LG G Pad 8.3 Google Edition - CNET

CNET Editors' Take

December 10, 2013 11:14 AM PST

With its new Google Edition, the G Pad gets a new color and a purer version of Android.

(Credit: LG)

The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is the same tablet we reviewed just last October, but now with a pure version of Android 4.4.

This new version is expected to feature identical hardware to the original G Pad, but as a Google-branded tablet it should receive regular updates to the latest version of Android. The original had a noticeably customized version of the OS, so this new incarnation will target those looking for something a bit simpler software-wise.

The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 system-on-chip, a 1,920x1,200 resolution screen, 2GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front camera.

The tablet will retail for $349 for 16GB of storage, the same as the original. Check out our full review of the original for a preview of what to expect from the Google Play Edition, from a performance and hardware perspective.

It's an interesting choice to release a Google version of a tablet that only hit the market a few weeks ago. I actually like some of the customizations LG made to the OS in the original.

This new version will lose some of that in favor of a more simplified interface and regular updates. Which one you choose will come down to your needs and tolerance of impure Android interfaces.

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Where to Buy

MSRP: $349.99

See manufacturer website for availability.

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Quick Specifications

• Display type 8.3 in
• OS Android 4.4 (KitKat)
• RAM 2 GB
• Processor Qualcomm 1.7 GHz
• Wireless connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
• Dimensions (WxDxH) 8.5 in x 0.33 in x 5 in
• Weight 0.74 lbs

Full Product Specifications

By Eric Franklin

Eric Franklin is a senior editor covering tablets and monitors. He's managed CNET's San Francisco testing lab the last 9 years and has written for CNET, covering everything from CPUs to games, for more than a decade. Full Bio

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