Hands on: The LG G Pad II 10.1 is a pretty big, regular tablet
Android tablets, like the Nexus 9 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, seem to be going the way of the 4:3 aspect ratio, but LG stuck with 16:9 on a 10.1-inch 1080p display. The result is a tablet that looks like LG shrunk one of its TVs. Frankly, it feels like it weighs as much, too; I’m in the process of reviewing the Galaxy Tab S2 and now that I’ve felt how light tablets can get, I don’t think I’d want a 10-inch tablet as hefty as this one.
It looks nice, at least. I like the purplish brushed-metal adorning the back of the G Pad II. I also like that the placement of the headphone jack is on the side rather than on the top or bottom. Too many times I’ve had a tablet that’s stabbed me with my own headphones because I was trying to lay in bed and watch a movie. The G Pad II 10.1 also has stereo speakers on each side that can get pretty loud, though I couldn’t hear a thing in the loud convention hall.
One of the G Pad II’s platforms seems to be productivity. The tablet is loaded with Microsoft’s Office applications and there’s a special Dual Window feature that you can access from the navigation menu. It only works with a limited selection of applications, however.
Additionally, the G Pad II pairs nicely with the Rolly Keyboard that LG also announced just a short while ago. The keyboard folds up into an easy-to-carry stick and, when you unravel it, it has pop-out holders for the G Pad II. It’s Bluetooth enabled, though it requires a AAA battery to work. I’m not too happy about that particular detail, since carrying around an extra battery for a portable keyboard is a ludicrous concept in itself. The keyboard is a little difficult to get used to. I liked the tactile feedback of it and how closely it felt to a laptop keyboard, but the spacing of the keys was hard on my fingers.
The G Pad II 10.1 isn’t a marquee product. It’s merely a slight bump to LG’s tablet lineup. I’m more curious about the fact that LG bundled in all those Microsoft applications like its competitor, Samsung. I’m wondering if there’s some sort of business-minded tablet on the horizon, or if LG’s just simply catering to the crowd that might want one of its brand of tablets. Otherwise, it just seems like another typical Android tablet.