LG Optimus Pad Review

Design:

The Optimus Pad measures 243 x 149 x 12.5mm and weighs 630g. The front is not only dominated by the glass touchscreen display, but it’s actually the only thing present. There are no buttons on the frame, physical or soft, and it’s strange that it’s so wide. We understand the argument for having to have something to hold on to when you use the “Pad”, but it appears overly large.

The 3-megapixel forward-facing camera can also be found in the top right-hand corner, and a notification light that flashes when you’ve got mail.

The sides are far more interesting (if that’s possible) and feature three mini speakers for a more all-around sound (it works, but the sound levels are overall quiet), the volume controls, a power and lock key, dock connector, HDMI out and USB sockets in addition to a dedicated power socket. There is also a 3.5mm jack for connecting headphones.

The sides are far more interesting (if that’s possible) and feature three mini speakers for a more all-around sound (it works, but the sound levels are overall quiet), the volume controls, a power and lock key, dock connector, HDMI out and USB sockets in addition to a dedicated power socket. There is also a 3.5mm jack for connecting headphones.

The LG Optimus Pad weighs 630g (22.2oz), which is 100g lighter than the Motorola Xoom and about the same as an Apple iPad 2, and measures 242.8mm x 149.4mm x 12.4mm (9.56in x 5.88in x .49in) in size. LG did an all around great job on the hardware.

Features:

LG Optimus Pad have a Tegra 2-powered Android 3.0 honeycomb tablet with dual 5MP rear-firing cameras for 3D video capture. The display is not 3D compatible in any way – it’s a standard 8.9-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen with a 15:9 aspect ratio and 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution.

On-board memory is provided by 1GB of RAM, while our test unit came with 32GB internal flash storage.

Interace:

When it comes to the new Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, you can forget most everything you know about Android’s user experience. Having been designed from the ground up for tablets, almost nothing in Honeycomb is the same as on smartphones. In my opinion Google did a good job of designing the basic user interface in Honeycomb.

Users can swipe from one screen to the next with ease, and each screen can be configured with shortcuts, widgets, and wallpapers. That works. The main menu leaves me unimpressed, though. Sure there are multiple panels that users can swipe between, but you can’t re-order them or group them. Google had the chance to step up here, and once again failed to do so, leaving the task to the manufacturers to implement in future models that will have customized UIs.

In the meantime, there are a couple of very minor changes to the standard Android interface, and that’s mainly down to the 3D cameras needing their own image capture and playback apps.

So in the Apps menu, you are presented with two bespoke application icons – one called 3DCamcorder and the other called 3DPlayer.

Messaging:

Considering the size of its on-screen keyboard and of the screen in general, it is no real surprise that the LG Optimus Pad is a pretty good messaging platform. There is no support for text or picture messaging, though. There is also no built-in support for social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, but there’s no shortage of free third party applications available to fill that void. The only instant messaging client loaded on the LG Optimus Pad is Gtalk, which can be used not only for instant messaging but also for video chatting using the forward-facing camera. The quality, even over Wi-Fi, isn’t fantastic, but it is acceptable.

Camera:

The LG Optimus Pad has two different camera modes. The first uses the standard Android 3.0 camera app to capture videos and

LG Optimus Pad Camera Sample

5MP stills.

The second uses LG’s own 3DCamcorder app to record videos in 3D. It’s this 3D recording functionality that LG reckons is going to make the Optimus Pad stand out from the crowd.

We’re not quite so sure. 3D is still very much an industry-driven thing, with arguably the majority of consumers fairly nonplussed by the whole concept.

Music:

The audio quality on the tablet is also above average, but it falls short of the outstanding loud speakers on, say, the Motorola XOOM. Nevertheless, music playback is reasonably loud on LG’s slate and even at max volume you can’t hear much of a distortion. When it comes to managing music, you have the standard Honeycomb application with impressive huge album art carousel.

Battery:

With a big 6400mAh battery the Optimus Pad battery does its part to keep you going. Clearly doing certain tasks will have a greater impact on how long it lasts. Video and use of the 3G antenna had a noticeably detrimental effect on things, but browsing, emailing and general use meant that you could easily go a couple of days without worry.

Browser:

The web browser that ships with Android Honeycomb is quite different from the browser we find in Android smartphones. For starters, it offers true tabbed browsing, just as you would find on Google Chrome on the desktop. The Honeycomb browser even supports Chrome’s Incognito mode (for leaving no cookies or history of your browsing sessions) and will synchronize with Chrome’s bookmarks – even supporting bookmark folders.

LG Optimus Pad Specification

Network

2G NetworkGSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHZ3G NetworkUMTS 900, 2100 MHz

Dimensions

L x B x H–- (22.6 cm in diameter)Weight654 grams or 23 ozForm FactorCandybar Touch Tablet

Display

TypeHD Capacitive 3D Touch ScreenSize8.9 inchesResolution1280×768 Pixels WXGA

Input/ User Interface

Glasses-required 3D Display
Gyroscope
Multi Touch
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

System Properties

Operating SystemAndroid 3.0 HoneycombCPUNvidia Tegra 2 Dual-core 1GHz Processor

Storage Capacity

Internal Memory32 GB built-in memoryExpandable Memory–

Browser & Messaging

HTML, Flash
MMS, SMS, IM, Email, RSS

Camera

Still- 5 Megapixels
- 2592х1944 pixels
- LED Flash
- Digital Zoom
- Auto focusAdditional rear camera- 5 Megapixels
- 1080p HD Video recording capability
- 1920×1080 pixelsSecondary(Front-facing)- 2 Megapixels
- 1600 x 1200 pixelsVideo Recording- 720p HD video recording capable with still camera
- 1280×720 Pixels

Connectivity

DATAGPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPABluetoothv2.1 with EDR StereoUSBv2.0 Micro USBHeadset3.5mm stereo headset jackRadio–WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
DLNAGPSA-GPS3GYesHSDPA
HSUPAUp to 10.2 Mbps
Up to 2 Mbps

Video & Audio

Audio FormatsMP3, AAC, AAC+, AMRVideo FormatsMPEG4, H.263, H.264BatteryTypeLi-Ion Standard BatteryVideo Playback Time

Other Features

1080p HD video playback
Dedicated 3D YouTube App
3D Graphics hardware accelerator
Adobe 10.1 Flash compatibility
Android Market, G-mail, Google Maps, G-Talk
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Picasa

Colors AvailabilityBlack

Performance:

LG Optimus Pad could use slightly improved reception, I like it, as a whole, much better than Motorola’s Xoom. It is more comfortable to hold, the G-Slate’s build of Android seems more stable, and I really enjoy the G-Slate’s unusual 3D camera abilities.

Conclusion:

It’s comfortable to hold in one hand, but you’ll need a firm grip simply because after a couple of minutes that 630g of weight starts to feel rather heavier. And there’s also the issue of that missing expansion port.

Then we come to the price. The LG Optimus Pad has gone on sale in Carphone Warehouse for £749.99. This is, frankly, a ludicrous pricetag. You should laugh all the way to the shop nextdoor that’s selling the £379 Asus Eee Pad Transformer.

PRO:

• Android 3.0 works a treat
• It’s quick and responsive
• Records 3D video
• Plenty of options and help for recording 3D
• 5MP stills camera is good
• Polaris Office included

CON:

• Ludicrously expensive
• It’s fat and heavy
• No 3D screen
• Still not many Android 3.0 apps
• Plasticky build