Anyone else disappointed by the Nexus 9?

[jerrykur]

I think it looks good. The only thing I would like is wireless charging. On a phone that I carry everywhere and need it to be on 24/7 wireless is a must. On a tablet it is definitely a nice to have, but I can handle some down time waiting for it to charge.

 

[monkeypunch35]

Ugh no SD Card, I'm not buying. It is the only thing keeping me from buying it. 32GB is not enough space. It's just stupid Google would not include one.

 

[omegafiler]

I'd be willing to live with the 4:3 aspect ratio (or at least try it out); even though I still think 16:9 or 3:2 is much better for a tablet. But then like many others, I saw they want $80 for an extra 16GB of storage. Even Apple doesn't try to rip you off that much... anymore. They'll at least bump you from 16 to 64GB for $100.

I mean, it's not like we should have expected SD storage from a Google/Nexus device in the first place. But at least give us a reasonably priced option with more storage. A Nexus 9 64GB for $500 would have been great. That's really probably going to be the deal killer for me. I'm ready to happily spend $500+ on a tablet if it's worth the price. Which is unfortunate, because I'm liking everything else so far.

So who knows... but right now I think I'm going to wait for the 8" Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact that should be out fairly soon. Sony keeps things fairly stock and still has expandable storage.

 

[Paul627g]

Ugh no SD Card, I'm not buying.

I just don't think we are going to see a SDCARD on a Nexus. If Google was going to do it, they had their chance here with the Nexus 6/Nexus 9.

 

[Carrtman]

I'd be willing to live with the 4:3 aspect ratio (or at least try it out); even though I still think 16:9 or 3:2 is much better for a tablet. But then like many others, I saw they want $80 for an extra 16GB of storage. Even Apple doesn't try to rip you off that much... anymore. They'll at least bump you from 16 to 64GB for $100.

I mean, it's not like we should have expected SD storage from a Google/Nexus device in the first place. But at least give us a reasonably priced option with more storage. A Nexus 9 64GB for $500 would have been great. That's really probably going to be the deal killer for me. I'm ready to happily spend $500+ on a tablet if it's worth the price. Which is unfortunate, because I'm liking everything else so far.

So who knows... but right now I think I'm going to wait for the 8" Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact that should be out fairly soon. Sony keeps things fairly stock and still has expandable storage.

True that I think ms almost nailed or perfectly with the ratio. The only downside of the sp 3 is the ridiculous price tag, an average one sets you back by 1.200 (with the keyboard) and I'm not willing to go beyond 600 for a consum device.

My dream tablet would be the tf700 with QHD, 3:2, better specs and a removable battery.

I mean paying a huge amount for something I should be able to do by myself isn't worth it.

Also 100 bucks for +1 6 gig is a rip off. The best tablet right now seems to be the tf701 and Samsung note 10.5

 

[too lame to come up with a good username]

My "Official" Opinion of the Nexus 9's Specs:
So, after letting my opinions on the Nexus 9 sit for awhile, I've come to some new conclusions. When I first created this thread, I was pretty much giving my very first impressions, and my first impressions were more of a rant. Now that I got that out of my system, it's time for me to talk about what the Nexus 9 actually is, based entirely on what we know about the specs. Originally I was mostly talking about what I thought the Nexus 9 should have been. This time I'll be judging it on its own merits and I'll try to be as objective as possible. I DO have to compare it to other tablets just to give it some perspective, though.

The Processor:
The Tegra K1 Processor has fantastic specs. 2 GB RAM should be sufficient. It's not as much as the Nexus 6's 3 GB RAM but the processor is probably so good that it probably won't make a difference. (But without actually using the device I can't say this with 100% certainty).
Verdict: Great!

The Screen Resolution:
The 2048 x 1536 resolution puts it at 287 PPI, not 245 like a lot of earlier sources were saying. It's still a step down from the Nexus 10 and a far cry from the Nexus 7. It has the same resolution as the iPad 3, but since the Nexus 9 has a smaller screen it has a higher pixel density. However, Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10 tablet has a 2560 x 1600 (299 PPI) Super AMOLED screen. So the Nexus 9 screen is only slightly better than one of its main competitors. Also keep in mind that even cheaper tablets like the ASUS TF7 have a 2560 x 1600 resolution, and it retails for only $300. The Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 screens actually stood out among the crowd. This year, the Nexus 9 screen doesn't.
Verdict: Booo!

The Aspect Ratio:
The 4:3 aspect ratio makes it pretty blatant that the Nexus 9 is trying to take on the iPad, since 90% of all Android tablets have an 8:5 (16:10) ratio. It's not the first Android tablet with a 4:3 ratio, either. 4:3 might just become the new standard for Android tablets in the future.
Verdict: Unique

The Size:
It's right in between the N7 and N10, and all of the big players in the tablet market sport either 8 inch or 10 inch screens, with the only exception being the Kindle Fire HDX.
Verdict: Unique

The Battery:
It has a better battery than the Nexus 7 but a worse batter than the Nexus 10.

Unfortunately, the Nexus 9 can't be charged wirelessly while the N7 and N10 can.
Verdict:Meh and also Booo!

The Build
It has the same soft-touch plastic construction as previous Nexus tablets. It does have an aluminum border around it, so it might be sturdier than the all-plastic Nexus tablets that came before it. Then again maybe not. I'm not sure if a thin strip of metal around the sides would make much of a difference. I don't know what type of glass is protecting the screen, either.
Verdict: Meh

The Speakers:
It has front-facing speakers with HTC's BoomSound technology. Need I say more?
Verdict: Great!

The Cameras:
The 8 MP camera with flash doesn't really make a difference, and it shouldn't. Google only added it to keep up with the Great Spec Wars but anyone who tries to take a picture in public with a tablet looks ridiculous. The N7's front-facing camera is 1.2 MP while the N9 has a 1.6 MP front-facing. I honestly don't know how much of a difference that makes.
Verdict: Meh

Overall Verdict:

• It has two real upgrades over the N7 and N10: The processor and speakers.
• It has two upgrades that don't actually matter: The cameras and the little strip of aluminum around the border.
• It's in-between the N7 and N10 in two ways: The battery and screen size.
• It's a downgrade in two ways: The screen resolution: It's nothing special among its competition, plus it's a step down from previous Nexus tablets. Secondly, it can't be charged wirelessly.
• And it's completely unique in two ways: The 4:3 aspect ratio and the 8.9 inch screen size.

The two upgrades and two downgrades just cancel each other out, so it's actually neither an upgrade nor a downgrade of the N7 or N10. And considering that it's in-between both devices in two ways, and completley unique in two other ways, I'm inclined to say that it's not really fair to compare it to the Nexus 7 or Nexus 10. This is a completely new device that wants to have its own identity. And if the Nexus 6 is any indication, Nexus 9 wants to be one of the big players and go head-to-head with the top flagship tablets in the market. In fact, this seems to be the Nexus brand's new identity this year. That's why I didn't talk about the $399 price tag; if it wants to be one of the big players it's going to cost around the same price.

So, I'll be fair and concede that the Nexus 9 is going to be a good tablet. It's not ambitious enough to rise above its competitors with a slew of amazingly fantastic specs, but maybe that's not what it's trying to do. Maybe it just wants to sit comfortably in the premium tablet arena without pissing Apple or Samsung off.

 

[Shilohcane]

People are just ignoring what a 64 bit CPU is going to provide trying to compare it to 32 bit tablets specs. The NVIDIA Tegra K1 64-bit processor is going to make the Nexus 9 the most advanced tablet on the market with visual effects. It's also the first mobile processor to run 'Unreal Engine 4' . This Industry standard 'Unreal Engine 4' is the next step in tablets technology for graphics that can't be done with with shading, 3D effects and image reflections with a 32 bit CPU. The Tegra K1 64-bit processor is going to provide the quality of graphics than were on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It not as good as graphics as the current Playstation or Xbox but that is only a due to lack of electrical watts and heat dissipation that prevents it from being at those levels. If you are a high end gamer on Android then the NVIDIA Tegra K1 64 bit processor was made for your style.

Unreal Engine 4 is a professional suite of tools and technologies used for building high-quality games across a range of platforms. Unreal Engine 4’s rendering architecture enables developers to achieve stunning visuals and also scale elegantly to lower-end systems.

Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games as well as real-time 3D films, training simulations, visualizations and more. Over the past 15 years, thousands of individuals and teams and have built careers and companies around skills developed using the engine. Read more here https://www.unrealengine.com/products/unreal-engine-4

Everyone talking about the PPI on the Nexus 9 can't see the Forrest for the tree that is in front of them.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

Dude, you haven't even touched it let alone are in a position to post a review of it.

This is what I hate about tech users at the moment, they judge a product without even using it. A device is as good as the *experience* you get from using it, not the specs on a sheet of paper.

'Oh the product has X therefore in my estimation it won't be good'. Complete nonsense.

I'm not trying to have a go at you specifically, but the tech community in general.


Have an open mind and USE the device rather than passing it off as good/bad/whatever.
Sent from my HTC One M8 using Tapatalk

 

[Shilohcane]

This is the type of games that will run on the Nexus 9 but these are based on the "Unreal Engine 3" and the Nexus 9 & Shield with the K1 are the first Android tablet that supports the "Unreal Engine 4".

10 Unreal Engine powered-games for Android and iOS - graphics feasts to enjoy on the go!

 

[too lame to come up with a good username]

Dude, you haven't even touched it let alone are in a position to post a review of it.

This is what I hate about tech users at the moment, they judge a product without even using it. A device is as good as the *experience* you get from using it, not the specs on a sheet of paper.

Well, the first thing I look at before I buy a device is the specs. Now obviously I wouldn't usually review a product that I've never even used, but I felt like I needed to post my new thoughts on the Nexus 9 because I had a negative overreaction when it was first announced.

I'm still upset that there will never be another Nexus 7, but I've decided that I can't be disappointed in the Nexus 9 anymore. I was comparing it to the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 when the Nexus 9 isn't even supposed to be an upgrade or even a continuation of those devices. Like I said in my previous post, it looks like the Nexus brand has a new identity, so it wasn't fair of me to blast the Nexus 9 for not being the 3rd Gen Nexus 7 or the 2nd Gen Nexus 10.

And in my previous post I did try to talk about the Nexus 9 in the context of what Google is trying to accomplish with the device. I don't need to actually use the tablet to come to the conclusion that with it's $399 price tag of the N9 and the $649 cost of the N6 (plus a few other factors), it seems like Google is trying to join the big players in the industry instead of taking a loss and selling Nexus devices at a super affordable cost while undercutting the carriers. I'm pretty sure this new business model is one of the reasons that the Nexus 6 will be the first Nexus phone to be available on all carriers.

So, no, I haven't used the Nexus 9 and I can only judge it based on the specs and not the actual user experience. Originally my judgement was that this is a huge disappointment. After thinking about it, the Nexus 9 doesn't deserve the criticism I lauded at it. This is a completely new direction for the Nexus program. Although I won't be buying the Nexus 6 or 9 because I'm a poor college student who simply can't afford them, I'm willing to accept the new direction Google is taking. Even though the Nexus program as I once knew it is over, and my Nexus 7 is now an extinct product, I no longer have any contempt for the latest incarnation of Nexus devices. If I didn't sort out my thoughts in my previous post I wouldn't have come to this new opinion. But I removed the word "review" from my last post because you're right that it isn't actually a review.

 

[smoledman]

This is true, but after all the months of speculations and leaks I was already sure that these devices weren't for bargain hunters, so if what you want is just a solid performer for the cheapest possible, then you should get a Nexus 7 2013.

Except Google has stopped selling the Nexus 7(2013) for some reason.

 

[warpdrive]

Except Google has stopped selling the Nexus 7(2013) for some reason.

So an Nvidia shield tablet is the best option then at this time, with a better sound system too. Aimed completely towards gaming, thus a lower results screen. But as long as you are not an e-reader, then the screen resolution won't be a factor as videos will be 1080p anyway and gaming should have far higher frame rates on the shield. The front facing camera is better and has built in recording (picture in picture) while gaming or stemming live with built in twitch. SD card slot, LTE and 32 gig model is $400. Nuff said.

Posted via Android Central App using the all new HTC One (m8)

 

[meringo]

Can someone explain to me why we need "Wireless Charging?" Maybe it's just my ignorance, but don't you have to plug in a charging device to set the phone on? Someone at my office had a wireless charging station, and I think this wholly defeats the purpose... that charging station has a cable, AND it takes up more desk space than just plugging your phone in.

Again, I'm not trying to troll this but rather understand why people want and need it, or if I'm missing something here.

Specs:
I think the N9 is pretty killer. 3gb of ram would have been nice. When I had multiple tabs open on my Tab S 8.4, it often used or went over 2gb. Glad it had 3. Maybe with the k1 memory won't be as important as it is now... and I hope so.

Screen:
As mentioned above I had the Tab S 8.4 up until a few days ago when i sold it for either the N9 or iPad Air 2.... super high res, high DPI. The screen was indeed beautiful, but the entertainment industry is still pushing out 1080p video more than anything. I don't really see the need for higher than 1080p resolutions unless you have a collection of high res photos. Streaming video often looked just ok since it played below the native resolution, and compression was super visible due to the deep blacks of the superAMOLED (love hate relationship) I think the N9 res is the ultimate compromise. I think there is a reason the N9 and even Apple's iPad utilize that res even though the tech is there to go higher.

All in all I think the N9 is a great option. I'm still undecided, the iPad Air 2 looks great too. I have a brand new HTC M8 and feel i could have the best of both worlds if I go iPad.

It's a wonderful time in the tech world, regardless.

 

[djm7541]

I like wireless charging because my experience is that the sort of connections that cable chargers need, they are the sort of things that break after a few years.

 

[Shilohcane]

Can someone explain to me why we need "Wireless Charging?" Maybe it's just my ignorance, but don't you have to plug in a charging device to set the phone on? Someone at my office had a wireless charging station, and I think this wholly defeats the purpose... that charging station has a cable, AND it takes up more desk space than just plugging your phone in.

Again, I'm not trying to troll this but rather understand why people want and need it, or if I'm missing something here.

Wireless charging is easier to charge a device or get a boost charge since it is just laying the device on the Qi charger pad. The QI charger is always plugged in. So my device is always on the Qi charger if not in use. The phone or tablet will shut off changing when they are full. If I am at my desk and my phone rings or I get a notification my troops are ready in Clash of Clans I can pick it up do my business and just put it back down on the charger in the four minutes it takes to use the phone or tablet. Games like Clash of Clans depending on your level takes 25 to 30 minutes between a 2 or 3 minute to make for an attack. That wait time between use it is on the Qi charger. With wireless charging I can be on my computer or watching TV but my tablet will be fully charged between phone calls or games. I have a Qi charger on my nightstand and when I wake up at night I check my Clash of Clan game and it is so easy to just place the tablet back on the Qi charger in the dark room.

I have a old Nexus 7 (2012) that doesn't support Qi charging and I wore out the usb port plugin it in and out to charge. plugging in a usb cable wears the usb connector out over time. About a month ago I had to get a new 2013 Nexus 7 that does support Qi charging. Now I have two Qi chargers for my Nexus 5 and 2013 Nexus 7. Yes I am disappointed the Nexus 9 doesn't have Qi charging and hope some after market device comes out like there is for Apple and Samsung phones.

 

[jerrykur]

Can someone explain to me why we need "Wireless Charging?" Maybe it's just my ignorance, but don't you have to plug in a charging device to set the phone on? Someone at my office had a wireless charging station, and I think this wholly defeats the purpose... that charging station has a cable, AND it takes up more desk space than just plugging your phone in.

I use wireless charging for my phone and Nexus 7. I have wireless chargers inside the drawer where I drop my wallet, phone, and keys at the end of day, and on my nightstand and at my office. Wireless charging is just easy. I just drop my device on the charging pad and it charges. The one next to my night stand holds the Nexus 7 at a 50 degree angle and changes the Nexus 7 right through the case. It is always ready to go when I want to read something or watch a video before bed. At my office I just drop my phone on the charger when I come in and grab it when I go out to visit a client or head to lunch. The phone is always 100% charged and ready to go.

So the biggest thing to me is the charger is the place where I store my phone or tablet when I am not using it. That ensure I know where my phone or table is when I am not using it, and I can always be assured that my devices are at 100% charge and ready to go. As for size, most Qi charging pads are smaller than 4 inch phone like an old iPhone.

Without wireless, charging is just inconvenient. Imaging if you car did not have an alternator and you had to put it on a battery charger every night to ensure it would start in the morning. I bet one would be late for work more than a few times, and be pretty unhappy when the car died in the middle of the day.

 

[Jose Casas1]

I don't know my Nexus 10 doesn't seem that old and battery life is still decent after all this time. It's 32gig and I like the 10.1 in screen for movies (my main use). It also has front facing speakers though probably not as nice as these.

I was all geared up to get this before but have kind of talked myself out of it.

Posted via the Android Central App

Hi, wmurch1. Using your N10 for watching movies caught my eye. How do you do that? Cutting to the chase - can I use an "OTG micro USB male with a USB 2.0 or 3.0 female" cable connected to either the N9 or the N10 and then further connecting the male USB 2.0 cable of my ext HD (1TB with all my movies) serially to watch my movies? Is that do-able? Do I have to download the Nexus Media Importer app to either tablet? Any assistance is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[meringo]

I guess that makes sense - Matter of being convenient.

Still not sure if it's really needed, but i see the argument for it now. It would be really cool if yo could attach the charging unit under the desk and having it work through the material. or even having like a 1 foot radius so you didn't have to drop it directly on. To the future!

 

[fm123]

One of the reasons to match iPad resolution is to get app developers to bring iPad apps over with less issue on resolution and aspect ratio issue. Plus the miPad has the same resolution and that will help with long term cost reductions.

 

[smoledman]

I love that my Nexus 7 has wireless charging. I just plop it on my Nokia Fatboy Pillow and "it just works" for the last 12 months without fail.