It was recently confirmed by the Wall Street Journal that Google is indeed planning to release a new Nexus tablet this fall, and HTC will be making it. While this revelation is no surprise to those who have been following news related to the Nexus 9 (or Nexus 8, as it used to be called), the WSJ's recent story on Google's partnership with HTC on the new tablet was by far the most credible thus far. 

That being said, we are beyond excited for this next Nexus hardware. After all, HTC has proven with the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 that it can make mobile hardware on par with anyone's, and to combine that with Google's upcoming Android L OS could result in something truly special. Here are our top five features we are looking forward to on the Nexus 9:

#1 - The Display 

According to reports, the Nexus 9 will feature a 2048 x 1440 pixel resolution display. That would put it at 281 pixels-per-inch, which, for a tablet of this size is not exceptional, but not bad. Consider that the smaller iPad mini 2 (with Retina display) has a slightly higher 326 ppi. HTC has proved with the HTC One M8 that it can make a great mobile device display, so hopefully that's the case with the Nexus 9 as well.

#2 - Snapdragon 805

Look for Google and HTC to go big with the processor for this tablet. The latest and greatest in the mobile world is currently Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 chip, and in the world of mobile tech, anything but the latest processor is usually a disappointment, at least for a high-end device. And with the rest of the tablet's reported specs being so great, anything but the best from Qualcomm will be a huge disappointment here.

#3 - Design

While previous Nexus devices have typically been praised for their price and functionality, their design has always trailed behind hardware leaders like Apple or HTC. Well, now that HTC is making the next Nexus device, that all should change. So far, leaks have pointed to something called "zero-gap aluminum construction" in addition to front-facing speakers being part of the design. The final dimensions of the Nexus 9 are still a mystery, but it is rumored that the device will be around 7.9 mm thin, which would make it just slightly thicker than the iPad mini.

#4 - LTE

2012's Nexus 10 was a great tablet that packed an amazing screen and front-facing speakers along with a slim and light-weight design. The one thing it did lack was connectivity. Well, the Nexus 9 should fix that this time around. Full LTE support is supposed to be on board, though there's currently no word on which U.S. or international LTE providers will support the Nexus 9.

#5 - Android L

Android L is Google's latest OS update, and it looks to be a major design overhaul to their successful mobile platform. The Nexus 9 should launch with Android L (along with the Nexus X phone), and for that reason alone it is worth getting your hands on. Android L's emphasis on Material Design (a new design aesthetic focusing on new levels of interaction with mobile OS texture) and overall smooth UI performance could make it the mobile OS to have, even more so than iOS 8. Only time will tell.

The Nexus 9 is rumored to release sometime in mid-October, which is only weeks away. Stay tuned.