Tired of waiting for that long-rumored iPad mini with Retina Display? Well, don't look now, but LG just introduced the LG G Pad 8.3. We don't know whether it will fare better than LG's last tablet, 2011's Optimus Pad, but the G Pad's status as the (supposed) first 8-inch tablet with a full HD display can't hurt its chances.
Specs and features
The G Pad 8.3 has, surprise surprise, an 8.3-inch display. The killer feature is its resolution: the Korean company managed to squeeze 1,920 x 1,200 resolution into this bad boy. For those keeping score, that comes out to 273 pixels per inch: an unprecedented number for a tablet of its size (the 2013 Nexus 7 has 323 PPI, but measures only 7 in diagonally).At first blush, the G Pad looks like it has a sleek design and well-rounded set of components to boot. It weighs just 338 g (11.92 oz). We're also looking at a mere 8.3 mm (0.33 in) thickness. That makes it a bit thicker than the iPad mini and Galaxy Note 8.0, but then again, neither of those tablets has anything approaching a high-resolution display.
LG's new tablet also packs plenty of horsepower, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 processor living inside. 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (with no microSD on board) and a healthy 4,600 mAh battery round out the hardware highlights.
Software
The G Pad 8.3 runs Android 4.2.2, with LG's custom UI splattered on top. Much like the upcoming G2 smartphone, LG threw in a few unique software features, like Slide Aside (multitask by sliding an app off-screen with three fingers), QSlide (run three apps at once in one window) and KnockOn (tap twice on the display to turn it on or off).Until we get some hands-on time, we can't say whether these features will add to the user experience, or just leave us dreaming of a world where manufacturers forget the "differentiation," and just give us stock Android.
LG hasn't yet announced pricing, but the company says the G Pad 8.3 will roll out globally in Q4. On second thought, maybe it won't beat that Retina iPad mini to market after all.
Update (09/06/13): Gizmag managed a brief hands-on at LG's IFA booth today and found the hi-res tablet to be thin, light and responsive. As you can see from our updated gallery though, the outer case does seem to be a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
Source: LG
