LG Optimus Pad on sale in Japan: Has the iPad rival got what it takes?

Uh, yeah no word on when this Android tablet is going to hit the UK, but LG just emailled us to say they’re now accepting pre-sale orders and that the device will hit shelves on 14th March

The Optimus Pad has a lot of people excited as a serious rival to the iPad, though apparently LG’s other tablet device – the G Slate is even better. Still this one seems to pack the kitchen sink in terms of functionality with a dual-core chip and even a 3D camera thrown in.

Here’s Gerald’s look at the device at MWC 2011:

And here’s the LG write-up of the ‘pad:

The new device supports Honeycomb, Google’s latest platform optimized for tablet devices with an optimized and intuitive PC-like interface for running tablet applications. LG’s tablet runs on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor for unmatched performance and power management.

A departure from the trend toward tablets featuring 7- or 10-inch screens, the LG Optimus Pad features a unique 8.9-inch display, offering users one-handed portability with no compromise in viewability. The 8.9-inch display offers native 1280×768 resolution and 15:9 aspect ratio.

Enhancing the multimedia experience, the LG Optimus Pad includes an array of advanced features such as a 3D camera and Full HD 1080p video capability for starters. With dual 5MP cameras, users can for the first time capture images and video in 3D right on the tablet itself. The LG Optimus Pad also allows for easy transfer of 3D content to TVs, PCs and other devices via HDMI.

Anna Leach