Nexus 9 Not Actually Discontinued Quite Yet

HTC has confirmed that though their tablet has ceased being manufactured, they have not "discontinued" the tablet altogether. The word "discontinue" suggests that the device has stopped being made AND stopped being available for purchase. Only one of those necessities has been fulfilled. While the information appearing this week VIA a source speaking with CNET suggested the tablet wont be around for long, HTC Senior Global Online Communications Manager Jeff Gordon said the following this afternoon: "I can confirm Nexus 9 has not been discontinued. We still sell and support it at HTC dot com."

Pressed for more information about the manufacture of the tablet, Gordon added, "Our manufacturing runs are complete, in line with the life cycle (launched Oct. 15, 2014). Still selling and supporting." In other words – it's not as if the tablet were stopped in production any earlier than any other tablet made by the company – or any other Nexus tablet made by any manufacturer over the past several years.

Nexus 9 Review: the iPad Killer Blueprint

It's simply time to re-up.

Whether or not Google will actually select another manufacturer to create another Android tablet for the Nexus universe is still up for debate. You can see a bit of that debate in the article linked above courtesy of SlashGear writer JC Torres.

The Google Store might not have a tablet available for sale with Nexus in its name, but they do have the Pixel C. This device is much like the Chromebook Pixel – high end, large, and priced to be prepared for developers to do just about anything an Android device would need to do.

Have a peek at our Pixel C Review to see what that tablet is all about.

Is this part of Google's supposed War on Native Apps?

Could it be time that Google took over the app and software universe the same way Apple has over their own App Store for iOS? Or is this about streaming all content, and keeping control over what user sees what at what time – and having the ability to shut it all down at the drop of a hat?

What's Google aiming for here?

Or is there nothing nefarious going on at all? Is Google just waiting to reveal a new Nexus tablet until the need for one arises?