got out of it. Then 15 months ago, August 2013 (about 27 months after I bought the iPad), I bought and Nexus 10. The screen on the Nexus 10 is far superior to the screen on the Apple 2, and then it is "the Android experience", on a tablet. I like Android much better than iOS. So the Nexus 10, also, a fine purchase for me to have made.

And so that was the context that I bought my new Nexus 9. I wasn't really in desperate need of a new tablet, but I just wanted to have all the fun and satisfaction that I got from the iPad 2 and the Nexus 10, all over again.

After 36 hours of having the Nexus 9, it seems fine enough. I am going to keep it, but my eyes are wide open about what I was looking for in this purchase. And I see that the problem isn't really the Nexus 9, it's what I was looking for.

I was looking for something that doesn't really exist. I really did not entirely, 100%, truly need a new tablet.

I wonder if others have also made a questionable purchase, and are blaming the product, rather than the folly of their own action (buying something that they didn't really need).

But the Nexus seems fine enough. The volume button and power button don't really stick out truly enough, but they aren't fully unusable. In fact, they function well enough. The light bleeding ? I didn't notice it until it was mentioned. In any case, it's not a big problem. The flexing back cover ? I don't even notice anything on that one.

But really, all these "issues", I'd guess they are just petty problems magnified by the fact that it was a purchase of doubtful value, right from square one, for a lot of people.

 

[angry english]

It really does seem that those of us buying it on opening day, rather than getting a review unit, are not having those issues. Too bad that the impression of the tablet is being set by the reviews.

I bought one and so did a few others on here on the day of release, and returned them, I dunno if best buy had a bad batch but mine was just shoddy when it came to the finish of the tablet

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Vance14]

dmj7541, well said.

 

[angry english]

Yeah that's wrong unfortunately for some of us, why on earth would I keep a tablet with poor build quality? The fact when I hit home and it lagged back to the home screen or when I opened chrome nothing happened for a second or two is not good enough. You may not be bothered about light bleed but in dark movies it drove me crazy.

Did I NEED a nexus 9? Nope nobody does, but I wanted one, tried it and was very disappointed. The best thing about the N9 is 5.0...

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[SwiftHax]

As someone who doesn't own a Laptop, I really felt like I needed a tablet once I sold my 1st Gen iPad in June to get more money before the new iPad came out. Had been hoping that the Nexus 9 would come out that summer, unfortunately it took a little more time. Now I'm sitting here typing this from my N5, trying to pick the tablet I will be using for the next 2-3 years, I do NEED a tablet.

 

[angry english]

As someone who doesn't own a Laptop, I really felt like I needed a tablet once I sold my 1st Gen iPad in June to get more money before the new iPad came out. Had been hoping that the Nexus 9 would come out that summer, unfortunately it took a little more time. Now I'm sitting here typing this from my N5, trying to pick the tablet I will be using for the next 2-3 years, I do NEED a tablet.

But.... You don't NEED a nexus 9

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[djm7541]

As someone who doesn't own a Laptop, I really felt like I needed a tablet once I sold my 1st Gen iPad in June to get more money before the new iPad came out. Had been hoping that the Nexus 9 would come out that summer, unfortunately it took a little more time. Now I'm sitting here typing this from my N5, trying to pick the tablet I will be using for the next 2-3 years, I do NEED a tablet.

After 36 hours of owning the Nexus 9, I'd say it's worth a serious look. Don't listen too much to some of the people in here. Take a look at more of the serious reviews, and decide for yourself. There's nothing seriously wrong with the Nexus 9.

 

[gene1138]

I don't think anyone is saying to keep what is a defective tablet. I wouldn't keep a defective unit no matter how much I like android. I think what we are trying to say is that the reviews published seem to be rather negative compared to having the final shipping devices running the latest software.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I felt I was gonna get a hunk of junk. Just not the case for me. I felt too that I needed to post an honest positive review. We know most people happy with something don't post. I wanted to mix it up.

Posted via the Android Central App