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The LineageOS custom ROM used to support just about every phone imaginable, but lately the project has been going for quality over quantity. Oreo (15.1) builds have to fulfill stricter requirements to receive official status, and now Lineage is dropping support for 30 unmaintained phones and tablets.
Cyanogen Inc. may be dying as a company, but the voluntarily-maintained CyanogenMod ROMs are still alive and kicking. Case in point: seven more devices are joining CyanogenMod 14.1, which is based on Android 7.1 Nougat. Six of these Android-powered machines have builds already up, but one doesn't yet.
Apparently, Artem has an LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition, or as we lovingly call it LGGPGPE, sitting somewhere on a desk or a drawer. I'm not sure what he uses it for, but I know that he keeps receiving updates for the monthly security patches on it.
Back in August LG announced new versions of its G Pad tablet in both 8 and 10-inch varieties. Aside from a couple of features like an integrated stylus on the former, they weren't all that interesting, just middling updates of the previous budget-focused models. Even when one of them showed up in the US for a little carrier-branded fun, it was met with a big fat "meh." The sequel to the G Pad 8.3, which was actually quite nice when it launched back in 2013, is likewise underwhelming.
Last month the LG G Pad 8.3 LTE on Verizon got an over-the-air update, but it wasn't the one you care about. That minor firmware bump provided LTE connectivity enhancements when moving between covered and non-covered areas. Exciting stuff.
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Before you ask, yes, this article is basically just another excuse for me to use Android Police's favorite device abbreviation, LGGP83GPE. (That's the short-lived Google Play Edition of the LG G Pad 8.3, from way back in 2013.) According to at least one Twitter user and, hey, my own tablet, the LGGP83GPE is getting its Android 5.1 update right about now. If you're running stock software, head to the usual spot (Settings>About tablet>System updates) to check for yours.
Sometimes software updates are not meant to bring all-singing all-dancing enhancements and features to your phone or tablet. Instead, they just improve on a functionality and make your gadget better. That's the case with Verizon's update for the LG G Pad 8.3, which kicks the tablet from VK81023A to VK81024A.
LG's G Pad 8.3 is, at least for the moment, the company's most high-end tablet available on Verizon's proprietary CDMA/LTE network. Today this carrier-specific model (VK810) gets a small software update to address one big user issue, one small carrier issue, and an outdated app. The latter is the Redbox streaming video app, formerly supported by Verizon, and now out of service. The latest update removes the RedBox app completely.
While owners of Nexus devices have been getting Android 5.0 updates all over the place for the last few weeks, Google Play Edition owners have had to wait a little longer. The first GPE device to get an over-the-air Lollipop update seems to be the LG G Pad 8.3 - or as it's affectionately known around here, the LGGP83GPE. Users on Twitter and XDA are reporting at least some OTA updates, and you can grab the ZIP file for a manual flash here (direct link).
Google added screen casting support to a select few devices earlier this year, but the wide rollout has been very, very slow. Today there are two new devices listed on Google's screen cast support page—The NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet and the LG G Pad 8.3 GPE.
Newegg wants to give you a good deal on the LG G Pad 8.3, as we posted yesterday. But strangely, they're giving an even better price to customers who peruse the company's official eBay outlet: $199.99, a full $25 off of the Newegg sale price. This is the same standard LG G Pad 16GB Wi-Fi model, sold new, and only available in black. Why eBay buyers get a better deal we couldn't say, but it looks like cheap things come to those who wait.
LG went a long time between tablets, but when they returned to the market with the G Pad 8.3 last year, they did so in style. This metal-clad tablet didn't have the latest and greatest processor, but it made up for it with a sleek mid-sized design, 2GB of RAM, and extras like a MicroSD card slot. LG has since transitioned to more budget-oriented models (not unlike Samsung's main Galaxy Tab series), but you can pick up the original for 4.90 at Newegg today.
I really like my LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition (or as we call it 'round the office, the LGGP83GPE), and it's a bit disheartening that the standard version isn't getting more traction. But at least Verizon's LTE model is now on Android 4.4, as confirmed by Google+ users. Verizon's standard upgrade page says that the KitKat 4.4.2 OTA update adds a few changes to LG's software skin as well.
Google officially pulled the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, Xperia Z Ultra, and LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition devices from the Play Store not too long ago. Since then we've seen a couple of them pop up on sale across various distributors. When an eBay seller offered the Galaxy S4 for $499 ($150 off) last month, we considered that a deal. Before that, Expansys USA offered the Z Ultra for the low price of $349, $100 less than what Google last asked for it. As it turns out, that latter device isn't alone. Expansys USA is selling the other three departed GPE devices as well, and all are going for drastically reduced prices.
Last month, we reported that the Xperia Z Ultra, LG G Pad 8.3, HTC One M7, and Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition devices were all appearing as out of stock on the Play Store for several weeks. Today, Google officially removed the Z Ultra, G Pad, and M7 from the Play Store, and they no longer appear under the Google Play Edition devices section.
Google took its sweet time updating the Nexus-style Google Play Edition of the G Pad 8.3 to Android 4.4.3, but it looks like they had a good reason. The tablet has been zipped straight to 4.4.4, and the over-the-air update should be going out now. If you're not willing to wait - and it might be a few days, considering the staggered rollout - we've got a link to the update ZIP file below.
Customers who want Android tablets on Verizon's admittedly excellent LTE network tend to have only a few options, but there are two more this morning. Flagships from both LG and Samsung, the G Pad 8.3 and Galaxy Note Pro (or NotePRO) 12.2, are now available as branded Verizon devices. You can pick both of them up on the carrier website, and they should be available at retail stores either today or soon after.
We received a tip last week suggesting that Verizon Wireless planned to release the LG G Pad 8.3 with LTE (or the LGGPLTE for short, differentiating it from the LGGPGPE) on March 6th. Today, that leak's been confirmed. Verizon has announced that the tablet will launch on said day for $99.99 with a new two-year activation, with this price lasting for the first four days of availability. After that, it will go up to $199.99.
The LG G Pad 8.3 is a capable tablet with a great form factor. The bummer when it launched was the price. It has come down a bit since then, and with a new sale at Newegg, you can get it for a solid price – just $224.99 in black or white.
Verizon may have taken forever to offer the current Nexus 7, but if this leak is to be believed, the carrier won't take nearly as long to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. According to a leaked internal document, the tablet is scheduled to become available on March 6th. It's not alone, either. The LG G Pad 8.3 is set to launch on the same day.