‘ve heard again again again that HTC is building ‘s next Nexus tablet, the rumor got even stronger legs on Monday as the ll Street urnal reported that the Taiwanese hset maker is indeed teaming up with .

It would mean no hat trick for Asus, which built the last two versions of the Nexus 7. partnered with Samsung on the Nexus 10, which is also overdue for a replacement.

ereas the Nexus 7 is a budget-friendly tablet with decent specs, the rumor mill suggests is looking to build a high-end tablet that would compete more directly with the id. Another report claims that HTC is also building an accessory keyboard case for its Nexus tablet.

The names Nexus 8 Nexus 9 have been thrown around, but there is no clear evidence yet about potential screen sizes or product names.

HTC’s last foray into tablet-making produced the HTC Flyer, largely considered a flop. In fact, HTC never released another tablet after the Flyer’s disatrous 2011 release. However, the company has been lauded many times over for its One smartphone line—we called it “the best Android smartphone” when reviewing it in April. 

HTC certainly has the capability to build excellent hardware. The company even ribbed Apple when the ione 6 was unveiled.

Bigger screen. Better performance. Elegant design. lcome to the party #ione6. pic.twitter.com/v45ZXebhbs

— HTC (@htc) September 9, 2014

The question will be, of course, if HTC can transfer its smartphone success to the tablet form factor. HTC rivals like Samsung produce plenty of Android tablets, so partnering with for a Nexus tablet is probably HTC’s best shot at getting back in the race.

Given iOS 8’s tight integration with the Apple ecosystem the promise of a looming id refresh, the time is right for to strike back with an attractive tablet. HTC has the opportunity to reclaim a spotlight lost long ago if it can produce an excellent Nexus device that will rally the Android faithful make those looking at an id think twice.