Will the Nexus 9 Cost $399?

Over the last few weeks, the rumors about HTC and Motorola’s new Nexus devices have been heating up, with more supposed details coming out. That’s the case today, with yet more rumors about the price and reveal and release dates for the Nexus 9 tablet and the Nexus 6 smartphone – both of which we’re apparently going to see this month, possibly even as early as Wednesday.

According to a post on BrightSideofNews (via 9to5Google), sources within manufacturer HTC say that the Nexus 9 will likely cost $399, which is the same price as the current crop of 16 GB iPad Retina and iPad Mini Retina tablets from Apple, while the majority of that product line costs a good deal more. While the majority of the specific specifications for the Nexus 9 aren’t too well known, plenty of evidence has indicated that the Nexus 9 will feature a Tegra K1 chip from Nvidia, and will certainly be running Android L. Chances also seem good that the Nexus 9 will feature at least 16 GB of internal storage, standard, though I have to imagine that there will be some larger capacity options too.

The post adds that the Nexus 9 will be available for pre-order starting on October 15, with a release date of November 3. As to whether or not that’s going to be the case – well, we’ll certainly know at least half of that information by Wednesday, right?

Meanwhile, a report from the Wall Street Journal from last week adds to the pile of rumors that Motorola is making a 5.9-inch Nexus 6 smartphone that will be available this month. The thinking goes, apparently, that the Nexus 6 is Google’s entry into the phablet market, which has become legitimized after the debut of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus last month, not to mention the continued and growing acceptance of Samsung’s line of Galaxy Note devices. Speaking personally, I would have much rather seen another 5-or-so-inch smartphone with the Nexus name to replace the current crop of Nexus 5 smartphones. However, it seems as though Google may be looking to the Nexus 5 as that smaller phone. The Nexus 6 isn’t replacing or succeeding the 5, as much as it’s supplementing it as a larger device.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thought. The Nexus 5’s specs are still plenty competitive in the smartphone market. As such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it being sold by carriers for a little while to come. I’ll probably be hanging onto mine for a while longer, though. This whole phablet thing…bleh.

[Sources: BrightSideofNews, Wall Street Journal]