The Apple iPad Air 2 was released in October, and it has been the one to beat ever since. But in a few days time, it will face Google and HTC's Nexus 9.

With Nexus 9's relatively formidable build, will it be the one to slay the hottest tablet around this early on? Pre-orders are already available for Google's tablet, so today is the perfect time to determine the true frontrunner before buyers place their orders.

The first to settle is the build. The Nexus 9 looks chic with its plastic backside shrouded by a brushed metal frame. However, its contender has long been adept in the "most refined look" category, making classiness an innate asset of its devices. The iPad Air 2, encased in smooth aluminum and essential high-caliber elements, has not been spared of the promised stylish look.

Now, off to the dimensions. The Google-HTC fusion baby is thicker and lighter at 7.95 mm and 425 grams, respectively. The Apple device weighs 437 grams, clearly a tad heavier. It retaliates with its incredible thickness (or thinness) of 6.1 mm.

Size is usually a deal-breaker in the tablet business. The iPad Air 2 boasts the bigger screen here. It has a 9.7-inch display that's well-suited with its 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution and 264 ppi. The Nexus 9 comes with the same pixel resolution. However, with the smaller 8.9-inch screen generating more (281) ppi, Nexus 9 packs more razor-sharp details. As Apple's comeback, the iPad Air 2 was endowed an anti-glare coating on its screen, which can reduce reflections by 56 percent.

The iPad Air 2 has impressed testers with its power. Housing an A8X 64-bit tri-core processor which clocks in at 1.5 GHz, it has bested tablets with greater clockspeeds. The Nexus 9 may be added to the list, but this will remain unknown until its release on Nov. 3. The A8X processor is one of Apple's breakthroughs that is proven to be a success. The iPad Air 2, with 2 GB RAM, has been loading and opening apps at lightning speed, making the new-fangled mainframe even more intimidating.

A stellar performance is also expected of the Nexus 9. Implanted with a 2 GB RAM and an nVidia Tegra K1 64-bit dual-core processor clocking in at 2.3 GHz, Nexus 9 should be no less than a high-speed tablet.

Cameras are not much of a knockout though. Both have rear shooters at 8 megapixels, although the Nexus 9 has a single-LED flash. The iPad Air 2 has a 1.2-megapixel front snapper. The Nexus 9 has it at 1.6 megapixels. If either of the developers loaded its tablet with a greater camera, the device will be a surefire wow.

There is not much difference in the battery life other than the format listing. Apple's tablet has inbuilt 27.3 W-h, equivalent to 10 hours of Internet surfing. The Nexus 9 makers guarantee 9.5 hours of use.with the tablet's 6700 mAh battery.

There are also features unique to each tablet. For the ultimate viewing entertainment, Nexus 9 was given front-facing HTC BoomSound stereo speakers. Meanwhile, Apple focused more on security by integrating a fingerprint scanning system known as the Touch ID.

The iPad Air 2 is available in 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants with a starting price of $500. The Nexus 9 only has 16 GB and 32 GB storage options. The new tablet is slated for a Nov. 3 release and is priced at $400.