Not too long ago, LG was one of the top smartphone makers for Android devices, but somewhere along the way the company got left behind by Samsung, which now stands at the head of the Android manufacturer pack. Still, LG has a lot of expertise, and it isn’t a company that’s going to accept second place. LG’s upcoming preview of its latest tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3, proves the company can still craft a fine mobile product, one that combines powerful hardware with a slick design. However, it remains to be seen whether there is room in the small-tablet market for another player.
LG G Pad 8.3 Tablet
While the tablet was not officially be unveiled until IFA 2013 in early September, LG got a jump on the event by releasing the device’s specs to the public in advance. The specs may be impressive, but the real news is that there is yet another manufacturer ready to release a stellar product in the small-tablet space.
According to Business Insider, the G Pad 8.3 will come with a 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon processor, 2 GB of LPDDR2 RAM, 16 GB of device memory, and a 5.0 MP rear camera. The device will run on the Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system.
The highlight of the G Pad 8.3 is the 8.3-inch, 1,920×1,200, WUXGA screen. According to LG’s press release, this is the first Full HD display available for 8-inch class tablets, and when the screen is combined with the graphics capabilities of the rest of the device’s hardware, is actually capable of offering a higher resolution than standard Full HD, without compromising image clarity or quality.
The tablet also comes with an array of features designed to give it the best user experience possible. New features include advanced multitasking, which just requires a three-finger swipe to move between running apps, KnockON, which turns the device on through a double-tap on the screen, and QSlide, which lets the user utilize the large screen to control three apps at once.
Breaking into the Small-Tablet Market
The specs and features of the LG G Pad 8.3 are certainly nice, but they’re not quite enough to reinvent the space. This means there are some looming questions regarding whether there’s enough room in the small-tablet market for another player. Even with top-end specs, this tablet has an uphill battle making a dent in a market dominated by the iPad Mini, Nexus, Kindle Fire, and Galaxy devices.
Still, screen quality and intuitive controls have always been big selling points, and LG does have a loyal following, even if the company isn’t as dominant as it once was. The fate of the tablet may come down to price, which hasn’t been released yet. Even after the official hands-on at IFA 2013, don’t expect any strong pricing ideas to come out until very close to the tablet’s fourth-quarter release.
Plenty of questions remain regarding the eventual fate of the LG G Pad 8.3, but for now it looks like it has all the pieces to be a big success. Anyone looking to pick up a small tablet during the holiday season would do well to at least give it a look to see if it fits their needs.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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