The LG G Pad 8.3, announced a couple of months back as the company’s first small Android tablet, has now gotten itself a Google Play Edition in the US. This tablet is the first OEM device to get the Play Edition treatment, which will let consumers get the latest versions of Android faster than the original, which might or might not get the updates as fast as this one. That’s the main purpose and selling point of the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition. It will be free from any sort of OEM customizations, and is going on sale starting today, at a price of 350 USD. The tablet sports a great looking 1920×1200 8.3 inch screen and a metallic body to complement its huge phone-like looks. We had taken a hands on look of the original tablet at IFA in Berlin this year, take a look at the video –
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AosOVdjrIZA
Here are the complete specifications of the LG G Pad 8.3 –
Key Specifications:
• Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
• Operating System: Android™ 4.4, KitKat
• Display: 8.3-inch Full HD IPS WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels / 273 ppi)
• Memory: 16GB eMMC
• RAM: 2GB LPDDR2
• Camera: Rear 5.0MP / Front 1.3MP
• Battery: 4,600mAh
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Size: 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm
• Weight: 338g
• Colors: Indigo Black
As you can see from the specifications above, the G Pad runs on a Snapdragon 600 processor and is almost just a 8.3 inch version of the Nexus 7 if you consider the similarities. The base WiFi version with 16 GB of internal storage sells for 350$ which is a decent starting price. But coming to software, this is believed to run just the stock version of Android’s AOSP build, just like the earlier Google Play Edition devices, so one would be missing out on the various OEM customizations that LG had done for the G Pad, like QSlide multi tasking or QPair that pairs with your phone for notifications. But the trade off for faster updates and cleaner UI might be well worth it. Availability for other countries is yet to be determined according to the press release, so stay tuned for more information, we will be letting you know if and when we get it. So, what do you think of the G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition? Interesting, or is a Nexus 7 more than enough?
[Update: The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is now available from the Google Play Store in the U.S. for $349.99]