The LG G Pad 8.3 has been the subject of numerous rumors over the past few months. Now it’s finally here, and well ahead of the anticipated launch date at IFA 2013 too. The G Pad 8.3 is LG’s attempt to reenter the tablet market after it failed miserably two years ago with the Optimus Pad. Is the second time going to be the charm?
The LG G Pad 8.3 certainly has a lot going for it, featuring an 8.3 inch (duhh..) WUXGA resolution screen that packs even more pixels than standard Full HD (1920 x 1200 vs 1920 x 1080). That gives it a pixel density of 273ppi. Comparatively speaking, the Nexus 7 2013 has a higher pixel density at 315ppi, but let’s not forget that the LG G Pad 8.3 is a larger tablet. That also means it has the highest resolution and pixel density of any 8 inch tablet in the market.
It’s not just about the screen though. The LG G Pad 8.3 is powered by a 1.7GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 processor coupled with a very capable Adreno 320 GPU for graphics. It might not be the best SoC out there at the moment (that honor would belong to the Snapdragon 800), but it comes pretty damn close, and it should provide enough processing power to run the G Pad 8.3 smoothly.
Since this an LG Android device, it sports the South Korean electronics company’s custom UI layer on top of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Some features that are unique to the LG G Pad 8.3 are QPair, QMemo, QSlide, Slide Aside and KnockON, all of which have been optimized for usage on the tablet’s large screen.
One of my favorite things about the G Pad 8.3 is the premium look of the design. While impressions can only be limited to observations from official press renders, there’s still a lot to like about it. The G Pad 8.3 appears to borrow many of the design elements from LG’s recent lineup of phones and even looks a bit like a blown up G2.
LG G Pad 8.3 Specs
- 8.3″ WUXGA display (1920 x 1200)
- 1.7GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 processor
- Adreno 320 GPU
- Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB internal storage
- 5mp rear / 1.3mp front
- 4,600mAh battery
- Dimensions: 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm
- Weight: 338g
- Price: TBA
No word yet as to when the LG G Pad will launch in the Philippines specifically, but we do know that it will start rolling out in key markets in Asia, North America and Europe beginning some time in the middle of Q4 2013. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet either, but considering the build quality, design and specs, don’t expect this to be cheap.