It appears that Google snuck an unannounced Nexus tablet into the I/O keynote and their Material UI supporting documentation last week.
The Bright Side of News site noted that the Google Design site, in a section about Responsive Principles contains a render of some devices showing how the same layout can function across desktop, table and mobile devices:
It’s pretty similar to the image at the top of this post, which seems to be a simplified version of the slide. That tablet looks a little too tall against the Nexus 5 to be the Nexus 7, though.
Not sure? Here’s an actual Nexus 5 up against an actual Nexus 7 for comparison:
No dice.
Perhaps it’s the rumoured-to-be-HTC-built Nexus 9, also known by the codename Volantis, and the subject of a recent round of rumours.
We went back over the Keynote presentation. Surprise, surprise – we found the offending device sitting there in a couple of other slides like the one shown at the top of this post, plain as day:
That tablet isn’t a Nexus 7.
It does seem to line up with Android Police’s recent mockup, though:
There’s a history of Nexus devices being “accidentally” revealed to the world, from early rumours through leaks in the manufacturing chain finding their way to folks like evleaks and seemingly accidental revelation through I/O slides, right up to Google showing someone holding the Nexus 5 in a video months prior to its release. Whether they’re controlled or otherwise, it does seem like Google likes to tease.
Current rumours have the Nexus 9 pegged for a release later this year, perhaps alongside the official Android L release.
Do you think it looks like Google’s hinting at a new Nexus tablet? Are you interested in the Nexus 9? Tell us in the comments!
