Google Nexus 9 by HTC Priced £319 Gets 3 November UK Release Date

The Google Nexus 9 tabet, produced by HTC, will go on sale in the UK on 3 November from £319 for the 16GB model with Wi-Fi.

It will be the first tablet to be sold running Google's newest mobile operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and features an 8.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1536 x 2048; the body has a metal band running around its outer edge, but the rear panel is plastic.

At £319 for the 16GB model, a price stated by Pocket-lint, Google and HTC are aiming the Nexus 9 at exactly the same level as Apple's iPad mini 3, which also starts at £319 for 16GB of storage; the iPad Air 2, which has a 9.7-inch screen, starts from £399. There's no word yet on how much the 32GB and 4G versions of the Nexus 7 will cost.

The tablet's 4:3 aspect ratio – closer in shape to an iPad than Google's previous Nexus tablets – will make viewing websites more natural, although widescreen video will have black bars above and below the picture. HTC's famous Boom Sound speakers sit on either side of the screen, so we're hoping the tablet's audio will match – or even exceed – that of the HTC One (M8).

Google's latest tablet sits above the seven-inch Nexus 7 and will be seen as a replacement to the now-retired Nexus 10. Finished in what Google and HTC are calling "lunar white," the Nexus 9 has a soft-touch finish to its plastic body.

Announced earlier this month, Android 5.0 Lollipop brings with it a comprehensive visual overhaul and a range of new features to strengthen its ties with Android Wear smartwatches. Check out our guide to find out when Lollipop will be available for your phone and tablet.