Introduction

Man do we have a good one for you today – the new Google Nexus 9 tablet versus the new Lenovo Yoga 2 10 tablet.  Both tablets are hot out the doors, running Android, approximately the same size and yet very different in their approach.  The Nexus 9 and the Yoga 2 (for short) are both well-built devices, although the Nexus 9 has that ‘typically Nexus look’ that is functional, yet a little on the austere side, whereas the Lenovo Yoga 2 is has that platinum metal look and large, visible front-facing speakers that give it a very professional and high-end appearance.

For as different as these tablets are from each other, they do have quite a few things in common – they both use the IPS LCD display technology and both stray away from a common processor…no Qualcomm Snapdragon found here, instead the Nexus 9 uses the Nvidia brand and the Yoga 2 uses an Intel CPU.  Both come with 2GB of RAM and each has a 16GB internal storage model.  Each tablet uses an 8MP sensor for the main camera and they each use a 1.6MP as their front-facing camera (FFC).  The Lenovo Yoga 2 is a little over an inch wider and taller, although they are very close in thickness.  They both offer Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (the Nexus 9 has the newer 4.1 vs the 4.0 on the Yoga 2), and both come with a microUSB port for charging and data transfer.  Both devices offer dual stereo front-facing speakers.

Please take a close look at the detailed specification sheet below and you can get a good idea of how their specs match up.  Next we will take a closer look at each individual tablet and list some pros and cons in an effort to pick a winner for this comparison.

Specifications

Google Nexus 9

The Google Nexus 9 is a great tablet, made for Google by HTC.  It retains the soft rubber-grip backing we have come to love on Nexus tablets.  Google decided to forgo the Nexus 7 (made by Asus) or another Nexus 10 (made by Samsung) and jump rather in the middle at 9-inches…okay, 8.9-inches.  It is a well-built device using a combination of metal and plastic…mostly, plastic…and is easy to grip and hold.

The 8.9-inch display is of the QXGA variety with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and 288 pixels-per-inch (PPI), which tops out the larger display of the Yoga 2 with 224 PPI.  The Nexus 9 uses a Nvidia Tegra K1 64-bit dual-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz coupled with 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage with no room for expansion.  This stacks up nicely with the 64-bit Intel Atom found in the Yoga 2.

The main camera on the Nexus 9 is a nice 8MP sensor with auto-focus and even an LED Flash – rare for a tablet (even the new iPads do not offer a flash) and not found on the Yoga 2.  Both devices use an identical 1.6MP FFC for social media selfie shots or a video chat.  The Nexus 9 has a great 6700mAh battery, but the 9600mAh battery found in the Yoga 2 blows it away.  The Nexus 9 also offers built-in NFC which is absent from the Yoga 2.

As far as other features go, the Nexus 9 does have dual front-facing stereo speakers with HTC’s infamous BoomSound, however, the Yoga 2 has some fancy dual speakers of its own.  The Nexus 9’s real claim to fame is that it runs the newest Android 5.0 Lollipop – pure vanilla Android with the fastest upgrades.  The Nexus 9 is available in Black, White and a beautiful Sand color for $399 for the base 16GB Wi-Fi model.

Lenovo Yoga 2 10

The new Lenovo Yoga 2 10-inch is a beautifully designed tablet with metal everywhere and it shows in its extra weight – 619 grams versus only 424 grams.  It has a unique built-in kickstand to angle the tablet on the table or even hang the Yoga 2 on a wall.  The rounded, hinged end, not only makes for a nice grip to carry the Yoga 2, but also helps Lenovo house the Yoga 2’s large battery.

The Yoga 2 comes with a 10.1-inch FHD display with a resolution of 1900 x 1200 and 224 PPI – not quite up to the standards of the 1-inch smaller display of the Nexus 9 with 288 PPI, but the larger display is nicer for movies, videos, games or simply browsing the web, especially when you bring up two windows side-by-side to multitask.  Lenovo chose the Intel Atom 64-bit quad-core CPU clocked at 1.33GHZ for its processor, along with packing in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a microSD slot to add up to an additional 64GB of storage.

Lenovo included a nice camera in the Yoga 2, albeit no flash, but an 8MP sensor is a great size for in a tablet, along with auto-focus.  The 1.6MP FFC is the same size used in the Nexus 9 and quite adequate for social media selfies or an occasional video chat.  The Yoga 2 packs a huge 9600mAh battery that they claim can get you through the day and into the night.

As far as extra features go – the Yoga 2 10 provides you with “large chamber” stereo speakers with Wolfson Master HiFi audio processing and Dolby Surround Sound to give you a great listening experience.  The built-in Kickstand is a plus, as is the optional wireless keyboard.  The Lenovo Yoga 2 runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and can be purchased from Lenovo’s website, Best Buy and Amazon for only $299 – although Lenovo has it for $30 off right now.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This was real tough one to pick, but in the end, the Nexus 9 really only had a slightly better display, LED Flash (but on a tablet?), and 5.0 Lollipop.  Those features are certainly desirable, but not enough to overtake the Lenovo Yoga 2 with its larger display, equal processors/RAM/Storage, expandable memory, huge 9600mAh battery, terrific speakers that hold up to the BoomSound and look better while doing their job.  The built-in kickstand offers real versatility, you have an excellent optional keyboard and all for $100 less than the comparable Nexus 9 16GB Wi-Fi model…in fact, Lenovo is offering an instant $30 off, putting an extra $130 in your pocket.

Yes, the thought of pure 5.0 Lollipop and fast upgrades is hard to give up, but the rest of the Yoga 2 makes up for it in my opinion…but we would love to hear what your opinion is on our Google+ Page…as always, we would love to hear from you.