Yesterday was a big day for anyone interested in HTC, Google, Nexus or all of the above. As yesterday saw the three converge with the release of the highly awaited Google Nexus 9 tablet. For those needing a quick reminder on what you get, the Nexus 9 comes with an 8.9″ IPS LCD Gorilla Glass 3 protected display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution. Inside the Nexus 9 comes with 2GB RAM and a Nvidia Tegra K1 64-bit Dual-Core processor clocking at 2.3GHz. In terms of memory the device is offered in a 16GB or 32GB variant and comes with an 8MP rear camera and 1.6MP front shooter. The device is powered by a big 6,700mAh battery and not forgetting the device comes running on Android 5.0 (Lollipop). Now, although you can buy the Nexus 9 at Google Play or Best Buy. At present only the WiFi version is available with the ‘coming soon’ promise from Google that an LTE variant will follow in due course. Well, it now looks like that time may have arrived.
A rather familiar looking device has just passed through the FCC and it is widely assumed this is the Nexus 9 LTE variant. The actual FCC listing does not reference Nexus, but that said it refers to as an LTE HTC tablet. And to be honest, there is not much else it can be. If you are still unsure then it is worth noting that the FCC ID number (NM80P82300) is remarkably similar to the ID number of the WiFi version (NM80P82100). As such it is pretty much clear this is the Nexus 9 LTE variant. In terms of the LTE, the listing advises that it will be compatible on bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 41. In short this includes all those used by the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. So this will be compatible on all networks. We already know that T-Mobile certainly will be selling the Nexus 9 as two weeks ago they opened a registration page. One interesting observation though is the listing refers to the LTE variant as both a 16GB and 32GB versions. Now the Google Play listing only notes a 32GB variant with no mention of a 16GB version, so it is not so clear as to what this is about.
So now that it seems the Nexus 9 has passed through the FCC the big question is when will it be available to buy? Well in short, soon. The FCC passing does not provide any details on when the device will become available. Although the very fact that it has passed FCC approval means the device can be sold and knowing Google they will want to get it out soon enough. They possibly might wait a little while though just to make sure those WiFi versions get out of the door first. Either way you should expect the LTE Nexus 9 to be available soon. Which are you more interested in? LTE or WiFi? Let us know.