LG’s second foray into the tablet market, the G Pad 8.3, is perhaps the closest rival to Apple’s iPad Mini and Google’s Nexus 7 that we’ve seen to date. Initial reviews have also praised the tablet for its comfortable and well-sized design, top quality screen and speedy processor.
The G Pad 8.3 was oddly launched somewhere between Saturday evening and a dreary Sunday morning as far as gadget lovers in the UK were concerned. It was a reveal which caught many by surprise, with the tablet setting sail in its home land of Korea first before going elsewhere. Now it’s headed to the UK and Ireland as part of a big global rollout by LG.
Those of you who, like this Gadget Helpline blogger, liked the looks of the G Pad 8.3 on paper but feared for another hefty price tag from LG, will probably be pleased to see its GBP price tag of £259. That’s the same price as the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Mini but £60 heavier on the wallet compared to Google’s latest Nexus 7.
Like the new Nexus 7, the G Pad 8.3 offers up a Full HD display – a clear advantage over the lower resolution iPad Mini. It’s also packing a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage and dual cameras in the form of a 5MP rear snapper and a Full HD camera up front.
Gadget lovers in Ireland will soon be able to pick up the new LG tablet exclusively through Harvey Norman from the end of the month, with UK stock arriving around the same time. LG aims to bring its latest tablet to over 30 new markets before the end of the year, so if you’re not in the UK or Ireland don’t fret.
Whilst the G Pad 8.3 beats down Apple’s iPad Mini in terms of specs, Apple is expected to match it with an iPad Mini 2 on October 22nd. We have to wonder whether LG’s impressive tablet will make an impact or whether Apple’s second attempt will dent its hopes of success.