A couple of weeks ago, a render was revealed that claimed to show the new Nexus 9 tablet. Said to be built by HTC, the device was referred to by its development codename, Volantis, and the leak even disclosed details of its specs.
Today, serial leakster @evleaks disclosed details about Volantis, and declared that earlier images of the device were "fake". Additionally, he revealed some info about the new tablet, although there seems to be a great deal of ambiguity over exactly what the final spec sheet will look like.
Previous Volantis images, such as this render based on an alleged leak, are said to be "fake"
For a start, he says that the device is currently being tested with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, but that when it goes on sale, it will feature a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 CPU instead. The device will reportedly include an astonishing 5GB of RAM, but this is said to be "non-final".
The screen size of 8.9-inches is unchanged from previous rumors, but the resolution of that display seems to be in question - it seems that current builds of the device feature 1680x1050px resolution, but it "should ship with 2560x1600". Even the camera details are uncertain - a 5MP camera with 1080p recording is mentioned, but there appears to be some doubt over whether or not the device will see this upgraded to 8MP before it goes on sale.
The only specs reported without question are its silver aluminum unibody, 64GB of onboard storage, and the inclusion of HTC's Boomsound audio experience.
This 'macro shot' of Volantis shows a couple of unusual details
Two further details were revealed in a 'macro shot' posted by @evleaks. The first shows the word 'Flounder' - this is another reported codename for the device; the second, shown in tiny translucent lettering along the right side of the image, says "Android Silver OS Alpha 1.4".
Recent reports have suggested that Volantis will be Google's showcase device for its new Android version, currently known as the "L release", which has led many to believe that it will be launched as the Nexus 9. Google said recently that its Nexus program will continue, despite rumors that the company was planning to kill it off when it introduces its widely-rumoured Android Silver program.
However, the wording on the image above raised the possibility that the tablet will be released as a HTC-branded Android Silver-certified device. Such devices are expected to replace the 'Google Play Edition' range, featuring unmodified Android builds, and manufacturers offering these smartphones and tablets will also be expected to deliver swift OS updates with minimal bloatware.
Source: evleaks.at | upper image via Android Police; lower image via @evleaks
Update: All those curious discrepancies have now been explained - @evleaks says that he was the victim of a teenage prankster. The details of Volantis above are nothing more than the imaginings of a 14-year-old posing as a Google engineer. Oh, and if you see any articles about a OnePlus tablet doing the rounds, ignore those too - they came from the same source.
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