Also new from Google is the Nexus 9, an 8.9-inch tablet built for Google by Taiwanese company HTC.
The screen size is smaller than Apple’s best-selling 9.7-inch iPad Air and Air 2, but screen resolution is identical at 2048-by-1536 pixels. The new Nexus is one of the first tablets to use the latest “Lollipop” version of the Android operating system.
A 16GB WiFi model will sell in Australia for A$479; a 32GB version is priced at $589; both are available from Google Play.
Apple’s iPad Air in standard 16GB trim goes for a recommended A$499; the Air 2 starts at $619.
