LG G Pad 8.3 Review: One of the Best Android Tablets You Can Get

LG G Pad 8.3 Review: One of the Best Android Tablets You Can Get

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LG G Pad 8.3 Full Review

LG is mounting a strong comeback with their G series of products. It started with the LG G2, which we believe is actually the best Android smartphone for 2013. They’re built on that momentum with their G series tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3. Initially when we heard about it we weren’t too thrilled since we’re all fans of the Nexus 7 (2013). However after using it for more than a week we can definitely say that the LG G Pad 8.3 can confidently go toe-to-toe with the Nexus 7, Galaxy Note 8.0, and all the other Android tablets out in the market today. LG is just full of surprises for Q4 2013!

Anyway, before we get to the review, let’s quickly go over the specifications once again.

LG G Pad 8.3 Spec Sheet

  • 1.7GHz Quad-core CPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
  • Adreno 320 Graphics
  • 2GB RAM
  • 32GB Internal Storage
  • 8.3-inch IPS LCD Full HD (1920×1200 pixels), 273 pixels per inch
  • 5.0-megapixel primary camera
  • 2.1-megapixel secondary camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/aGPS
  • 4600mAh Li-Ion battery
  • Android 4.2.2 Jellybean
  • SRP: Php16,990

Not bad right? It’s very competitive and while LG didn’t use the Snapdragon 800 processor, they were able to keep good performance but at a much lower cost with the Snapdragon 600 processor. We think this was a very good decision on the part of LG.

Elegant and Premium Design

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At 8.3-inches, the LG G Pad 8.3 is slightly bigger than the Apple iPad Mini (7.9″) but significantly smaller and more portable compared to the iPad or the Nexus 10 (9.7″-10.1″). At this size it’s still quite easy to use and bring around due to the thin and lightweight form factor.

The back of the LG G Pad 8.3 is mostly made of aluminum which gives it an impressive profile and feel. One of the best things about having aluminum built into a gadget is that awesome feeling you get when you wake up in the morning and pick the gadget up from your nightstand and feel how cool it is (absorbed the air con, lol). That’s one thing that plastic can’t give, hehe.

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The buttons and ports are located along the sides of the G Pad. There’s the volume rocker, power lock, audio jack, micro USB port, and a micro SD card tray.

Up front we have the 8.3-inch capacitive touchscreen. We’re not sure if the glass is scratch resistant since there’s no mention in any of the materials we received from LG and found online. However it does look superb when you turn it on! The LG G Pad 8.3 has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 which comes out to 273 pixels per inch. Most tablets have less than 200 pixels per inch, and mind you, the difference is VERY noticeable.

Photos, images, and text look outstanding on the display of the LG G Pad 8.3. You get to appreciate this more once you start watching HD videos and 3D games on it. The quality just shines and gives you a much better experience with your content.

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Color balance is also quite good with the G Pad. The blues and reds are just right but the brightness can be a little lacking in direct sunlight.

Over-all the LG G Pad 8.3 is one of the most stylish Android tablets in the market today. It definitely kicks the asses of the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Note 8.0 in the looks department. So yeah, two thumbs up for the design! Just make sure you get a case for this though since we have a strong feeling that it’s not the most durable tablet out there, hehe.

>>> SEE ALSO: LG G2 Full Review

Strong Performer with Unique Features

The LG G Pad 8.3 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor which is a generation lower than the Snapdragon 800 processor. This has both pros and cons. For the pros, we get a more affordable price and better battery life with the Snapdragon 600 processor. If LG opted for the Snapdragon 800 this should be probably be selling for well over Php20,000. As for the cons, there are some instances of lag but nothing that will completely ruin the user experience (very manageable).

LG G Pad Review

We did the usual Antutu Benchmark Test and as expected it scored well over 20,000. This is the same score that a lot of devices with the Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB RAM delivered. What does this number mean in real life usage?

We did our usual barrage of tests including playing a variety of games and apps on the LG G Pad 8.3. Game play experiences with Dead Trigger 2, Temple Run 2, Plants versus Zombies 2, Bard’s Tale, Wild Blood, and NBA 2k13 (wala pambili 2k14) were all smooth, fluid, and almost lag free. We only recorded one incident of crashing but that was when we accidentally hit the multi-tasking button while we were in a very late stage in Dead Trigger 2 and the whole stage was swarming with zombies, hehe.

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That said, the LG G Pad 8.3 can handle almost everything else and it delivers exceptionally well with entertainment applications, especially video. Thanks to the expandable storage, it’s easy to stuff in TV series, movies, and other content into the LG G Pad 8.3. We actually watched around 5-6 episodes of the latest season of Arrow on the G Pad and it was a great experience! The speakers were also notably loud and we didn’t have to get our earphones. We also spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube using the G Pad 8.3. The 8.3-inch display was just awesome for HD content!

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All other activities like web browsing, reading, photo editing, and everything were all okay as well. The over-all experience of the activities were greatly enhanced by the 8.3-inch form factor and the very good display quality.

Useful Stuff: QPair, KnockON, and QSlide

Aside from the usual Android functionalities, LG also put in their proprietary apps and features into the LG G Pad 8.3. First we have KnockON, which we first saw with the LG G2. Just tap the screen twice and it will wake up from sleep. Very useful and you’ll actually end up double tapping your other devices once you get into the habit of doing it with the G Pad 8.3.

Next we have QSlide. You can open windows of selected apps and move them around your screen and even change their opacity. For the most part you won’t use this but it’s nice to have.

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Last, but definitely NOT the least we have QPair. How this works is you download QPair on the G Pad and your Android smartphone. Alerts and notifications that you get on your smartphone are then transferred to the G Pad. You can send and read SMS messages, decline calls (you obviously can’t take them), and tether data connection. We found this useful when at home and we didn’t want to bring our smartphone with us when we moved around the house while using the tablet. It’s not a game changing feature but it does has its uses! 🙂

Camera: It Is What It Is

The LG G Pad 8.3 has a 5.0-megapixel camera. It is what it is. It can take photos decently in good light but it’s horrible in low light. We didn’t bother uploading the photos anymore since there’s nothing special about them.

Battery Life: Over 9 Hours

One thing we were impressed with was the battery life of the LG G Pad 8.3. We consistently got around 9-12 hours before it would go to 8-10%. That’s definitely not bad since it goes toe-to-toe with the legendary battery life of the iPad.

Verdict: Yep, It’s Really Good

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Everything considered, the LG G Pad 8.3 is simply a superb Android tablet. It offers a great Android tablet experience and the build is very premium and classy despite the mid-range price (SRP Php16,990). You can also maximize it even more if you use the QPair app with your Android smartphone so that it’s not just a tablet you keep leaving at home.

We highly recommend the LG G Pad 8.3 for people looking for Android tablets. It’s a great buy that you will not regret. Just make sure you get a case, hehe.

Congratulations LG! You guys are definitely much more competitive and we hope to see more products at this level next year!

>>> SEE ALSO: LG G2 Full Review

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