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Don't wait for that big iPad, order a NEXUS 9 instead, industry little bird says

Google said to debut next big slab, Android L ahead of Apple event

Google is planning to steal some of the thunder from Apple's October 16 event by quietly unveiling a new tablet running the next generation of its Android OS the day before, a report claims.

Cupertino is widely expected to take wraps off its latest iPad on Thursday – which may or may not be a 12.9-inch "maxi" model that may or may not be branded the iPad Air 2.

But according to a report by Forbes, Google is planning to beat Apple to the punch by launching its own latest mid-form-factor fondleslab on Wednesday. The new tablet is reportedly built by HTC and is codenamed the "Volantis," but Google will market it as the Nexus 9.

As part of the Nexus line, it will offer the Chocolate Factory's stripped-down, "pure Android" experience. What's more, sources say it will also be the first device to ship running Android L, the next generation of Google's smartphone OS.

Presumably that means we'll also finally find out what the "L" in Android L stands for on Wednesday. Past versions of the OS have all been named after desserts in alphabetical order – so the last few have been KitKat, Jelly Bean, and Ice Cream Sandwich, going in reverse – but Google has been curiously reticent about the codename of the forthcoming release.

Android L is expected to see the OS shift toward Material Design, Google's new, flat and blocky UI language. In addition, it will come running the ART runtime engine by default, which offers performance improvements over Android's current Dalvik engine.

Forbes' source offered some details on the Nexus 9's hardware, too – believe them or not. It will reportedly have an 8.9-inch display at 2048-by-1440 resolution, an unidentified 64-bit processor (presumably ARM-based), an Nvidia Kepler GPU, an 8MP rear-facing camera, and a 3MP front-facing snapper.

It will come in a 16GB version that will cost $399 without contract and a 32GB LTE version that will cost $499, the source said. What's more, it is claimed, both versions will have expandable memory, something that has not been available on past Nexus models.

Don't expect Google to go all song-and-dance when it announces this latest device, though. Instead, Forbes' source claimed the company is planning to go with a soft launch via a blog post.

That's because although Larry and Sergey are eager to get the word out that a new slab is on the way, you won't actually be able to get them in your hands until November 9 – and even that date is subject to change. Preorders will reportedly be available on October 17, however.

There was also no word on when Android L will start becoming available for other devices. Google usually leads the way by releasing stock firmware images for its Nexus line, but other manufacturers and carriers follow suit in their own time. ®

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