LG G Pad 10.1 review

Home / Reviews / Tablets & computers / Tablets / LG G Pad 10.1 review

In the last couple of years we’ve seen reams of budget 7-inch tablets. And the last year saw a load of great 8-inch ones outed, including the LG G Pad 8.3.

But whatever happened to the good old 10-inch tablet? The LG G Pad 10.1 is out to offer people a decent-but-cheap 10.1-inch experience. It’s a low-cost alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1, costing just under £200.

You’ve got to expect a certain number of compromises to hit a price like that, but has LG made the cuts in the right places? We’re not so convinced…

READ MORE: LG G Pad 8.3 review

Back to basics

Tablets don’t get much more simple looking than the LG G Pad 10.1. Dressed entirely in black, it’s the sort of low-key garb people use to hide a bit of extra weight in the tummy region. There’s no such thing here, though.

The LG G Pad 10.1 is just 8.9mm thick and weighs 523g. That’s not too heavy for a 10.1-inch tablet.

However, aside from being quite thin, there’s little to show this is a 2014 tablet. Where more expensive new models such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 have slimmed down the expanse of bezel around the display for a more modern, streamlined look, the LG G Pad 10.1 still has a beefy handgrip on each side.

If you’re going to keep the tablet at home, you don’t need to worry. But it cuts into the portability a bit.

For a clearer look at what we mean, let’s have a little specs comparison with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. Even though that tablet has a bigger screen, it’s still a centimetre less wide, and 50g lighter. If you’re looking for something to use on the train on the way to work, you’d probably be better off with the smaller LG G Pad 8.3 or Google Nexus 7 at the price.

This is really a tablet to use at home, while vegging out on the sofa. Forgetting the fairly big footprint for a minute, the LG G Pad 10.1 is actually pretty comfy to handle too.