Say hello to the Google Nexus 9, a HTC-made tablet set to be the search giant's flagship slate for the next year and launched alongside the Nexus 6 smartphone and Android Lollipop (formerly Android L) operating system.
Sporting an 8.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 display with an iPad Air-esque 4:3 aspect ration this is a rear rival to Apple's tablet dominance.
Inside you'll find a 64 bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM and the choice of either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, while on the front there are dual Boomsound speakers from HTC.
Round the back you'll find a 8MP camera complete with LED flash, while on the front you're stuck with a slightly disappointing 1.6MP snapper.
Lick me
Another key feature of the Nexus 9 is its operating system. It runs the latest version of Google's mobile platform, Android L (or Android 5.0 if you prefer), which brings a host upgrades and new features to the table.
The Nexus 9 will be available in three colours, black, white and sand, as well as in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi+4G combinations.
In terms of design Google and HTC have stuck with a soft touch back for improved grip, and the Nexus 9 measures 153.68mm x 228.25mm x 7.95mm and tips the scales at 425g (or 436g if you plump for the 4G enabled version).
Google has confirmed that the Nexus 9 will go on pre-order from October 17 with the Nexus 9 release date set for November 3, although its not clear whether that's a US-only release for now.
There's currently no word on the Nexus 9 price, but hopefully all will be revealed in a couple of days when pre-orders open.
