HTC exec confirms Nexus 9, says it is the company’s new “commitment” to tablets

Thanks to various leaks over the past few weeks, HTC’s Nexus 9 tablet has been all but confirmed. This morning, though, HTC’s president of North Asia Jack Tong reportedly told members of the press that the Nexus 9 is the company’s “commitment” to returning to the tablet market. This is significant because, despite all of the leaks, HTC has yet to formally acknowledge the existence of the tablet.

Tong, according to Focus Taiwan, made these comments during a press briefing in New York City. HTC holding a press briefing this morning in New York makes perfect sense, as the company is holding its Double Exposure event in the city tonight.

Focus Taiwan also reports that the Nexus 9 will finally be officially unveiled on October 16th, which is next Thursday. The device is expected to be unveiled alongside the Nexus 6 and Android L. All of the stars appear to be aligning for this rumored October launch, with both the Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 recently passing through the FCC.

The Nexus 9 was initially rumored to have an all aluminum design, but recent leaks have pointed to a more plastic/rubber build quality. Other rumored specs include an NVIDIA K1 processor, 2GB of Ram, an 8MP camera, and front-facing BoomSound speakers.