LG G Pad 10.1 review: Inching along

Phonebook

The LG G Pad 10.1 isn't call enabled as there is no SIM inside. But it will allow you to manage your Google contacts through the Phonebook app. It has a split-screen view mode with the list of contacts on the left side and the contact details for the select person in the right pane.

You can edit contacts, add a variety of field to each person and add and edit groups of contacts, such as Favorites.

Phonebook

You can't call contacts but the G Pad 10.1 will enable you to write and email or check out a linked address on Google Maps and just about any other thing that doesn't require a cellular network.

We ran our traditional loudspeaker test on the LG G Pad 10.1 and it got a very good mark. You can find out more about our loudspeaker test here.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Microsoft Surface RT	61.7	60.2	64.2	Below Average
Asus Transformer Pad	59.3	64.6	67.0	Below Average
Sony Xperia Tablet S	64.7	61.8	67.1	Below Average
Apple iPad mini 2	65.7	62.1	72.3	Below Average
Google Nexus 10	68.3	66.1	67.8	Average
Apple iPad Air	67.9	65.9	76.6	Good
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5	70.1	65.8	75.7	Good
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014	75.7	66.6	77.2	Very Good
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 3G	71.7	73.2	75.7	Very Good
LG G Pad 10.1	71.6	73.5	77.5	Very Good

Email and text input

The LG G Pad 10.1 comes with two email apps - the traditional Gmail app and the LG Mail app. The latter has the added benefit of merging all your email accounts into a single interface with a unified inbox.

Gmail

It does lack in the design department, though. Gmail looks much more appealing.

Email

LG offers a wide array of typing methods, including split keyboard, voice recognition, handwriting recognition, and Path input, LG's take on Swype.

Keyboard

You have the added ability to raise and lower the keyboard to get more or less gaps between the keys. There's also a boatload of customization options, including a dark-toned keyboard, vibration when pressing a key, character bubbles on keypress, to name a few. LG can even update its word suggestion library, if you have the option enabled.

Keyboard

You can always go and install a third party keyboard but the provided LG one is among the best, most functional we've seen on a slate.