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Google Nexus 9 |OT| Looks like an iPad, must be an iPad!

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Z

Zombie James

Banned
K0GJPsA.png


Pretty good battery life, especially compared to the N10 (I usually get around 6.5-7 hours) and considering the version of Lollipop that's shipping on it is from August.
 
B

betterhalf

Banned
It looks like the Nexus 9 isn't reviewing too well. A shame since the software looks cool and more refined than iOS 8. Reviews say the majority of the problems are hardware related. I guess I'll be staying in the apple ecosystem a bit longer.
 
A

Aiii

So not worth it
Zombie James said:
VYfkSqd.png


K5kjTLG.png


Hm.
Click to expand...

The Verge at one point in their review says:
But despite the new animations, updated apps, and fresh coat of paint, Android 5.0 Lollipop on the Nexus 9 doesn’t feel much different than it would on a smartphone or phablet. Google hasn’t done much to optimize the platform for the 9’s larger display and there aren’t any different multitasking or productivity features than what you’d find on an Android smartphone.
Click to expand...

Yet the iPad OS, the one they love so much, has absolutely no difference between the phone and tablet OS either, far as I can tell.
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Aiii said:
The Verge at one point in their review says:


Yet the iPad OS, the one they love so much, has absolutely no difference between the phone and tablet OS either, far as I can tell.
Click to expand...

Evey verge review I've read of late feels like it has so many holes in their logic and score choice. They really make no sense in anyway.
 
R

reKon

Banned
well they did give the xperia Z3 and xperia Z3 compact a 9 for battery and the new iPads a 10 for battery...
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Well damn. Had money earmarked for the Nexus 9 but with those reviews I think I might go back to the iPad Mini retina which leaves me with more cash for XBox One. I might have stuck with if not for the fact it seems to get low marks on build quickly and get hot quickly even browsing. That is big personal no,no for me.
 
R

reKon

Banned
Lol so Nexus 9 / Nvidia might take an L on this one if they are going stay with the high price.

That Verge review though. Why the fuck can't they stop talking about the iPad and that review? I mean we get it...
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
This will be my first tablet...the one gif from Gizmodos review has me worried about build quality, and the overall mediocre response from many reviewers. Something I don't usually read is these reviews for tablets so I don't know who is less biased or not, but I'm concerned I'm wasting money getting it right now.
 
SolidSnakeUS

SolidSnakeUS

Member
Nexus 9 is weird... but I'd still want one. Also, I guess at the price and also performance and how things work, do you think the Nvidia Shield is still a very viable option for a tablet?
 
LQX

LQX

Member
INDIGO_CYCLOPS said:
This will be my first tablet...the one gif from Gizmodos review has me worried about build quality, and the overall mediocre response from many reviewers. Something I don't usually read is these reviews for tablets so I don't know who is less biased or not, but I'm concerned I'm wasting money getting it right now.
Click to expand...
Watch the reviews on YouTube, many are short. From the few I watched they all seem to agree that the build quality is not the best. That really disappointed me.
 
R

rezuth

Member
Aiii said:
The Verge at one point in their review says:


Yet the iPad OS, the one they love so much, has absolutely no difference between the phone and tablet OS either, far as I can tell.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? Besides the actual lockscreen and homescreen all the software is built around the larger display.

Its a shame they are selling this device at such a high price point, it really could have stood out against the iPad.
 
A

Admodieus

Member
Verge review reads like a joke, but the overall tone from the rest of the reviews isn't great. Anybody else considering an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact instead?
 
E

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
INDIGO_CYCLOPS said:
This will be my first tablet...the one gif from Gizmodos review has me worried about build quality, and the overall mediocre response from many reviewers. Something I don't usually read is these reviews for tablets so I don't know who is less biased or not, but I'm concerned I'm wasting money getting it right now.
Click to expand...

I always find mobile tech reviews extremely bad for the most part. So many bizarre issues they have or things that excite them. Build quality though is definitely a concern, but then again the N7 had some issues with the backing popping off and it wasn't an actual issue in practice. Heat might be though. Performance is a bit more worrying but most likely can be chalked up to Lollipop being new and still a bit buggy, like every new Android version has been.

I just find it odd how some reviews are saying battery is great or good, while others are saying it's disappointing. Same with the screen. Reviewers are so inconsistent that it's hard to really gauge what is what. The industry is so hyper focused on Apple and expecting the greatest new thing out there that when something isn't mindblowingly amazing they tend to treat it like shit.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
Enduin said:
I always find mobile tech reviews extremely bad for the most part. So many bizarre issues they have or things that excite them. Build quality though is definitely a concern, but then again the N7 had some issues with the backing popping off and it wasn't an actual issue in practice. Heat might be though. Performance is a bit more worrying but most likely can be chalked up to Lollipop being new and still a bit buggy, like every new Android version has been.

I just find it odd how some reviews are saying battery is great or good, while others are saying it's disappointing. Same with the screen. Reviewers are so inconsistent that it's hard to really gauge what is what. The industry is so hyper focused on Apple and expecting the greatest new thing out there that when something isn't mindblowingly amazing they tend to treat it like shit.
Click to expand...

Yea that's what it seems like to me. People getting way too picky and having pre-conceived notions about the product. I'm more concerned I'm wasting the money on something that may not be worth it. I'm Android all the way, hate iOS, and want to get rid of my laptop and replace it with a tablet. So I don't really have anything to compare it to or anything I'm "upgrading" from. I guess it's a bit disappointing that HTC didn't deliver with their usual beautiful build quality.
 
E

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
INDIGO_CYCLOPS said:
Yea that's what it seems like to me. People getting way too picky and having pre-conceived notions about the product. I'm more concerned I'm wasting the money on something that may not be worth it. I'm Android all the way, hate iOS, and want to get rid of my laptop and replace it with a tablet. So I don't really have anything to compare it to or anything I'm "upgrading" from. I guess it's a bit disappointing that HTC didn't deliver with their usual beautiful build quality.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna get it and if the build quality or other issues are to big a deal I'll return it. No big deal. I'm all in on Android as well and while the Z3 looks hot it's not pure Android, even if it's light on the Sony UI, plus it's not even out.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
Enduin said:
I'm gonna get it and if the build quality or other issues are to big a deal I'll return it. No big deal. I'm all in on Android as well and while the Z3 looks hot it's not pure Android, even if it's light on the Sony UI, plus it's not even out.
Click to expand...
Yea that's true, I can always return it. I'll make my own conclusions on it because it's clear I can't really trust any of these reviews with how disparate they are.
 
A

Aiii

So not worth it
The thing that really gets me though is how there's a distinct lack of focus on Google Now.

Google Now is so great, it's one of the main reasons I came to love Android over iOS over the past year. It's suggestions for news that might interest me, it telling me via GPS where I left my car, it tells me how long until I get to work, what the traffic is like and what alternative route might be better. It knows which nights I go to mom and dad's for dinner and where I go for lunch at noon. It tells me my package has shipped and gives me a link to track it. It tells me when an artist I like has a new album out and it has way more info when I ask it something compared to Siri.

Google Now is great and I don't understand why it doesn't get more love in reviews, it really sets Android devices well above iOS devices imo.
 
L

Laekon

Member
I've yet to see any specifics about build quality beyond how the buttons feel.

The Verge is possibly the worst tech site right now. Saying the Nexus 9 battery life is more like the iPad Mini then Air doesn't mean anything if you don't say which is better or worse.
 
R

reKon

Banned
Southwark said:
Verge review reads like a joke, but the overall tone from the rest of the reviews isn't great. Anybody else considering an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact instead?
Click to expand...

I'm kind of just because for tablets I browse a lot and the performance on flagship Xperia devices have been solid. Battery will be great and that matters a lot to me. The SD card slot is a pretty big benefit. The main reason I was interested in the Nexus 9 is the screen size, stock android, and huge performance boost. If the Nexus 7 was the Nexus 8 and has an SD 800, I probably wouldn't care too much about anything else.

If the Nexus 9 turns out to be an overpriced decent tablet, maybe I'll wait a year and then get serious about getting a good Windows hybrid tablet/laptop
 
L

L-gon

Member
I'm overwhelmed by the variance of reviews coming in. Multiple sources are hailing the build quality as the best yet for a Nexus device, others are saying it is a major negative. Name an attribute of this device and there are differing opinions on the execution.

I have the device pre-ordered on Amazon and it is slated to ship today but I am quite conflicted about whether to let it charge my card or not. I was considering selling my late 2012 Lenovo Ideapad Yoga (minor crack in display), getting an ultrathin bluetooth keyboard and making it my couch/travel/coffee shop setup but fuck these reviews are all over the place.

My current thought is that reviewers were expecting too much out of the tablet in terms of build with HTC on-board. My Nexus 5 has held up awesomely and I love the feel of the device. If they've managed to meet or exceed that, I'll be completely ok with the build. The performance/heat stuff is what is most concerning.
 
A

Aiii

So not worth it
Reviewers seem to agree it feels like a Nexus 5, so if you like that (I do!). You will probably like this too. I hope :)
 
R

reKon

Banned
There is literally opposite impressions going on. Droid-Life, Engadget, and Phone Arena were extremely positive while TheVerge and Android Police were very negative.

Perhaps there are bad units or build quality issues. Regardless, you would think this shit would be consistent across all review web sites that do they all the time. I also hate how reviewers are always in a rush to get their review out for the big consumer products. I know you want those hits, but damn. You really hurt the credibility of your web site when rush shit that shouldn't be rushed. I've seen reviews from all these different tech web sites where they complain about something that is either a result of something wrong on their part or a bad unit.

There are some people who probably swear by one site (I pray to God not The Verge because they are a bunch of Jon Snow's), and might base their purchase off an unreliable review.
 
L

L-gon

Member
reKon said:
There is literally opposite impressions going on. Droid-Life, Engadget, and Phone Arena were extremely positive while TheVerge and Android Police were very negative.

Perhaps there are bad units or build quality issues. Regardless, you would think this shit would be consistent across all review web sites that do they all the time. I also hate how reviewers are always in a rush to get their review out for the big consumer products. I know you want those hits, but damn. You really hurt the credibility of your web site when rush shit that shouldn't be rushed. I've seen reviews from all these different tech web sites where they complain about something that is either a result of something wrong on their part or a bad unit.

There are some people who probably swear by one site (I pray to God not The Verge because they are a bunch of Jon Snow's), and might base their purchase off an unreliable review.
Click to expand...

This is why I respect the hell out of Anandtech - they take their time with new products and it ends up showing in the form of vastly more informative reviews with excellent objective data.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8670/google-nexus-9-preliminary-findings

A measured yet encouraging conclusion from their initial impressions:

"While only a first look, there’s definitely a lot to be impressed by here. However, it will take a full review to really determine whether the Nexus 9 can compete with the iPad Air 2 as a tablet is more than just a function of battery life and SoC performance. In addition, it's hard to draw any real conclusions about this tablet quite yet as the software we received in no way represents a shipping build. Even if inactive, loggers and debug tools generally reduce performance, and it's likely that a great deal of optimization has occurred in the two months since this software build was completed."
 
R

reKon

Banned
L-gon said:
This is why I respect the hell out of Anandtech - they take their time with new products and it ends up showing in the form of vastly more informative reviews with excellent objective data.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8670/google-nexus-9-preliminary-findings

A measured yet encouraging conclusion from their initial impressions:

"While only a first look, there’s definitely a lot to be impressed by here. However, it will take a full review to really determine whether the Nexus 9 can compete with the iPad Air 2 as a tablet is more than just a function of battery life and SoC performance. In addition, it's hard to draw any real conclusions about this tablet quite yet as the software we received in no way represents a shipping build. Even if inactive, loggers and debug tools generally reduce performance, and it's likely that a great deal of optimization has occurred in the two months since this software build was completed."
Click to expand...

Yeah, the reviews now are nearly useless. I'm going to wait until my favorite review places come up. I notice the best ones are those ones that take their time in using the device (AnandTech, MKBHD, MobileTechReview, GSMArena). Anandtech is always by far the best for the technical information of course.
 
L

L-gon

Member
reKon said:
Yeah, the reviews now are nearly useless. I'm going to wait until my favorite review places come up. I notice the best ones are those ones that take their time in using the device (AnandTech, MKBHD, MobileTechReview, GSMArena). Anandtech is always by far the best for the technical information of course.
Click to expand...

A fairly glowing review from GSMArena

Another respected outlet, Android Central, shed light on a likely cause for the wildly differing reviews:

"And as it turns out, Google pushed out an over-the-air update — a full 800 megabytes — on Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the embargo was to lift. This build — LRX21L — is the build retail units will have, Google says. And so we're going to spend some more time with it before getting our formal review together. The Nexus 9 is too important a device, and Lollipop too important an update, for us to half-ass our review just to meet an embargo."
 
R

reKon

Banned
Oh wow. GSMArena usually sits on their device for a little before coming out with a review. I'm sure this will be a great device, but I think that one thing is for certain - it's overpriced for the quality of tablet you're getting.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
I dunno, I think we have reached a point with these devices that the OS is not a major factor. Don't get me wrong, Lollipop seems great but we sort of know what we are getting and anyone that has used a Nexus I doubt will be disappointed with the OS. And I don't think we need a deep analysis of it to the point we have to hold off on concerns about the physical hardware. That to me matters much more and I surprised that is not the same for many of you. Some of you seem more concerned about how good Lollipop will be rather than if this thing is cheaply made. An update wont fix the heat issues I'm seeing some mention.
 
S

Stasis

Member
Blah. Too late to cancel mine (despite no shipping notification...) but I'm gonna refuse delivery and get a refund, which is an option from the Play Store. No big deal, will just take longer to get my money back.

Gonna wait all of this out and see if they fix potential build quality issues, etc.

All I know is I'm done with Apple. That was a terrible experiment. Next tablet has to be Android. Was hoping this one would be the right one and waited for it after I almost bought the Tab S 10.5 =/
 
T

todd360

Member
What's with the back plastic being loose? That alone kinda kills my enthusiasm for this. hopefully it's just a launch day mess up and will be fixed
 
E

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Got one. Back is definitely loose, but it's not something you would even notice in actual use. It's quite slight and really nothing I see being as issue. Nothing at all like the hard back of the Nexus 7 2012 being prone to popping off in the top left corner. Otherwise I think the back is fine, a little finger print prone, why that's a big issue to reviews I don't know, but it's nice a grippy which is a big plus in my book. Especially for a much larger tablet than my former Nexus 7.

Light bleed at the top is definitely there, but it's also quite faint and something I probably wouldn't have noticed had I not read it was there.

Just had to download a 278mb update, booting up now. More impressions to come.
 
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