T-Mobile G-Slate Review

Striving to grow their mutual relationship with one another, there’s no denying that LG is planning to bank a huge success with their line of new Android devices for T-Mobile USA – which inevitably would solidify their position with the carrier. Considering that LG’s presence on T-Mobile’s postpaid lineup is still relatively new, especially when it was only last summer that we saw the first set of LG phones arrive on T-Mobile’s lineup, it’s going to be interesting to say the least how things will develop now that Big Magenta is finally in the game with an Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet made by LG.

Conveniently, LG manages to seduce the carrier to bring its tablet aboard, the T-Mobile G-Slate, thanks to its unique novel feature of being able to shoot high-definition 720p videos in 3D. Of course, it’s very easy for anyone to say that this is a brash move to capitalize on the 3D hysteria sweeping the tech world, but it’s nonetheless something that will keep it differentiated enough from the pack – for now. Meanwhile, it’s riding onto the scene at a time when tablet competition, even within the Android camp, is beginning to become fierce as each attempt to outgun the other.

Flaunting a sticker price of $529.99 with a 2-year contract, the T-Mobile G-Slate has the slight pricing edge against its closest Android brethren in the Motorola XOOM, but will its novel feature of shooting 3D videos be enough to warrant even a pique interest from demanding consumers?

The package contains:

• T-Mobile G-Slate
• microUSB Cable
• Wall Charger
• microUSB to USB adapter
• Product Information & Warranty Guide
• Terms & Conditions
• 3D anaglyph style glasses

Design:

Not surprising one bit at all, there’s nothing original about the G-Slate’s design, but when you think about it more, it’s rather hard to find much variety with the slate form factor of tablets. In reality though, it’s safe to say that the G-Slate is basically a super-sized T-Mobile G2x since it incorporates most of its design attributes. However, we have to say that it’s far more comfortable to hold than the Motorola XOOM primarily because of its soft touch rear panel and curved edges. Moreover, the soft touch surface does an exceptionally better job at keeping it looking clean and repelling the usual set of nasty baddies. Strangely though, the bezel outlining the 8.9” display isn’t uniform around, and instead, it’s moderately wider on the left and right sides – thus making it almost as wide as the Motorola XOOM. Regardless of that, its accompanying weight (21.87 oz) complements its overall solid build and exudes a premium feel in the hand.

The T-Mobile G-Slate is comfortable to hold because of its soft touch rear panel and curved edges

There’s no hiding the fact that the G-Slate’s 8.9” capacitive touchscreen is moderately higher quality than what’s used on the Motorola XOOM, but upon turning it on for the very first time, it’s instantly recognizable. Gladly accepting its 1280 x 768 resolution, it’s able to muster some crisp and sharp visuals that make it satisfyingly agreeable to read out even the most miniscule of on-screen text. Additionally, it exhibits brighter tones over the XOOM that make colors come to life and pop with luminance at almost every angle. And honestly, you won’t have to worry much in attempting to use it outdoors under the eye of the sun since its high brightness output enables it to still be visible in almost any condition. To sum it up completely, the T-Mobile G-Slate’s display is undoubtedly superior on so many levels.

Viewing angles

Color production

Unlike most things, the G-Slate’s front-facing 2-megapixel camera is tucked away in the upper left corner of the display – which works well if you happen to use it in portrait. In spite of that, it’s offset from what we’re familiar with and has an unusual perspective when using it in landscape.

The 2MP front-facing camera of the T-Mobile G-Slate

Taking a peek at the left edge of the tablet, we find its proprietary charging port, 3.5mm headset jack, speaker, and dedicated power button. Now even though it’s located in a convenient and accessible area, it’s a little bit on the flat side, but exhibits a moderate response when pressed.

The left edge

Oppositely, we locate an additional two speakers on the right side of the tablet that essentially offers stereo support if you hold the tablet in either orientation. Since the speakers are positioned directly on the outer edge of its bezel, there’s a tendency to accidentally cover them with our palms while holding the tablet in landscape – thus reducing its output.

On the right side are the two additional speakers

Similar to the power button, the volume rocker is rather flat, but there’s still a moderate response to it when it’s pressed down all the way. In addition, the microphone is placed nearby the volume rocker on the top edge of the G-Slate.

The top edge of the T-Mobile G-Slate

Meanwhile, the bottom edge lays claim to a few connection ports – which include things like the HDMI-out port, pin connectors for a dock, and microUSB port. Interestingly enough, you can use the included microUSB to USB adapter to charge other devices on the go; like your smartphone.

The bottom edge

Finally, count not one, but two 5-megapixel auto-focus cameras that are positioned at the same level to one another in the rear – with the LED close-by and the metallic strip separating the two. Obviously, the two cameras work in tandem to offer 3D video recording at 720p, but you can obtain 1080p for normal recording. Strangely enough, the packaging mentions that the battery is “preinstalled,” which, it turns out, means you’re locked out from getting to it. However, one of the sides is able to come off and provides access to its SIM card slot and manual reset button.

	The two 5MP auto-focus cameras		The SIM card slot

T-Mobile G-Slate vs BlackBerry PlayBook vs Apple iPad 2 vs Motorola XOOM

Introduction:

For the better portion of the last month, we’ve been toiling away getting comfy with some of the newest tablets to hit the market of late, and now that we’ve gotten a feel for all of them, it’s best to sit down to compare and contrast them all in one major showdown. With the Apple iPad 2, BlackBerry PlayBook, Motorola XOOM, and T-Mobile G-Slate all on deck waiting for their turn in the spotlight, we have to focus our attention on all of them simultaneously to better gauge how they differentiate with one another – and at the same time, what categories they excel at. Naturally, it’s rather hard to concretely say which one is the best out of the bunch, especially when user preferences come into play, but nonetheless, we need to look back and meticulously figure out which one is probably agreed as being the most balanced. So without any further delay, let’s get right into the thick of the battle!


Design:

Visually, all four tablets basically rely on the same foundations when it comes down to their designs, and none of them necessarily deviate from the usual slate form factor. However, we’re still at a gaze and really have to marvel at the design and construction of the iPad 2 since it embodies a combination of quality materials and attention to fine detail. Compared to the other crop, its remarkable razor thin profile impressively sets it apart, but it’s only marginally thinner than the BlackBerry PlayBook. With RIM’s model, we have to applaud it as well since it’s very sturdy for a 7-incher – while retaining a pocketable design. As for the two Android tablets, we favor the G-Slate’s design over the XOOM slightly because it’s more comfortable to hold and looks cleaner thanks to its soft touch rear cover.  Still, the iPad 2 clearly has the striking figure from the onset that will easily attract any prying eyes from far away.

Evidently, the screen size of a certain tablet will more than likely dictate whether or not it’s favorable to an individual, but in all honestly, the PlayBook’s quality display shines above the pack. Sure it’s the tiniest out of the bunch at 7-inches, but combining its iridescent color production, stunning clarity, and high pixel density, it soundly comes together to offer an unbelievable experience. Adding to its sheer prowess, the PlayBook edges out the iPad 2 in delivering the highest brightness output, which contributes in making it visible under the gleaming eye of the sun. Apple’s pride and joy follows closely with its 9.7” display, but you can distinctively notice its jagged looking on-screen text. Moreover, the G-Slate still boasts a nice looking display at 8.9-inches, but there is a slight yellowish tinge with its output. And lastly, the XOOM’s 10.1” display provides the most real estate, but it’s recognizable that it’s employing the lowest quality display because of its weak luminance.

Left to right - Motorola XOOM, Apple iPad 2, T-Mobile G-Slate, RIM BlackBerry PlayBook

Not something you’d necessarily think about, especially taking into account the larger size of tablets, we’re still presented with the ability to shoot photos and videos on the go with all four. In terms of sensors, both the iPad 2 and PlayBook employ fixed focused cameras that lack any flash, but the PlayBook manhandles the iPad 2 since it packs a 5-megapixel one as opposed to the less than 1-megapixel count of the iPad 2. Conversely, both the G-Slate and XOOM carry along 5-megaixel auto-focus cameras with flash, which is handy for macro shots, but the G-Slate has the novel feature of shooting videos in 3D with its dual cameras.

All tablets have the ability to shoot photos and videos

Top to bottom - RIM BlackBerry PlayBook, T-Mobile G-Slate, Apple iPad 2, Motorola XOOM

Turning on a tablet shouldn’t be a frustrating experience in any sense, but unfortunately, the PlayBook’s annoyingly small dedicated power button is a nightmare to press. Thankfully it’s not much of a problem with the other three tablets, however, you can bypass on having to press the PlayBook’s power button because you can still execute a swipe gesture from the bottom bezel all the way to the top one to power it on – sadly, there’s no gesture to do the opposite.