LG announces new G Pad 8.3 tablet - coming soon in Q4

After teasing us a couple of days ago with a YouTube video asking “consumers” what they want in a tablet, LG has officially announced the LG G Pad 8.3 a week before IFA. As its name suggests, the Android-powered tablet will include a 8.3-inch display; but will also include a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, and 16GB of storage.

Other specs include a 2GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The display has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 – which allows it to display 1080p HD content in its full resolution, as touted in its little preview video. However, the tablet does not include LTE option (as of yet).

The G Pad 8.3 will include some of LG’s customisations such as ‘Slide Aside’, which allows you to swipe with three fingers to switch between apps; and QSlide, which lets you control up to three apps in one window. It will also include KnockOn – something from the LG G2 smartphone – where users can tap on the screen twice to turn it on.

It also has a unique feature called QPair where any phone call or message from your paired smartphone will appear on the G Pad 8.3. You can even respond to messages from the tablet, and I’m assuming it will send it via your smartphone since there is no mobile connectivity option. Since it works with any Android running smartphone or tablet, this somewhat makes this an oversized smartwatch in a way.

It comes out in North America, Europe and Asia in the fourth quarter of the year. Australian availability and pricing has not been confirmed. Press release is below:

LG TAKES ON GLOBAL TABLET MARKET WITH ‘LG G PAD 8.3’
New Tablet to Debut at IFA 2013, Worldwide Rollout to Follow

SEOUL, Sep. 1, 2013 — LG Electronics (LG) today announced the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet, the latest addition to its G Series lineup of premium mobile devices. The all-new LG G Pad 8.3 boasts the first Full HD display on an 8-inch class tablet, a unique user-experience and wide range of connectivity features. Set to officially debut next week at the IFA 2013 trade show in Berlin, the LG G Pad 8.3 builds on the recent launch of the LG G2 superphone, reinforcing LG’s commitment to leadership in advanced mobile devices through its premium G Series products.

“Complementing our G Series smartphones, the introduction of the LG G Pad 8.3 further strengthens LG’s premium lineup consisting of our most cutting-edge devices,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our G Pad is just another example of LG delivering devices with the unique selling points consumers around the world will appreciate.”

Pocket-Sized Portability with Powerful Battery
Despite its large display, the LG G Pad 8.3 features a slim and sleek form factor that is comfortable enough to hold in one hand. Such compact portability is based on LG’s learning from consumers regarding the optimum size of a tablet. While maintaining its portability, the LG G Pad 8.3 squeezes in a powerful 4600mAh battery for long-lasting usage time but is still as light as a newspaper at just 338g.

First Full HD Display Tablet in 8-inch Class
Incorporating a key attribute of other premium G Series devices including the G Pro and G2 smartphones, the LG G Pad 8.3 is the first 8-inch class tablet to offer a Full HD display. The G Pad is equipped with a 1920 x 1200 WUXGA (Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array) display capable of delivering picture quality with even higher resolution than a standard Full HD display. In addition, the Qualcomm? Snapdragon™ 600 Processor with 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU enhances the viewing experience with powerful performance as users will be able to enjoy Full HD content without any compromise.

True Convergence Experience with QPair
The LG G Pad 8.3 meets the demanding requirements of the convergence age by improving connectivity between multiple devices. With the unique QPair app, every call and message received on a smartphone will appear on the G Pad for a true convergence experience. Users can then send simple replies through the LG G Pad 8.3. QPair also allows the G Pad to easily connect to other manufacturers’ smartphone and tablets (Jelly Bean OS recommended). Notes created on the G Pad’s QMemo can be seamlessly saved into users’ smartphones and shared from either device.

User Experience Maximized for a Tablet
The LG G Pad 8.3 offers practical features that provide real-life benefits, such as enhanced multitasking. Thanks to its 8.3-inch Full HD Display, user experience (UX) fea-tures unique to the LG G Pad 8.3 are maximized for the large screen:

• Slide Aside enables seamless multitasking by simply “sliding” currently open apps off to the side using a three-finger swipe
• QSlide controls up to three different apps in one window with no interruption, especially convenient on a large screen
• KnockON turns the device on and off by tapping the display twice

The LG G Pad 8.3 will be rolled out globally in key markets including North America, Europe and Asia as well as other regions starting in the fourth quarter of 2013. Prices will be announced at launch time.