Develop Bugs

[Q] Would you recommend the G Pad 8.3

Hi guys, I am looking to purchase a new tablet (7" to below 10") and I am torn between getting the Nexus 7 (2013), an iPad Mini (probably my first Apple device) and the LG G Pad 8.3... this was brought about when I accompanied my wife and bought her a new cellphone the LG G2 hehe.
I am a little bit leaning towards the G Pad... if not for issues that I'm not sure are real... such as no App2SD option? And the lack of casing and accessories.
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Yes. I recommend G Pad:good:
App2SD will be available with OS upgrade (4.3 has it)
I have now rooted my G Pad and moved entire 7GB app data to external SD. It work flawless.
There are good cases also available. I got it along with G-Pad.
You can also see G Pad review videos on youtube, have see some good cases (I don't remember the name of the video exactly)
Trust this helps!

That's great to hear! Thanks for the post. I'm a bit hesitant to jump in due to the SD concern... Hmm, does the OS upgrade available off the box? or depends on area / location? Hmm, I used to root my devices... but since I'm busier now-a-days... don't have time doing roots. Yup, seen several videos but no "real" hands-on experience from people who actually used the device and not simply doing a review and had the device for a day.
Hmm, anyone who had both the Nexus 7 (2013) and the G Pad 8.3? To do a comparison?

I was my self just a couple of days ago trying to decide which tablet to go with. Can´t help you with Apple products because i will kill or destroy any objects in my house that is made by thiefs like Apple. Countless of hours went in to researching which one that would give me the most bang for the buck. I had my eyes on the Nexus 7 (2nd gen) since i do not want a 10.1 inch tablet. A 7" would do fine but i was naggin me that i was "only" 7". But when i got to the store to pick the nexus up i saw the LG G PAD 8.3. It had everything i was looking for! a screen that was a bigger than 7" and smaller than the 10".
The problem in the store was that i knew nothing about the LG G pad so i went home again to researh it! (CRAP!!). I found lots of tests both international and 2-3 here in sweden. They all stated the same thing which was that the LG G Pad 8.3 i very impressive.
I went back the same night and picked one up and i have now used it for 14 days. I am loving it. The Pad feels really comfortable and it feels "exclusive" with the aluminium backside. The cameras perform well both front and back.
Pros:
Fantastic screen
Fast and no lag (and i have not rooted it yet but i will to make it go even smoother)
Awesome size but i can still use one hand
Expandable memory
LG apps with for ex. Qpair
Cons:
Speakers on the backside sounds bad (although i can use headphones instead)
Cant find any accessories here in sweden for it and i had to import from ebay - 4 weeks shipping
I don´t know if its my battery that is optimized yet but the batterytime could use another hour or so.

On its own the nexus 7 is a great device, great screen, great software, great price. Place the G Pad next to it and the greatness starts to dissipate quite fast.
Ignoring the specs for one moment the G Pad looks and feels so much better, there is an air of quality not too dissimilar to the IPad. Of course the look is subjective but i love the white version and silver back.
The extra screen really makes a difference, everbody talks about 8" being the sweet spot, and for me they are right. The nexus 7 feels tiny now and i always feel short changed using it.
The nexus 7 screen does look a little sharper and brighter when web browsing but it is very close.
Generally the chips are not too disimilar, the Nexus 7 performs slighty better likely due to running a pure OS compared to LG, and battery life is much better on the Nexus 7, very likely due to the OS again. The LG will get better battery performance over time, either through dev support or software updates.
Add in expandable memory which should be a must on all devices and you have a winner. There is a very good guide on these pages for root. Its a 5 minute job and then you can move apps to sd in a flash.
The LG Pad population is growing quickly, it was slow to start, very little advertising and it was not pushed hard but word has certainly got round now.
Go for it, you know you want to.

-What is your budget?
-do you have a preference for either android or IOS?

I love my G Pad. The 8.3" is just the right size. Both for Notes taking and watching movies. Sadly I had to exchange it 2 times because of damaged display (not my fault), but the 3rd one is perfekt so far. My 4,7" LG 4X HD is so small when I worked with the G Pad for a while. It's really comfortable reading emails, browsing the web, reading articles, chatting. Playing games. And still mobile everywhere I go. I caried a A5 Notebook all the time with me, so I just swapped it for this nice device The big benefit is the Full HD Diplay, everything is so crystal clear.
Apple is just too expensive and I don't want an apple device anymore. There is only one button (I missed my "return" and "settings" button) and really a limit to what you can do with it.
Nexus 7 is too small and has these large brezzels.

G Pad is better than I pad because G comes before I in alphabets lol?

You mentioned that you didn't have time to root the phone. A developer who frequents this forum has developed a root method that will take about 5 minutes or less.
If you have enough time to load up the phone with so many apps that you're worried about app2sd, then you certainly have time to root the phone.
It does take some time to find a good case, but there are some out there. A few people have reported problems with their device and some have had to replace it, but it sounds like more people have had problems with the Nexus 7.
If you can find it at a good price, give it a try.

I just bought both last week and got my G Pad in yesterday. I will write up a longer comparison review when I can, but suffice it to say I'm writing this on my G Pad and the Nexus 7 is getting returned...
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I picked one up yesterday and REALLY like it. I've had 7" tablets (Nook Color), 10" tablets (iPad 3), and 9" tablets (Nook HD+), so this pretty much completes the collection with an ~8" tablet that effectively splits the difference between those. The thin bezel makes it feel much smaller than, say, the Nook HD+, but the screen is really only 0.6" smaller diagonally, so it's a similar experience with less heft. The hardware is outstanding with a beautiful display, silk-smooth performance, and even though many reviews say that LG has really modified Android, I'm finding it's closer to AOSP than, say, Samsung by a long shot. It's mostly reskinned rather than completely reorganized.
To me this is the closest thing to an Android equivalent to the iPad Mini Retina. Yes, it's slightly larger vertically and the pixel density is slightly lower, but when you get close to 300 DPI (this one is 273 DPI, I think), it's imperceptible to the human eye anyway.
I've rooted it, primarily to use Titanium Backup to restore from a backup I made on the Nook HD+, but also to use some apps like fullscreen+ to make certain apps like games and book/magazine readers run 100% full screen without the status or nav bars. I do hope LG releases and official upgrade to 4.3 or even 4.4, but this device is so smooth I'm not sure that's really necessary.
I have a 32GB microSD card that I'd been using in the HD+ that I'll put into this device to hold media and such, but even with every app I had on the HD+ installed, the internal storage is only 1/3 full or so. The stock ROM is way less bloated than, say, my Samsung Galaxy S4 where it's half gone before you ever put your own first app on it!
The main thing that's missing in my opinion is peripherals such as cases and covers. I'm accustomed to having dozens from which to choose on the other devices I've owned (except for the Touchpad), and I'm only seeing a very small number of cases/covers, none of which really do much for me. I'd love to see Poetic release a Slimline smart cover for this device! I love the one I have for the HD+.
Anyway, I give this device exceptionally high marks as hitting an almost perfect sweet spot in the Android tablet market in terms of size, performance, features, and price!

I have the Nexus 7 gen2, and my LG G pad V 500 is on its way Tuesday. But I've already played with one and I can tell you the 8.3 is the way to go. The form factor is infinitely easier to use in every regard. There's nothing negative I can say about the Nexus 7 2013. I absolutely love it but I simply don't need it now as it would be redundant. So I'm selling it to a friend for exactly what I paid for it and keeping the LG 8 inch. I also have a Nexus 10 for watching movies Nexus 4 for daily use. ... and Neptune pine on order through Kickstarter for what it's worth
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 02:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------
Lcwells,
Thanks for that advice! To those who don't want to root the device but still want to get maximum screen real-estate you can simply do what I do and download Go Launcher from the App Store for free. I use it on all my devices and I love it because you can take away all notification bars. Plus it's freaking awesome to use and does not slow down the device. Add pie control and you're all set.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:42 PM ----------
Scwells... sorry
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

What kind of results are you guys getting on benchmarks? I'm really interested on getting this device. I have a Nexus 10 that I've enjoyed for about a year now. Wondering how much more of an improvement the LG G pad is compared tonit. In performance. I'll be using this tablet if I get it for gaming mostly. Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

I've owned all the major tablets out there.. and I love this one. I've had every gen iPad 9.7", first gen ipad mini, both Nexus 7's, and the g Pad. So far, I'm extremely pleased with this one. Build quality feels better than the Nexus 7's, and portability is excellent. The case availability stinks right now (I do want the slim one, but they are not readily available, unless you want to spend a ton on ebay).
GL!

Thanks
Thanks for the reply guys. I'm sure I am not the only one who will benefit from the postings. I'll be getting the tablet next week - during my bday as a gift from my wife. Since she asked me what I wanted for my bday. Looking forward to do the 5min rooting... to be able to fulling maximize SD storage. Will also post my experience with the tablet once I get it. Feel free to continue posting advice or recommendations since I am sure there are a lot of people wondering what Android tablet to get this Holiday Season.

abdulm said:
Yes. I recommend G Pad:good:
App2SD will be available with OS upgrade (4.3 has it)
I have now rooted my G Pad and moved entire 7GB app data to external SD. It work flawless.
There are good cases also available. I got it along with G-Pad.
You can also see G Pad review videos on youtube, have see some good cases (I don't remember the name of the video exactly)
Trust this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted my Lenovo A2109 tablet but still could not move my biggest apps to my sdcard. Then I found out about the mount bind trick, where you redirect the system to a new directory. I moved my Google Newsstand, with 8gb of data, to my sdcard this way. Each time my tablet boots, it runs this command:
Code:
#!/system/bin/sh
mount -o bind /sdcard2/Linked/com.google.android.apps.magazines /data/data/com.google.android.apps.magazines
Basically, you run the mount command, with the bind option, followed by the destination directory and source directory. You will need root, but this will move even those pesky apps that the app2sd applications can't. Me so happy
---------- Post added at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 PM ----------
jjdevega said:
What kind of results are you guys getting on benchmarks? I'm really interested on getting this device. I have a Nexus 10 that I've enjoyed for about a year now. Wondering how much more of an improvement the LG G pad is compared tonit. In performance. I'll be using this tablet if I get it for gaming mostly. Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to these numbers, the G Pad slays the Nexus 7:
http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g_pad_83-review-1004p5.php

I highly recommend the G Pad. Honestly, I have had a few Android devices (and the iPad mini and iPhones before that) and although I love the functionality of Android, I always felt that the iOS is superior in terms of user experience. Well after getting the G Pad, I no longer feel this way. Seriously, if all Android devices are at least as good as this in the future, I can think of absolutely no reason to go with an iPad or iPhone anymore.
PROS:
-Great screen: I've shown it to a few people and they have all commented on how nice it looks. The PPI may not be as high as the Nexus 7 2013 or iPad mini 2013 but unless you have a magnifying glass (i tried ), you won't notice the difference. As far as I can tell, the screen is very accurate and doesn't look yellowish or greyish as reported by some people. It's definitely better than a lot of the AMOLED screens on some Samsung devices which can look blueish or greenish.
-Tiny bezel: People complain that it makes it hard to hold but I've found several positions that make it quite comfortable. It also makes everything on the display pop out. It makes devices like the Nexus 7 look primitive by comparison (like an old television set compared to a flat screen).
-Performance: The main reason why I think it's on par with any iOS device. The interface feels buttery smooth and games and apps run without any stutters. People might say that most of the latest devices that run Jelly Bean are like this but I am really picky when it comes to this and unfortunately, most devices just don't feel up to the standard of iOS. With the G Pad however, I'd say it's 99% there. I've noticed one or two stutters sometimes when going back to the Homescreen but it's so minuscule that it doesn't bother me.
-Well placed speakers: IMO, the speakers are in a great place. Sure, when it's in portrait mode, they're both bunched up to the left but chances are, it doesn't really matter where the sound is coming from when you're in portrait mode. It's in landscape where it matters for stuff like gaming and movies. In terms of placement, you can't satisfy every position unless you stick 4 speakers in there like the Sony Xperia Tablet Z so I think LG's solution is quite good, especially since they're in a place that can't be blocked easily by your hands.
-Optimus UI: This depends on your taste. I really like the look and functionality of what's being offered by LG. I believe they have struck a perfect balance between style and functionality as opposed to just functionality (Stock) or just style (Samsung).
-Build Quality: This thing feels like a luxury device. It's tiny (without sacrificing screen real estate), has an aluminium back panel and the plastic they use on the other parts of the device feels as nice and solid as the metal parts.
-MicroSD support: Pretty much explains itself.
CONS:
-Battery life: It's not terrible, but definitely below average. I'm a pretty heavy user and most of the time, I have around 10% left after spending 12 hours out of the house. Your mileage may be different but I can say that this is the first tablet I've owned where I ran out of battery before I was able to plug it in after coming home. This only happened once but i'll definitely be bringing my charger from now on. Also, I noticed that even when plugged into my computer, the battery still goes down if I'm using it (although rather slowly). This also has not happened with any of my other devices which suggests that it uses quite a lot of power as opposed to having a weak battery (but I guess then they should've put in a bigger battery which would of course made the device bigger and heavier).
-Auto-Brightness: Unlike many people, I don't think the screen is potentially too dim. At maximum, it's as good as I could ever need on a sunny day. The only problem is that the auto-brightness is not very reliable because it tends to adjust to the dimmer side. It's not unusable but I would certainly prefer it if it was a touch brighter a lot of the time.
-Snapdragon 600: As I mentioned earlier, this thing is fast. But knowing that it doesn't come with the latest and greatest is a little annoying as far as pride is concerned and also for future proofing. But the competition isn't that great either (with the real exception being the iPad mini). The Kindle HDX has a Snapdragon 800 but unless you want to be locked out of the Play Store, I don't see that as a viable option at all. The Nexus 7 has an even older processor (although it seems to be able to punch above it's weight). At this price and size range, the only other option are some of the Tegra 4 devices like the Tegra Note but then you have yourself a tiny screen with a much lower resolution as well as a huge bezel.
Anyways, that's my take. Wrote a bit more than I was planning to but what can I say, I just can't stop talking about this device

vicstarman said:
I have the Nexus 7 gen2, and my LG G pad V 500 is on its way Tuesday. But I've already played with one and I can tell you the 8.3 is the way to go. The form factor is infinitely easier to use in every regard. There's nothing negative I can say about the Nexus 7 2013. I absolutely love it but I simply don't need it now as it would be redundant. So I'm selling it to a friend for exactly what I paid for it and keeping the LG 8 inch. I also have a Nexus 10 for watching movies Nexus 4 for daily use. ... and Neptune pine on order through Kickstarter for what it's worth
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 02:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------
Lcwells,
Thanks for that advice! To those who don't want to root the device but still want to get maximum screen real-estate you can simply do what I do and download Go Launcher from the App Store for free. I use it on all my devices and I love it because you can take away all notification bars. Plus it's freaking awesome to use and does not slow down the device. Add pie control and you're all set.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:42 PM ----------
Scwells... sorry
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly I see people using Nova Launcher but if you recommend Go Launcher instead of stock UI, I'll give it a try but how does one eliminate all the notification bars? And what is pie control?
I'm not a rooter, maybe I can get a friend to do it if it is easy and a 5 minute process but I feel many don't do it and we would all be interested in getting as much as we can from a device as possible without doing so. Whatever other recommendations you can make would be great! Thanks!
I hope more people try the G Pad. I cannot put it down and wouldn't have to except I rather have it charge while idle but then again that only adds to the anticipation of using this great device again ASAP.
As far as the Kindle Fire HDX? I'll take the G Pad anyday and I also cannot stop talking about this device either. So glad I tried one on for size!

100% recommend the G Pad. Smooth, fast, very little bloat, and very sleek.

Pie control: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jun.ace.piecontrol&hl=en
Takes the very best feature of the stock google browser (and the only reason I'm using it and not Chrome) and makes it functional for the main interface.
Mark

[Q] Other than CM

This phone is expensive, under powered, No external SD; 16 Gig internal no external SD card is the deal breaker for me.
The camera sounds interesting but I use smart phones only for casual pictures, us a SLR when pictures matter.
What does it have CM?
I used CM is the past now it never was that great because the people creating builds often had no drivers and had to reverse engineer the ROM.
I read this no a problem with Opp N1 CM edition? (drivers having the source code)
Do you think CM will be special for this device?

you must not buy special CM 16Gb version
buy as me 32GB regular and install CM vesrion of ROM
you will be happy !

AstroDigital said:
This phone is expensive, under powered, No external SD; 16 Meg internal no external SD card is the deal breaker for me.
The camera sounds interesting but I use smart phones only for casual pictures, us a SLR when pictures matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're that against it, then you definitely should not buy this phone.
- It really isn't that expensive though, have you by chance looked up off-contract prices lately? I'm not talking about the Nexus 5 or Moto G/X. Everyone knows about them and their price, but those are not the standard, no matter how much people want them to be. Look up prices for Galaxy S4, HTC One Max, Note 3, etc... This phone isn't that expensive.
- "Under-powered" is kind of a joke at this point in phones. It has a Snapdragon 600, which is plenty powerful for just about everything. Holding the top spot on some benchmark doesn't really mean anything for performance. How the device runs is more important, and I can tell you from experience that this phone runs fast and smooth all the time. 2GB of RAM is plenty right now. Android has come a long way in memory management. The Note 3 is not the standard at 3GB of RAM. It needs that because of how heavy the UI is. Loading up a phone with twelve thousand "features" makes for a monster of a RAM hog.
- No external SD will always be a controversial issue. Cloud storage is nice, but we can't all be on blazing fast 4G all the time with the ability to swap data quickly with cloud servers. You find ways around it though. I'm on the 16GB (note, not "Meg") and I usually hover around 4-5GB free at all times even with 3 full backups (stock, Omnirom, and CM).
AstroDigital said:
What does it have CM?
I used CM is the past now it never was that great because the people creating builds often had no drivers and had to reverse engineer the ROM.
I read this no a problem with Opp N1 CM edition? (drivers having the source code)
Do you think CM will be special for this device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The difference between this CM and other phones with CM is that this CM is actually approved by Google itself. This means that Google apps will come with it as it gets updated, and they will be supported by Google on the phone. Since Oppo is working with CM, this means that when running CM, you won't have to sacrifice features like you do on most other phones. The first-party features won't be lost, such as O-Touch, O-Click, knock on screen, etc...
CM will also be managing the builds directly. This means that it won't be like normal OEM skins and UIs. Instead of OS updates having to go from the company (Oppo) to the carrier (Sprint for example) to add in the features, CM will be able to build it all in-house. Oppo is giving them access to the data directly so they won't have to wait for Oppo to update the CM build with their own updates. This will create full builds that don't lose functionality, and they will also come out quickly to the users.
Sorry for the long post, but I ramble sometimes.

Harfainx said:
If you're that against it, then you definitely should not buy this phone.
- It really isn't that expensive though, have you by chance looked up off-contract prices lately? I'm not talking about the Nexus 5 or Moto G/X. Everyone knows about them and their price, but those are not the standard, no matter how much people want them to be. Look up prices for Galaxy S4, HTC One Max, Note 3, etc... This phone isn't that expensive.
- "Under-powered" is kind of a joke at this point in phones. It has a Snapdragon 600, which is plenty powerful for just about everything. Holding the top spot on some benchmark doesn't really mean anything for performance. How the device runs is more important, and I can tell you from experience that this phone runs fast and smooth all the time. 2GB of RAM is plenty right now. Android has come a long way in memory management. The Note 3 is not the standard at 3GB of RAM. It needs that because of how heavy the UI is. Loading up a phone with twelve thousand "features" makes for a monster of a RAM hog.
- No external SD will always be a controversial issue. Cloud storage is nice, but we can't all be on blazing fast 4G all the time with the ability to swap data quickly with cloud servers. You find ways around it though. I'm on the 16GB (note, not "Meg") and I usually hover around 4-5GB free at all times even with 3 full backups (stock, Omnirom, and CM).
The difference between this CM and other phones with CM is that this CM is actually approved by Google itself. This means that Google apps will come with it as it gets updated, and they will be supported by Google on the phone. Since Oppo is working with CM, this means that when running CM, you won't have to sacrifice features like you do on most other phones. The first-party features won't be lost, such as O-Touch, O-Click, knock on screen, etc...
CM will also be managing the builds directly. This means that it won't be like normal OEM skins and UIs. Instead of OS updates having to go from the company (Oppo) to the carrier (Sprint for example) to add in the features, CM will be able to build it all in-house. Oppo is giving them access to the data directly so they won't have to wait for Oppo to update the CM build with their own updates. This will create full builds that don't lose functionality, and they will also come out quickly to the users.
Sorry for the long post, but I ramble sometimes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am so excited to have it right now ...
but I have to wait for delivery !!

Replacing my Note 8.0

Hiya.
I'm thinking of selling my 6 months old Galaxy Note 8.0. As much as having really great specs for an Android tablet I feel its age, let down by a now mediocre screen resolution and ppi and a two-generation old OS.
My current choices are:
1. Nexus 7 - Not my best choice as it only has 7-inch screen and as someone coming from an 8-inch I feel its a sort "downgrade". Yes, specs are as good if not better than the Note 8.0 but its just small for me for viewing and gaming.
2. Asus Memo Pad 8 - Another choice with (I heard) good stereo speakers and that's all. Having only 1GB RAM (and all the rest of the specs almost identical to the Note) its not a strong candidate for me.
3. Acer B1-730 - Until know its not yet officially announced/released yet. Hearing of a 7.9" screen is encouraging. Discouraging to know it might just come out having a dual-core processor. If it has a quad-core, 2GB RAM then I might consider.
4. LG G-Pad 8.3. - My strongest candidate so far. Slates the Nexus 7 and Note 8.0 in terms of benchmarks, specs, battery capacity and screen size. My only issue is LG might not update the OS beyond 4.4.2; not into rooting so would prefer the real deal.
5. Lenovo Yoga 8 - A so-so strong candidate with very good specs but let down by the same screen resolution with the Note 8.0, 1GB RAM and an odd design. Like the very long battery life tho. Having a MediaTek processor might be bad choice in terms of gaming and app compatibility.
Any advice or comment please?

How about the xperia z2 tablet?
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Well, I'm in a mix as well. I gave my Nexus 7 2013 to my mom (for a reasonable price xP). I did that because it had a touch screen issue which I found terribly annoying. Look up "nexus 7 2013 grounding issue". Right now, I'm trying to decide over the galaxy tab 8.4 or the xperia z2. The z2 has amazing specs but lacks a bit in display. The galaxy tab pro 8.4 is ideal for me but lacks in a 32gb variant. At this time, I'm just barely holding on and waiting for any news on a nexus 8. Rumors speculate htc is making the new one (I doubt it) but nexus rarely fails at pricing and good specs. Good luck and enjoy your tab when you buy it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Gino76ph said:
Hiya.
I'm thinking of selling my 6 months old Galaxy Note 8.0. As much as having really great specs for an Android tablet I feel its age, let down by a now mediocre screen resolution and ppi and a two-generation old OS.
My current choices are:
1. Nexus 7 - Not my best choice as it only has 7-inch screen and as someone coming from an 8-inch I feel its a sort "downgrade". Yes, specs are as good if not better than the Note 8.0 but its just small for me for viewing and gaming.
2. Asus Memo Pad 8 - Another choice with (I heard) good stereo speakers and that's all. Having only 1GB RAM (and all the rest of the specs almost identical to the Note) its not a strong candidate for me.
3. Acer B1-730 - Until know its not yet officially announced/released yet. Hearing of a 7.9" screen is encouraging. Discouraging to know it might just come out having a dual-core processor. If it has a quad-core, 2GB RAM then I might consider.
4. LG G-Pad 8.3. - My strongest candidate so far. Slates the Nexus 7 and Note 8.0 in terms of benchmarks, specs, battery capacity and screen size. My only issue is LG might not update the OS beyond 4.4.2; not into rooting so would prefer the real deal.
5. Lenovo Yoga 8 - A so-so strong candidate with very good specs but let down by the same screen resolution with the Note 8.0, 1GB RAM and an odd design. Like the very long battery life tho. Having a MediaTek processor might be bad choice in terms of gaming and app compatibility.
Any advice or comment please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of what you listed are any better. As for screen resolution, I can't justify ppi and costs for anything below 10 inches. By the time you get around setting up a new replacement, there should be 4.4.x released for the Note 8.0.
So far having SD that supports 128GB, 4.4.x, digitizer, and Samsung versatility, makes the competition seem limited.
GT-N5110 & GT-N5120 - 64GB 633x on board, Status Official on SafeRooted OEM ROMs with Wanam Xposed and RootCloak. The only way to fly 8+ hours!
This badboy don't play with Play & Triangle away!

the only device that i can think of is Tab Pro 8.4
others kind of crappy...

I have got both note 8 and nexus 7 as for the screen resolution its noticeable I have reduced the icon size on my note so they could look a bit sharp. Nexus 7 screen is far better and the difference is there for someone who wants to notice. But I still love my n8 more for some reason
Sent from my GT-N5120 using Tapatalk

The problem with a Nexus 7 tablet (I had one for the past two years) is quality control isnt exactly top-class as numerous reports of hardware problems like speakers, buttons and the screen have been very common. And i also think its not an accurate description of a 7-inch tab as the on-screen capacitive buttons on the bottom and the battery/time/sound icons on top are occupying the real estate of the screen. So, I think its not a "true" 7-inch lne.
I want to keep my Note 8 but its two generations of OS Late. The ppi is again as I said its OK but its ageing. Samsung seems to be not listening to its customers when it comes to demand of updating its devices in the past 2 years which in my opinion is worth of Android 4.4.2 update.
The Tab Pro 8.4 is simply overpriced. I wont even consider getting that but if its under £250 for the base model then maybe I will.
For me the closest fight is between the G-Pad 8.3 and the MediaPad X1. If a Nexus 8 has been announced now I could wait.
Or I could wait for the 2nd-gen Tesco Hudl.

Kit Kat and SD
gooberdude said:
None of what you listed are any better. As for screen resolution, I can't justify ppi and costs for anything below 10 inches. By the time you get around setting up a new replacement, there should be 4.4.x released for the Note 8.0.
So far having SD that supports 128GB, 4.4.x, digitizer, and Samsung versatility, makes the competition seem limited.
GT-N5110 & GT-N5120 - 64GB 633x on board, Status Official on SafeRooted OEM ROMs with Wanam Xposed and RootCloak. The only way to fly 8+ hours!
This badboy don't play with Play & Triangle away!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I understand it 4.4 will limit our use of our 128GB SD card.
Apps can't write to SD card.
This is like Google taking off like Apple and because they don't like SD cards we are punished.
What is going on??

Shofar1 said:
As I understand it 4.4 will limit our use of our 128GB SD card.
Apps can't write to SD card.
This is like Google taking off like Apple and because they don't like SD cards we are punished.
What is going on??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it has been disabled, but if you root you can edit one of the config files to fix it or just run an xposed app.
No issues there... I will wait on 4.4.x as many of my apps still need some bugs fixed.

gooberdude said:
Well, it has been disabled, but if you root you can edit one of the config files to fix it or just run an xposed app.
No issues there... I will wait on 4.4.x as many of my apps still need some bugs fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I'm not rooted so I'm stuck.
2) more important is that Google is trying to control Android the way Apple controls IOS.
This is not good!!!

On a different matter....
Is there a way I can make the notifications on the screen above and the on-screen capacitive buttons on the Nexus 7 fully transparent?

Gino76ph said:
On a different matter....
Is there a way I can make the notifications on the screen above and the on-screen capacitive buttons on the Nexus 7 fully transparent?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why not ask on a nexus 7 forum?

I'm kind of in the same situation, thinking about upgrading my Note 8. I've got a Note 3 for my phone, and I've been running the Note 3 ROM port (which is pretty awesome) for a while now, so... kind of redundant. I've liked my Note 8 a lot since the day I got it, but the Note 3 just destroys it performance-wise. I've been getting more into gaming lately, and there the difference is particularly noticeable. Additionally, I'm sure many are aware that many games simply devour the battery. Yesterday I think I went from fully charged down to the teens playing The Walking Dead (really cool game and totally ideal for a touch screen vs. PC version) for about an hour!
Also, I have to say that having 32 gigs of onboard storage is incredibly nice. I've got a ton of apps including several GB+ games on each device. On the Note 8 w/ 16 GB, I have 38(!) app data files moved to my extSdCard via FolderMount. On the Note 3 with 32 gigs, I have more apps installed overall, but with the exception of maybe a gig worth of apps to external storage (I'm still on 4.3, so for many apps in app info there's a "Move to SD" button), everything is straight-up installed on internal storage with a few gigs to spare.
I almost would prefer a Tab to a Note, because if I have an s-pen, I'm super reluctant to install non-TW ROMs, but right now I find the new Note 10.1 to be the most compelling device, mostly due to the 3 GB ram (and the 32 GB storage). I'd find the Tab Pro 8.4 much more compelling if only a 32 GB version was available. Anyways, I took a look at Swappa and it looks like there are new Note 10.1's for pretty reasonable prices. I just wish the Nexus 8 was more than vapor-ware at the moment, but I think I'll have to wait until some solid information emerges before making any final upgrade decisions (external SD port PLEASE!)

Thinking of buying a ZenFone 2 to replace my old Nexus 5

Hi everyone,
I currently have the 2013 Nexus 5, and am looking to replace it as the battery is dying.
I have a budget of £250 max, but would like to spend less.
the 32GB, 4GB - ram ZE551ML is now down to £178.95 at Simply Electronics
http://www.simplyelectronics.net/mainproduct.php?pid=27003&sd=specs
but I have a few questions:
1. Which version of Android is it currently on (officially, eg. without flashing) and do you think it will see 6.0 if it hasnt already got it?
2. Is most/all of the bloatware it comes with uninstallable?
3. Would you still buy it/ are you still happy with your ZenFone 2?
4. Whats the build quality like? and common problems?
thanks a lot

CarsnGadgets said:
Hi everyone,
I currently have the 2013 Nexus 5, and am looking to replace it as the battery is dying.
I have a budget of £250 max, but would like to spend less.
the 32GB, 4GB - ram ZE551ML is now down to £178.95 at Simply Electronics
http://www.simplyelectronics.net/mainproduct.php?pid=27003&sd=specs
but I have a few questions:
1. Which version of Android is it currently on (officially, eg. without flashing) and do you think it will see 6.0 if it hasnt already got it?
2. Is most/all of the bloatware it comes with uninstallable?
3. Would you still buy it/ are you still happy with your ZenFone 2?
4. Whats the build quality like? and common problems?
thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Lollipop 5.0, and yes its confirmed we are getting official Marshmallow 6.0.
2. Almost all except the ASUS apps and Clean Master.
3. Yup, typing from it and have to say 6 months in and still a happy camper
4. Build quality is pretty solid but my unit's back cover creaks a bit at times. Some common problems I've noticed are:
(i) Gorilla Glass 3 is prone to scratches on some units.
(ii) The screen goes unresponsive.
(iii) The loudspeaker just dies apparently.
(iv) The rear Camera lens is prone to scratches.
Thats pretty much it. Hope this helped!

Another happy 6 months Zenfone 2 owner. I have had no problems with it at all.
I was looking at the 32gb version when I was considering buying my Zenfone, but with the price difference between it and the higher spec 64gb version being under £30 at the time, I bought the 64gb version.

6 minths for me too and still happy with my purchase. 4gb/64gb version.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app

Same here! Work like a charm.
Enviado desde mi ASUS_Z00AD mediante Tapatalk

Don't do it. I considered upgrading from the zenfone 2 to a nexus 5

MMS has issues and ASUS support is horrible.

8 months in and I'm extremely satisfied. You won't regret it.

I came from a nexus 5 and couldn't be happier. On the nexus 5 I used my own custom build of cm12 and talked nicely. I believe the zenfone runs circles around the nexus 5.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app

Camera is struggling at dark and night and low light conditions, Bluetooth pairing gives me hard time with my Ford Figo. otherwise extremely happy with phone, super smooth , fast charging, loud speaker etc... good phone for a little money you will pay.

I come from the Nexus 4, the build quality is good but not as great but then again the N4 was all glass while the N5 is mostly plastic like the ZF2.
Power-wise this phone is a beast, I have never ever had to close anything due to low RAM.
The only real problem with this phone is software, its stuck in 5.0 not even 5.1 and ROM support is nowhere near Nexus levels so don't expect to be able to choose from a number of projects. Again if you don't care about custom ROMs no problem, but if you're really into that like a lot of us Nexus users are then you're not gonna like this phone.
My hope is that a stable CM13 will change this and we will have other ROMs based off it as well, but then again I had this phone almost since launch and the waiting sucks.

MGREX said:
The only real problem with this phone is software, its stuck in 5.0 not even 5.1 and ROM support is nowhere near Nexus levels so don't expect to be able to choose from a number of projects. Again if you don't care about custom ROMs no problem, but if you're really into that like a lot of us Nexus users are then you're not gonna like this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose compared to nexuses there aren't as many ROMs, but there are still plenty of them available, including an AOSP ROM, which I can personally vouch for.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00A using Tapatalk

TOT_tomdora said:
I suppose compared to nexuses there aren't as many ROMs, but there are still plenty of them available, including an AOSP ROM, which I can personally vouch for.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there are a lot of ROMs available, I see a few people complaint about the battery life, however mine been great, just install cm13, running great so far

i came from the red/orange google play store nexus 5, the zenfone has better battery life and is much snappier. signal i think might be a tiny bit lower than the nex5 but then again cant confirm that since i dont drop calls or anything like that.
camera is better than the nex5 but then again the nex 5 camera is horrible so thats not saying much, the earpiece call quality and volume is great, but the speakerphone isnt as loud as i would like.
if i could do it over i would still do it. i have been nothing but satisfied with the phone. and if i could change anything about the phone it would only be that it didnt have hardware buttons on the bottom and that they were software buttons instead.
also i should mention im using the cheaper varient of the zenfone "1.8ghz 2gb ram" and its better than the nex5 in every aspect.

I also moved from the N5 to Z2 and I much prefer the Z2 now. When I first got it, I was ratty with the amount of bloat. The latest cm13 nightly is pure bliss to use and I have no worries running it daily, considering I work 'on standby' and need to be able to receive phone calls at pretty much anytime first time.

I'm in the same situation but contemplating the LG G3, especially because the camera in the ZF2 doesn't seem to be as good and doesnt have OIS.
Also the size (G3 is slightly smaller and lighter), better screen, infrared (it could be very useful for me, I travel a lot and wouldn't have to deal with crappy dirty remotes anywhere).
Let's wait and see, my nexus 5 will be back from the hospital tomorrow (dead or alive, I still don't know).
ps.: Oh, and removable battery!

agithegreat said:
I also moved from the N5 to Z2 and I much prefer the Z2 now. When I first got it, I was ratty with the amount of bloat. The latest cm13 nightly is pure bliss to use and I have no worries running it daily, considering I work 'on standby' and need to be able to receive phone calls at pretty much anytime first time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I have been having some first world problems with CM13. The most obvious being it cannot run .gifv and .webm in my browser. Can you confirm or deny this?

Would you still buy a gpad 8.3?

I'm planning to buy a small tablet. All I need is good display, good audio,good size and possibility to unlock root and find community support, that cost no more than 150 € second hand. I owned all the nexus , 7 2012 is too slow for those days .Nexus 7 2013 is still great for what I need, but sadly has an engineering defect that makes the touch degradate and presenting ghost touches and dead areas ( I had two of this) . Nexus 10 is a little too big and a little bit slower than nexus 7 2013 . Nexus 9 and pixel c too costly
The other only similar choose that comes to mind is the Xiaomi mipad (first model)
Do you think gpad is ok for me? Is there any notice I have to know? As hardware common defects , problems on nougat ROMs . (Just read to avoid gpe v510 version)
Any help or consideration would be helpful

It is a good tablet, but I think I would rather look for something stronger. I see a lot of lags in LOS 14.1 and seems that it won't be better. Maybe some G Pad II or G Pad III, although I am not sure if there is some LOS available for these tablets.

wizzardsk said:
It is a good tablet, but I think I would rather look for something stronger. I see a lot of lags in LOS 14.1 and seems that it won't be better. Maybe some G Pad II or G Pad III, although I am not sure if there is some LOS available for these tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And this is exactly my problem , I preferred an old nexus 10 to any other 200€ range actual tablet . Because it's not so fast, sometimes lags , cameras are not working on 7.1.2, but I know that it is stable and decent for YouTube, internet surfing and reading. I don't use any graphic intensive game and only need a bunch of apps . I tell you this because I bought 3 tablets from Asus ,Lenovo and Samsung and tried many others from Asus and other brands with 2 gigs of ram , and no one can even reach the nexus 10 performance in the long time ( after some months) , they all goes from ok and fluid to sh** , Asus more than any other . I know what I do I'm a technician with a computer/smartphone repair laboratory , there were no bloatware or any background games present ,nothing, I even tried to debloat the system the most that I could . It's because all of this that I was asking

No way buddy.
Try the galaxy tab a 10.1 wifi 2016
I bought the tab A a few months ago and its really perfect for the money (around 189€ now).
Look at me for example.
Im here right now because i forgot to charge the galaxy for a week and i have to use the g pad now, so i already search for fixes etc..
It was a good tablet for 2013-14, but not anymore.

Axel85 said:
I'm planning to buy a small tablet. All I need is good display, good audio,good size and possibility to unlock root and find community support, that cost no more than 150 € second hand. I owned all the nexus , 7 2012 is too slow for those days .Nexus 7 2013 is still great for what I need, but sadly has an engineering defect that makes the touch degradate and presenting ghost touches and dead areas ( I had two of this) . Nexus 10 is a little too big and a little bit slower than nexus 7 2013 . Nexus 9 and pixel c too costly
The other only similar choose that comes to mind is the Xiaomi mipad (first model)
Do you think gpad is ok for me? Is there any notice I have to know? As hardware common defects , problems on nougat ROMs . (Just read to avoid gpe v510 version)
Any help or consideration would be helpful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't even think about it! SD card random dismount problem has never been fixed, and the USA version was never updated beyond Jelly Bean.
Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk

For what it's worth, I was still using my V500 for exactly the same purposes.
I wasn't on stock for long, though, having transitioned to CM12.1 and was fully satisfied with it for a long time. Of course I got the ghost touches and SD card unmounting issues, but a quick reboot would normally fix those.
Sadly, I'm here now because a recent app update sent it into a bootloop twice recently, so I'm investigating if my device is past its age...

As you should be able to pick up a v500 for something like $70, it may be worth a punt. I put Lineage 14.1 on the Mrs's v500 and its pretty good. The only time it really lags is when its woken from a long doze. Just bear in mind the screen isn't a patch on the Nexus 7 2013 as it has poor black levels and a yellow tint.
If I was in your boat, I'd also look out for a second hand Galaxy Tab S2 8". I bought mine a year ago in the UK for £190 from a CeX store so you should be able to pick one up much cheaper now. The lack of weight and screen of the S2 are amazing.

The S2 is very good for the money, though mine was $220 used, and my wife's v500(just bought it) was only $70. Right now I'm kinda wondering why I spent so much for the Samsung.
We'll see if I still think that in a couple weeks. But so far, I would say if you want a good cheap tablet, get the v500, and flash it with LOS. If you want the best used tablet in this size, for ~$200-$240, get the S2. Oh, and get the 2016 version. Not the 2015. LOS support for the 2016 is better. SM-T713 is what you want. The 710 is kinda dead, and it has been for a long time now.
But pertaining strictly to the OP, yes I would buy one today.

Because there is no other better LG tablet with custom ROM support, I think the best choice would be buying Google Pixel C.

Just a update for you my man, if you can, just buy the Lenovo P8 (don't know it's other names). It's a straight up update to the g pad 8.3, but if you still want it, buy the v500 man, it's a good tablet for around basics and intermediate needs

antharys96 said:
Just a update for you my man, if you can, just buy the Lenovo P8 (don't know it's other names). It's a straight up update to the g pad 8.3, but if you still want it, buy the v500 man, it's a good tablet for around basics and intermediate needs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or Nexus 9, I just bought one used on ebay for some 100 €

Maybe G Pad X 8.0 would be also a fine replacement, it support LOS, according to their downoad site.

Hmmmm.....
I am the user of lg g pad 8.3. If you will use the lg gpad 8.3 I strongly recommend you to flash LNG OS 14.1 on the pad.
OR FIND STRONGER ONE.

I wonder how do I use my old V500. I bought an older Nexus 9 and do not use V500 since then. I cannot use it as a video player cause it does not have a HDMI output. Maybe some video/audio player to kitchen, but it is not very usable without a remote. Any suggestions?

wizzardsk said:
I wonder how do I use my old V500. I bought an older Nexus 9 and do not use V500 since then. I cannot use it as a video player cause it does not have a HDMI output. Maybe some video/audio player to kitchen, but it is not very usable without a remote.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth mouse.

ze7zez said:
Bluetooth mouse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, I have one, but use it for a notebook. Also, it is not very suitable like a remote for a tablet.
I am rather thinking about alternative use for my V500
Btw, happy new year, everyone.

wizzardsk said:
(...) Also, it is not very suitable like a remote for a tablet.
(...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bluetooth remote controller

wizzardsk said:
Or Nexus 9, I just bought one used on ebay for some 100 €
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to totally disagree with this. The Nexus 9 is by far the worst Android device I've ever experienced. The v500 can actually hold things in memory where the N9 has to constantly boot them out due to lack of RAM. I've tried custom roms on the N9, custom kernels with tricks like zRAM but the performance is still way too inconsistent. The only solution for the N9 is sending it to China for someone to solder in another 2GB RAM.
If you can get a v500 today for the right money and the right condition, its still better than many cheap sub £100/$130 tablets that are kicking around. LOS is needed though.

Masteryates said:
Have to totally disagree with this. The Nexus 9 is by far the worst Android device I've ever experienced. The v500 can actually hold things in memory where the N9 has to constantly boot them out due to lack of RAM. I've tried custom roms on the N9, custom kernels with tricks like zRAM but the performance is still way too inconsistent. The only solution for the N9 is sending it to China for someone to solder in another 2GB RAM.
If you can get a v500 today for the right money and the right condition, its still better than many cheap sub £100/$130 tablets that are kicking around. LOS is needed though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not agree. I use Nexus 9 now with LOS 15.1 and it runs much better than v500, of course. Maybe It could be a little faster, but anyway it is very good. Only the battery seems to be weaker than v500 has, it discharges a little faster.

wizzardsk said:
I do not agree. I use Nexus 9 now with LOS 15.1 and it runs much better than v500, of course. (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can not work much better because there is no LOS 15.1 for v500.