Google Nexus 9 aka HTC Volantis Snapshot Leak Online; Tablet Tipped to Sport Soft Matte Shell

A snapshot of the long rumoured Google Nexus 9 aka HTC Volantis tablet has leaked online, ahead of its speculated mid-October launch.

Twitter spy Upleaks has released an alleged photo of HTC Nexus 9, revealing that the upcoming Google flagship tablet will feature a matte plastic body, unlike HTC's marquee One series phones, which boasts a metal-based unibody design.

According to the picture, the Google slate is discernibly larger than its 7-inch predecessor, and on the rear side we can see the trademark Nexus embellishment (vertical) with the HTC logo (horizontal) on a sturdy rubbery surface (plastic-based matte) - a similar design language seen on previous Nexus series devices (both smartphones and tablets).

On the top left corner, we can also see the circular camera module with LED flash.

Previous reports have indicated that HTC-Google Nexus 9 is expected to sport an 8.9-inch screen with 2048x1440p resolution, and ship with Nvidia's flagship K1 mobile processor with 192 programmable GPU cores, 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, an 8.0-megapixel primary camera and a 3.0-megapixel camera.

Like its predecessor, the tablet is also expected to come in two variants - one LTE device and another Wi-Fi only model.

Though the leaked snapshot is making headlines on the internet, neither developers - Google or HTC - have responded to the news. And until the companies come out and clear the air over the rumours, the report will remain as pure speculation.

Word on the street is that Google is expected to pull the wraps off the new Nexus 9, along with Nexus 6 smartphone, later this month (either 15 or 16 October), and later release the devices at Google Play on 1 November [Full report, HERE].

Leaked specifications of Google-HTC Nexus 9: