LG G Pad 7.0 review: Back at it

Retail package

The LG G Pad 7.0 comes in a small retail box that holds the tablet itself, a 1.2A adapter and a microUSB cable. Nothing more, nothing less - but for the price the G Pad is reasonably covered.

LG G Pad 7.0 retail package

Design and handling

The LG G Pad 7.0 has a very plain design without flashy accents. The one we had for review was the black one, but it's also available with a more eye-catching blue (or rather cyan) back cover.

It isn't incredibly slim either but we like the feel of the device in hand. The matte soft plastic at the back extends to wrap the sides of the tablet, which makes for a nice and comfortable grip.

The slate isn't too heavy at 293g and stands at 189.3 x 113.8 x 10.1mm - the kind of size and weight to allow easy and comfortable hold, single-handed as well. A direct competitor, the 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, has shed a few millimeters off in each direction but the difference will hardly be felt in actual use.

There're no hardware controls on the G Pad, the navigation keys are on the 7" screen and the only other thing to note is a front-facing camera above the display. There's just enough bezel to comfortably hold the tablet without making the screen look too small like on cheaper devices.

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LG G Pad 7.0

The back is mostly flat, subtly curved towards the edges. There're no sharp angles to dig into your palms and the flat surface is reasonably slip-proof.

Around back

Handling the LG G Pad 7.0 is enjoyable. It feels light and is comfortable to hold with one hand.

Handling the LG G Pad 7.0

The only real complaint we have is the location of the two speaker grilles on the back. If they were placed on the front you would get better-directed audio and wouldn't cover them up when holding the tablet.

Controls

The LG G Pad 7.0 has the power button way up on its right side next to the volume rocker. If you're using the tablet in portrait mode, reaching the button is a stretch, but in landscape it's perfectly placed above the display and well within reach.

Anyway, the double-tap to lock/unlock feature will save you the hassle. The G Pad 7.0 also offers LG proprietary Knock code feature, but more on that later on.

LG G Pad right side

The left side features no controls whatsoever.

The left side

The bottom of the LG G Pad 7.0 has the microUSB port for charging and PC connection. The top features a 3.5mm headphone jack, an IR port and the microSD card slot, which has its own plastic flap.

Top and bottom

The back is where the 3.15MP camera lens is, no flash whatsoever. There's a speaker grille in each bottom corner but there's actually just one driver inside so you won't get stereo sound. The thing is they're not perfectly spaced and easily covered by your palm when holding the G Pad 7.0 landscape.

We would have preferred the speaker grilles to be further apart and facing front.

The back of the G Pad 7.0

The G Pad 7.0 isn't as thin and spectacular as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S or as exquisite as the iPad mini. These are in a different league altogether. The seven-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is spot on though - that's the kind of competition the G Pad will be looking at - and cheaper tablets from lesser known brands.

The feel isn't bad either - it's just simple and inexpensive - without feeling cheap. It feels nice to hold and operate.