Why the Nexus 9 won't be presented on October 8th

If you've been on the internet at all over the last 24 hours you would have seen all sorts of stuff pointing to the HTC-built Google Nexus 9 being presented at HTC's scheduled Double Exposure event in NYC on October 8th. I'm not buying it though. Here's why.

The Nexus 9 is not far away, but I don't think it's coming on October 8th. © Android Police

It's a Google reveal

Google takes a lot of pride in its Nexus lineup. Not that they always bother to actually host an event to present the results of their hard work, either through a natural disaster or through an awareness that they don't really need to. But still, it seems very unlikely to me that Google would sub-contract out the launch of a Nexus device to someone else. Even their manufacturing partner, as HTC is for the Nexus 9 this year.

• Here's what we know about the Nexus 9.

Hugo Barra may be gone, but someone from Google has to show us the Nexus 9. Don't they? © AndroidPIT

Android L anyone?

What kind of a big reveal would it be if HTC lifted the curtain on the Nexus 9, Android's first 64-bit tablet, only to show it running Android 4.4.4 KitKat? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would find this a bit of an anti-climax. Even if the Nexus 9 gets Android 5.0 a few weeks later it doesn't exactly present Google's awesome new reference tablet in the best possible light.

• Everything you need to know andout Android 5.0.

It makes no sense to show the new Nexus tablet without the latest version of Android. © ANDROIDPIT

Sharing the limelight

If HTC is presenting the potentially gimmicky HTC Eye, a phone for the selfie obsessed, alongside a device as significant as the Nexus 9, then it's pretty easy to see that the limelight will be clearly directed at the new Google tablet and not on a HTC One (M8) with a better front-facing camera. HTC has a pretty terrible track record when it comes to marketing their devices, but surely it's not this blind?

I'm sure the HTC Eye will be a cool phone, but is anyone going to notice if the Nexus 9 is also there? © HTC

I hope I'm wrong as I'd like to see the Nexus 9 sooner rather than later, but it doesn't quite add up to me. What do you think? Will October 8 bring us a new Nexus tablet?