Android purists who feel cramped by Google’s Nexus 7 tablet now have a slightly larger option in LG’s G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition.
The tablet is now available through Google’s online store for $350. Just like the Nexus 7, it runs a bloatware-free version of Android 4.4, and it’s guaranteed to get timely software updates straight from Google. You can’t say the same about the non-Google Play version, which is currently stuck on Android 4.2.
Compared to the Nexus 7, the LG G Pad 8.3 has a larger screen, measuring 8.3 inches with a resolution of 1920-by-1200, and a more powerful 1.7 GHz quad-core processor. Both tablets have 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM, but the G Pad 8.3 also comes with a microSD card slot for additional storage and sports an aluminum chassis instead of plastic. It is, however, about 0.11 pounds heavier than the Nexus 7, at 0.75 pounds.
For tablets, the $300 to $400 price range is getting more crowded, with Amazon’s 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX selling for $379 and Apple’s iPad Mini selling for $300, or $400 for the latest Retina display model. So who’s the G Pad 8.3 for? It might make sense for people who are invested in Google services and Android apps, but find that the Nexus 7 is a little too small. Still, with the Nexus 7 selling for $229–and frequently on sale for $200–the LG’s extra screen real estate comes at a hefty cost. If you’re undeterred, Google says the G Pad 8.3 will ship in one to two business days.