LG G Pad Google Play Edition Review

LG G Pad Google Play Edition Review

  The stock Android experience—the way Google intended—makes its 1st foray onto a non-Nexus tablet with the LG G Pad Google Play Edition ($349). Like the Galaxy S4, HTC One, and Sony Z Ultra, the G Pad strips away all of the custom skinning and added features, leaving a vanilla build of Android on the same slim, fast, and well-built tablet we saw earlier this year.

  Unfortunately, LG's QSlide multitasking was among the G Pad's best features and it is also gone on the Google Play Edition. The G Pad is a good option for purists who love the in-between screen size, but for everyone else, the $229 Nexus 7 remains a better value and our Editors' Choice.

Information about LG G Pad Google Play Edition Review:



Performance and Android :
The GPE packs the same quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB RAM found in the original G Pad. Performance in synthetic benchmarks was slightly improved across the board, which may attest to the resource-heavy extras found in LG's Optimus UI. That said, you should not really expect much of a performance difference between the two in real world usage. Both are among the fastest Android tablets you'll be able to get right now, though models using the beefier Snapdragon 800 processor have a leg up on the G Pad. In our battery rundown test, which loops a video with screen brightness set to max and Wi-Fi on, the GPE G Pad lasted 5 hours, 16 minutes, which is right in line with the original's 5 hours, 58 minutes in the same test. There is a microSD card slot, but while it read our 64GB card fine, it could not write to any microSD card. I have read similar reports elsewhere and we are waiting on a reply from LG on the matter.

Hardware :
At 8.3-inches, the screen on the G Pad  is a welcome boost from the Nexus 7. While a roundly solid performer, the Nexus 7 is still a bit small for many. A 10-inch tablet can be a bit cumbersome in regard to portability, so in theory the G Pad GPE is just right. At a happy medium between both, we like the screen size for all kinds of tasks.
Resolution is a decent 273 PPI at 1920 x 1020, with color reproduction being good, but a touch quiet. We feel the screen is a bit muted, and though we can’t rightly discern individual pixels past 250 PPI, it pales in comparison to the flagship Nexus 7. Like the Nexus 7, it’s a stretched design, not the squared look of an iPad mini. That’s subjective, and we liked the orientation for watching videos, but the same limitations one would find with the Nexus 7, they are likely to find here.

Design :
The device measures 8.54 inches tall, 4.98 inches wide, and 0.33 inches thick. Positioned vertically, it is easy to hold with one hand, which surprised me given how small my grip is. It also weighs 0.74 pound (or 11.8 ounces), so its relatively lightweight. You are able to easily throw it in a small shoulder bag and it would not feel like a huge drag on your shoulders. In addition, with its 8.3-inch touch screen, it is the ideal solution for those who think the Nexus 7 is too small and the 10 is too large.
Though it makes the G Pad a bit more slippery, I like the device's smooth, faux-metal back panel. In fact, I prefer it over the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3's glossy backside, which traps fingerprints easily. I also like how the tablet feels dense, without being too heavy. Both characteristics give the G Pad a polished look.

LG G Pad Google Play Edition Review - smartphone comparisons :

LG G Pad Google Play Edition Review