These days, tablets are offered in several sizes and configurations that cost anywhere between $150 and $2,000. With such a wide variety of devices, it is easy to find one that suits your needs. These are the best tablets of 2014:

Nvidia Shield tablet

Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shield tablet is its second foray into the world of portable devices after the Shield handheld, and this time around Nvidia is looking to attract a wider audience. The Shield is targeted at users looking to play games on their tablet (a burgeoning segment thanks to the availability of visually striking games on mobile), and the hardware under the hood highlights the tablet’s pedigree: The Shield comes with Nvidia’s Tegra K1 chip with a 192 core GPU that can hold its own against anything in the world of mobile GPUs. The CPU features four Cortex A15 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz.

The 8-inch form factor tablet comes with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200, which means a pixel density of 283 ppi. Also included is 2GB RAM, 5 MP front and back cameras, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0 LE. The frontal stereo speakers look similar to what HTC (TPE:2498) offers in the One M7, and they deliver where it matters; with sound coming out crisp and clear. Also available with the tablet is a DirectStylus 2 stylus that allows you to take notes on the tablet among other things.

This being a gaming-oriented slate, Nvidia is rolling out what it is calling Shield-optimized titles that are tweaked for the tablet. The list of games is continually growing as Nvidia brings more publishers on-board. Nvidia also recently announced its GRID service, which allows Shield users to access 20 blockbuster titles for free. It is clear that Nvidia is looking to build an ecosystem of content around the Shield tablet, which is encouraging. Users with a GeForce GTX card can also utilize Nvidia’s GameStream technology to stream games to the Shield tablet. The tablet is set to receive the latest version of Android this month, which will bring a whole host of new features.

The Shield tablet is available for $299, which is the 16GB Wi-Fi only model. The 32GB version, which also features LTE connectivity, is available for $399. For consumers looking for a more affordable solution to the Shield, Xiaomi’s Mi Pad offers the same hardware in a distinctly iPad-esque design for around $199. While Xiaomi’s offering may be marginally more affordable, it lacks the Nvidia-specific utilities included in the Shield.

HTC Nexus 9

The wait for a larger tablet in the Nexus series is over, with Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) deciding to go with HTC this time around. The motive for doing so was to not give preference to one vendor over others, which is great as consumers get to benefit from different design philosophies. The Nexus 9 is being billed as a premium tablet, and is positioned closer to the high-end segment. The 16GB Wi-Fi only version costs $399, with the 32GB model available for $499. There’s a 32GB variant that offers LTE connectivity, which will retail later this year for $599.

The pricing for the tablet is justified considering the hardware it features. The Nexus 9 comes with an 8.9-inch IPS LCD screen that offers a resolution of 2048 x 1536 in a 4:3 that is more reminiscent of the iPad that an Android tablet. The tablet comes with a coating of Gorilla Glass 3 that offers a layer of resistance to scratches. Under the hood, there’s a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip that features the 64-bit Denver CPU clocked at 2.3 GHz along with a 192 core GPU. At this stage, the inclusion of a 64-bit CPU is more future proofing than anything, and the weird 4:3 ratio means that certain utilities do not scale as well (for good reason). The 2GB of RAM may be a bit of a concern for some, and while the tablet can currently handle anything available in the world of Android with ease, memory may become the bottleneck in the future.

Other specs include an 8 MP camera at the back, 1.6 MP front shooter, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, A2DP, apt-X and microUSB 2.0. The Nexus 9 comes with a 6,700 mAh battery and is available in three color variants: Indigo Black, Lunar White and Sand. One of the more interesting features of the tablet is the frontal speakers. These are not stereo BoomSound speakers like the ones on the One M8, but they still provide a much better sound that what is considered common in this segment.

In terms of build quality, the Nexus 9 loses points as it just isn’t near the level of what other tablets in this category cost. There is a lot of flex, particularly at the back of the tablet, when you press down on it. There also seem to be issues with build quality as a whole, which is not too dissimilar to what we’ve seen when Asus launched the Nexus 7 2013 last year. These issues were resolved within a month, but if you are buying the Nexus 9 as soon as it launches in your territory, be sure to check the device for build quality issues.

Apple iPad Air

Sure, the new iPad Air 2 comes with the faster A8X SoC, which as it turns out, comes with a semi-custom GPU along with the custom CPU design in the “Cyclone” architecture. The new processor has visible gains when playing games, but that doesn’t mean that last year’s iPad Air is obsolete. Far from it, and aside from the lack of Touch ID, there isn’t much to differentiate between this year’s tablet and last year’s offering. Combine that with the fact that the original iPad Air is now available for a discount, and the tablet from 2013 sounds like a much more enticing prospect.

In terms of the hardware, the iPad Air features the A7 SoC with a dual-core ARM v8-based CPU clocked at 1.2 GHz. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the first manufacturer to kickstart the 64-bit revolution for mobile devices, mainly due to its ability to control hardware and software. The iPad Air comes with a screen size of 9.7 inches and a resolution of 2048 x 1536, which comes out to a pixel density of 264 ppi. There’s not much to say about the iPad Air, as it is often considered to be the benchmark for judging tablets against. With the discounted price, the iPad Air Wi-Fi only 16GB version is now available for as low as $399, with the 32GB costing $449. The LTE models have also seen discounts, and are now available for $529 for the 16GB version and $579 for the 32GB variant.

Surface Pro 3

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is positioning the Surface Pro 3 against the MacBook Air, touting several benefits like a kickstand, touchscreen and stylus. Clearly, the tablet is intended for work, but it excels at being a portable tablet as well. One of the standout features of the Surface Pro 3 is the hinged kickstand, which allows you to position the tablet at several angles.

Designed for power users, the Surface Pro 3 is available in configurations starting from $799, for which you’ll get a 64GB SSD and an Intel’s (NASDAQ:INTC) Core i3 CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz. The Core i5 CPU clocked at 1.9 GHz is available for $999 for a 128GB SSD, and for $1,299 when paired with a 256GB SSD. The 1.7 GHz Core i7 variations are also available for $1,549 and $1,949, which feature a 256GB and 512GB SSD. Judging by the price points targeted by Microsoft, the Surface Pro 3 is more an Ultrabook-style notebook than a mere tablet.

The pricing may seem like a lot for a tablet, but the Surface Pro 3 is unlike anything else that is available in the world of computing today. The touchscreen responsiveness is at par with what you find in other tablets, and the performance figures are in line with that of Ultrabooks that feature Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Microsoft has successfully managed to cram incredibly powerful hardware in a lightweight form factor.

The build quality offered by the tablet is outstanding, the 12-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1440 is one of the best available and the optional keyboard docking stand adds to the functionality of the Surface Pro 3. With a full version of Windows 8.1 Pro, the tablet’s main area of focus is productivity, but that does not mean that it cannot be utilized for multimedia consumption. The kickstand makes it ideal to prop up the tablet in various configurations, and the hinge is built to last.

Other hardware features of the Surface Pro 3 include 5 MP cameras at the front and back, full-size USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity along with stereo speakers the feature Dolby Audio-enhanced sound. Also included is a stylus that offers various levels of pressure sensitivity. The ability to run a full-fledged version of Windows enables users to install and run intensive games like League of Legends, Civilization V, and The Elder Scrolls Online. The tablet can also connect with an Xbox 360 controller for Windows.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S

Samsung (KRX:005935) is known to make a lot of tablets on a yearly basis. For those looking for entry-level slates, there’s the Galaxy Tab series. The Galaxy Tab S series is targeted at the mid-tier and high-end markets, with three variants on offer. All three versions are available in Wi-Fi only and LTE editions, with the non-cellular models featuring Samsung’s Exynos 5420 hardware, while the LTE variants come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

The design of the tablets in the Galaxy Tab S series are a notch above what you’d find in the Galaxy Tab series, and the screens similarly offer higher resolutions. All three tablets come with a 2560 x 1600 resolution AMOLED display that Samsung claims is the best display on a tablet. The AMOLED panel does make colors stand out, but it does tend to over-saturate. The tablets are available in storage variations of 16 or 32 GB, come with 3 GB RAM as standard, 8 MP camera at the back, 2.1 MP shooter at the front, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity and microSD slots that can accommodate 128GB cards.

With prices starting as low as $399 for the 8.4-inch variant, the Galaxy Tab S series is a viable contender if you’re looking to buy a tablet that offers a high-resolution screen and high-end hardware.

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Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported fairly mixed numbers across the board for its fiscal Q3 2015 quarter, which is represented mostly by the calendar third quarter of the year.

In the third quarter, Nvidia reported a record $1.23 billion in revenues and profit of $173 million, which translates to an EPS of $0.31. This is compared to the previous quarter, where Nvidia saw $1.103 billion in revenue and $128 million in profit or an EPS of $0.22. Nvidia also improved over the same quarter a year ago even more significantly where that quarter only had $1.054 billion in revenue and $119 million in revenue  or an EPS of $0.20. Nvidia saw both revenue and profitability increase double digits for both quarter over quarter and year over year, which should make any investor in Nvidia very happy. The margins did slip almost a whole percentage point, but they also significantly improved revenue and profitability.

Nvidia’s revenue increase to $1.23 billion can be attributed to growth across the board for the company in multiple business segments. Revenue for its GPU business grew 13% from the previous quarter and notebooks grew 36%, fueled by the release of its new Maxwell GTX GeForce consumer cards and mobile gaming GPUs. Nvidia states that mobile gaming notebooks more than doubled from a year ago, indicating much stronger PC gaming growth than analysts had been dooming and glooming.

Tesla GPU sales increased strongly, representing another record quarter for revenue driven mostly by large project wins in GPU compute with cloud providers and government customers. The company also saw Quadro revenue continue to be strong, also helped along by its launch of the new Quadro line, including the K5200, which is squarely aimed at Adobe users. As a result, the whole business unit saw a 13% increase in revenue due to the Maxwell release and seasonal increase in consumer PCs, which is going to only continue into the next quarter.

Tegra processors grew 51 percent from a year ago, mostly led by automotive infotainment systems, mobile devices, embedded systems and SHIELD tablet sales. Automotive infotainment revenue alone nearly doubled year over year, which can strongly be attributed to Tegra’s renewed strength compared to last year. As a whole the business unit saw revenue go up 11% sequentially. Nvidia has won some seriously significant automotive design wins, including Honda and will create a very good baseline of sales for Nvidia in the Tegra business unit regardless of mobile device seasonality.

Nvidia also saw a $66 million license payment from Intel from their settlement and licensing agreement.

Nvidia guided its revenue to be about $1.2 billion, essentially flat with the last quarter. They also expect margins to stay about the same if not increase a bit from the last quarter and operating expenditures to increase slightly. Overall, next quarter should really be a fantastic one for Nvidia as it is traditionally the strongest quarter for most of their consumer products and they are currently putting the hurting on AMD in consumer GPU sales, they are also in the newly announced HTC Nexus 9, which means that Tegra shipments should be very good in the fourth quarter and should drive up its profitability in the business segment. Overall, Nvidia’s expectations for Q4 are very conservative and there’s a very good chance they will outperform significantly.

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Thanks to the guys at iFixit and their absolutely astonishingly fast teardown of the new Google HTC Nexus 9, we already know quite a bit about the new tablet. The image you see above is actually the final image of their Nexus 9 teardown, showing all of the parts of the Nexus 9 individually. In the teardown, we find out some really interesting things about the tablet that may have been suspected but weren’t confirmed unless someone had torn it down.

One thing that was expected was that HTC included a 3.8 V, 6700 mAh, and 25.46 Wh battery, meeting the specs that HTC stated on their spec sheet. This makes it smaller than the iPad Air 2, but larger than the iPad Mini Retina. They also confirmed that the camera is an 8MP f/2.4 module that is the same as the one as the HTC Desire 610.

On the mainboard itself, iFixit was able to find exactly which version of the Tegra K1 that the Nexus 9 features, which is the dual core Denver 64-bit variant. This variant is labelled as a T4K885 01P TD590D-A3, meaning that this is A3 revision silicon and that Nvidia is without a doubt well into production silicon. The Nexus 9 also uses Elpida (now Micron) RAM, Samsung NAND flash, Broadcom BCM4354 MIMO 5G Wi-Fi module and a Broadcom BCM4752 GNSS receiver to complement whatever GPS is probably already in the Tegra K1.

There’s also an Asahi Kasei 3-axis compass, dual speakers and Synaptics touch controller as the rest of the components on the Nexus 9. Overall, iFixit gave the Nexus 9 a fairly poor teardown score of a 3 (as many HTC devices have gotten lately). The reason for the poor repairability score is because of the difficulty of removing the battery (which was glued on) and the fact that the LCD panel is fused to the glass of the display which makes repairing a cracked screen more difficult and costly.

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Our sources are confirming that the HTC Nexus 9, which we had originally reported thanks to Nvidia’s own legal documents, will indeed be landing this month. The HTC Nexus 9 will indeed feature Nvidia’s Tegra K1 SoC which confirms the rumors of the previous few months that Nvidia had managed to work their way into the newest Nexus tablet. Another detail we were able to learn is that the MSRP for the HTC Nexus 9 will indeed be $399, which isn’t anywhere near the Nexus 7’s $229 price point but indicates that Google is aiming to bring a premium quality device to market at an affordable price.

Details are still murky about whether or not the HTC Nexus 9 will feature Nvidia’s current Tegra K1 SoC or the 64-bit denver-based variant of Tegra K1 that the company has been teasing since they announced Tegra K1 at CES in January of this year. One interesting point is that in the Nvidia blog, the company specifically states, “And for hard-core Android fans, take note that we’re already developing the next version of Android – “L” – on the 64-bit Tegra K1.” This would indicate that we will very likely see the Tegra K1 64-bit version in the HTC Nexus 9 with Android-L (or Lollipop). This all makes sense because Google has a tendency of requiring their chip suppliers to meet a certain minimum spec list and if they don’t meet it, they’re out. It happened with the Nexus 7 when Qualcomm knocked out Nvidia with OpenGL ES 3.0 support and it looks like Nvidia is now doing it to Qualcomm with 64-bit support in the Tegra K1. Qualcomm won’t have any high-end 64-bit devices until 2015 once their partners start building devices with the Snapdragon 810 and 808. They have already announced the Snapdragon 610 and 410 and some devices are even utilizing these processors now, but they are not considered flagship chips like Google likes to use.

It remains to be seen how good Nvidia’s battery life with the 64-bit Denver-based Tegra K1 will be, especially compared to the quad ARM Cortex-A15 version that’s currently in the Xiaomi MiPad and Nvidia SHIELD tablet. One must also consider that there may be a lot of 64-bit optimizations as part of Android-L which may actually help Nvidia see far greater performance per watt than with quad Cortex A15 chips. We don’t have any performance figures just yet, or battery life figures, but once we do, we will be sure to keep you posted here.

Also, here’s a new little tidbit in addition to us being able to confirm most of the rumors… The HTC Nexus 9 will not sold exclusively by the Play Store, meaning that it should be widely available on November 3rd after pre-orders start on October 15th. The HTC Nexus 9 will actually sell at most major retailers online and B&M from what we’ve been told. This means that Google is clearly trying to target a broader audience but at the same time trying to bring a premium experience. And when you think about the fact that they have mini-kiosks in places like Best Buy that already let you buy most things that are sold on the Google Play Store. We don’t have a complete list of retailers yet, but it does mean that Google expects this launch to be much bigger than ones in the past.

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After a tumultuous year that saw HTC (TPE:2498) struggle to find success with its handset division, it now looks like the Taiwanese vendor is all set to stage a comeback. Whereas 2013 saw HTC focus on a single device, the One M7, this year the hardware manufacturer has diversified into various growth categories with a smorgasbord of devices, some already available, and a few scheduled to launch later this year.

Nexus 9 and Android One

The most interesting device to look forward to from HTC is the Nexus 9 tablet. If success of the first two generations of the Nexus tablets are anything to go by, it is clear that HTC’s association with Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) will be able to vastly affect the Taiwanese vendor’s fortunes. As for the specs of the tablet, the latest batch of leaks reveal that HTC has decided to stick with a similar matte-style finish at the back, while choosing to go with a more squarish form factor. It is unclear whether the form factor has to do with the screen, or the inclusion of BoomSound stereo speakers, but it is evident that we don’t have to wait long to find out as Google is rumored to launch the tablet later this month.

Another interesting collaboration between the two organizations is in the entry-level segment, where HTC is scheduled to launch its Android One device later this year. Interestingly, HTC is one of a few major recognized vendors that have signified interest in the Android One ecosystem, with other manufacturers like Sony, Samsung and LG instead deciding to offer devices of their own in the entry-level market.

Both the Nexus 9 and the Android One device could significantly turn things in HTC’s favor. Furthermore, this year has seen HTC actively focus on the mid-tier segment with the launch of new Desire handsets after largely neglecting the segment last year. While Desire models may not be selling as much as what other manufacturers offer in this segment, it is good to see that HTC is catering to users looking for a decent device in the mid-tier category.

Desire Eye and One M8 Eye

If Samsung (KRX:005935) has shown us anything over the years, it is that differentiation and a strong product portfolio often win out long-term, and it looks like HTC is following the same ideals this time around. The Taiwanese vendor has launched a plastic-clad of its One M8 called the One E8, and also launched mini variants of the device. In addition, HTC announced new devices targeted at a younger audience in the Desire Eye and the One M8 Eye, both of which feature 13 MP dual camera sensors along with frontal LED. While Microsoft, Samsung and Sony have also launched selfie-focused handsets, HTC is the only one to do so in the high-end segment, and the only vendor to offer such high-resolution imaging sensors for the front cameras.

It will be interesting to see the hardware that the One M8 Eye will feature, and the mainstream consumer attention the handset will garner. HTC has famously stuck with its UltraPixel technology for the last two generations of its flagship devices, so it is interesting to see how the One M8 Eye will fare with its dual 13 MP camera configuration.

One area that HTC has not yet ventured into is the world of wearables, and although there were leaks from earlier this year that suggested that the Taiwanese manufacturer was looking to launch a smartwatch, they were unfounded. HTC has abandoned its smartwatch efforts, citing the lack of a “wow factor” as the main reason for deciding to not continue with a watch. While not exactly wearable territory, HTC is now rumored to launch a unique camera accessory called the REcamera at an event in New York later this week. The accessory is said to feature a 16 MP shooter in a rugged casing that connects to mobile devices via Bluetooth.

Challenges to overcome

Although HTC has a lot of exciting devices in the works, the manufacturer faces key challenges going forward: the high-end segment is witnessing diminishing growth, which means that manufacturers are more aggressively targeting the entry-level and mid-tier segments. With the new Desire line of devices, HTC has a strong series of offerings in this segment, but the vendor will be able to benefit greatly by augmenting its wares in these categories.

Another key area that HTC has lagged behind is in marketing and advertising. It does not make much sense to make a great device if no one knows about it, and this has largely been the reason as to why HTC did not see a lot of success with the One M7 last year, even though the device itself was widely considered to be far better to the Galaxy S5 in most regards. Whether HTC will actually manage to turn things around remains to be seen, but it is great to see the manufacturer heading in the right direction.

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While combing through Nvidia’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) legal documents posted on the company’s website, Bright Side of News*’ sources pointed to a very interesting sentence that many may have overlooked or simply never seen.

The legal document in question is  Nvidia’s own claim with the ITC claiming that Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Samsung (KRX:005935) are infringing upon its GPU technology patents. The document in question, which obviously had to go through Nvidia legal before becoming public is essentially a corporate confirmation of the previous Nexus 9 and HTC (TPE: 2498) rumors.

Nvidia’s document specifically states, “the HTC Nexus 9, expected in the third quarter of 2014, is also expected to use the Tegra K1.” So, based on what’s known that there will without a doubt be a Nexus 9 made by HTC with Nvidia’s Tegra K1, but we also know that it should be expected in the third quarter of this year. All of this essentially confirms all of the rumors we’ve and gives an expected time frame which hasn’t been confirmed by anyone else.

All that’s left now regarding the Nexus 9 will be the exact price and whether or not Google’s leaked documents of an unidentified tablet are indeed the Nexus 9. A Tegra K1 powered tablet will without a doubt be pretty awesome as the Tegra K1 is a very powerful chip, but could run into stiff competition from Samsung and LG. But even so, a new Nexus tablet is a welcome addition to Google’s Nexus line of devices as the search giant has never refreshed the Nexus 10 since its launch and the Nexus 7 has already been refreshed once last year.

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