Android By Russell Holly Dec. 10, 2013 2:25 pm
After a few fun days of speculation, it looks like Google and LG have partnered to release the first Google Play edition tablet to live between the $229 Nexus 7 and the $399 Nexus 10. Meet the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play edition.
Aside from being a bit of a mouthful to say, this new LG tablet is a bit of a surprise. It has been added to the Google Play Store after Black Friday but before Christmas, which is a time when almost nothing gets released. The tablet is priced at $349, sitting right in between the now aging $400 Samsung-built Nexus 10 and the $230 Asus Nexus 7. For the price, you get a 1920×1200 resolution IPS display wrapped in a smooth metallic container and a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood.
The retail version of the G Pad 8.3 received a number of compliments for exceptional build quality, but like all LG devices suffered from an unsightly user interface. Running pure KitKat, the G Pad 8.3 will be able to take advantage of the multi-user tools offered in the latest version of Android as well as show users what happens when LG’s software doesn’t get in the way of the hardware. Pure Android 4.4 will also mean that LG’s problematic software is no longer an issue and the strengths of this tablet should shine through.
With 16GB of onboard storage and a removable microSD card slot, the G Pad in Google Play edition is the closest thing to a Nexus tablet with removable storage that you’re going to get anymore. If this is something that appeals to you, the Play Store listing promises that they leave the warehouse within 1-2 days. That means they also work as a last minute Christmas present, if you haven’t already handled that.
The other tablet that went live today in the Play Store is the Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition. It’s also available in 1-2 days, but this 6.4-inch mega-phone will run you $649.
Now read: Nexus 5 and rest of Google device family gets Android 4.4.2
More...
Aside from being a bit of a mouthful to say, this new LG tablet is a bit of a surprise. It has been added to the Google Play Store after Black Friday but before Christmas, which is a time when almost nothing gets released. The tablet is priced at $349, sitting right in between the now aging $400 Samsung-built Nexus 10 and the $230 Asus Nexus 7. For the price, you get a 1920×1200 resolution IPS display wrapped in a smooth metallic container and a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood.
The retail version of the G Pad 8.3 received a number of compliments for exceptional build quality, but like all LG devices suffered from an unsightly user interface. Running pure KitKat, the G Pad 8.3 will be able to take advantage of the multi-user tools offered in the latest version of Android as well as show users what happens when LG’s software doesn’t get in the way of the hardware. Pure Android 4.4 will also mean that LG’s problematic software is no longer an issue and the strengths of this tablet should shine through.
With 16GB of onboard storage and a removable microSD card slot, the G Pad in Google Play edition is the closest thing to a Nexus tablet with removable storage that you’re going to get anymore. If this is something that appeals to you, the Play Store listing promises that they leave the warehouse within 1-2 days. That means they also work as a last minute Christmas present, if you haven’t already handled that.
The other tablet that went live today in the Play Store is the Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition. It’s also available in 1-2 days, but this 6.4-inch mega-phone will run you $649.
Now read: Nexus 5 and rest of Google device family gets Android 4.4.2
More...