You’ve got to check out the T-Mobile G-Slate full review we’ve got up from back when it launched, then it’s time to win one! This is the tablet, perhaps you’ve heard of it, that’s got a dual-core processor, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and two cameras on the back. What?! That’s crazy! With these two cameras you’ll be able to take fully 3D photos and videos to your heart’s delight, then share them on the internet via YouTube and Google+. Sound like your kind of party?

ALSO note that we’ve got another one of our FIVE tablets to give away – this time they’ve got a Asus Eee Pad Transformer to give away. Fun!

Now for the rules!

To win one of these fabulous tablets, you must:

1. “like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/slashgear.com
2. Comment on the wall so we can see you’re connected
3. If you don’t already have a G+ account, submit your email and name to Giveaway @ SlashGear.com so we can connect to you with Google+!
4. If you’ve already got a G+ account, add Vincent Nguyen (right here) to your SlashGear Circle and share with him and Public a message so we know you’re in!

If you do not have early beta access to G+, don’t worry, we’ll invite you when we get more invites to send out! Double win! Full rules are as follows:

Contest begins July 3rd, 8AM PST, and ends July 25, 2PM PST barring any complications finding winners. A winner will be announced every Monday (except for the 4th) here in the main news feed and at our official Facebook page.

WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their tablet and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear or AndroidCommunity.com! *Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Competition is open to residents of the US or UK over the age of 18. One entry per contest per person. Family members of Google and SlashGear/Android Community are not permitted to enter. Competition entries are only accepted via the specified SlashGear Facebook page; entries left in the comments section of this or any other post will not be recognized. One entry per person (and yes, we check). Winners of the July 2011 Android Community Tabletpalooza giveaway are ineligible to win the July 2011 SlashGear Tabletpalooza giveaway, and vice-versa.

The winners will be contacted by a SlashGear or Android Community staff member upon being selected and will be expected to respond to that staff member (it’ll be Chris Burns) ; they will be expected to respond within 24 hours else their prize may be forfeit and another winner selected. Editors decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winner agrees that their name and details of their entry may be used for promotional purposes by, but not limited to, NVIDIA, SlashGear, and Android Community.

Prize consists of five NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered tablets to be announced at the start of each weekly contest period, distributed between SlashGear and Android Community. One prize per winner. There is no cash alternative or any other alternative for prize winners unless this prize should become unavailable, in which case SlashGear and NVIDIA reserve the right to substitute another prize of equal or greater value.

Contest provided by SlashGear/Android Community. Prizing provided by NVIDIA. Any questions regarding this contest should be directed to Giveaway @ SlashGear.com

1. Apple suing Samsung
Apple Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Series Phones And Tablets
Samsung counter-sues Apple with 10 patent infringement cases
iPhone / Samsung F700 / Prada Phone Rumors Debunked

2. Samsung Galaxy S II Unboxing
Extreme Unboxing: Samsung Galaxy S II meets Rally Car [Video]
Samsung Galaxy S II Extreme Unboxing Roundup!

3. Amazon Tablet Imminent?
Amazon Tablet Built By Samsung Could Arrive By End Of Summer?

4. Amazon Cloud Failure
Amazon Cloud Failure Knocked Out Foursquare, Quora, and Reddit
Amazon Cloud Failure Going On Day Two

5. PlayStation Network Down
PSN down for unknown reasons, Sony investigating
Sony admits PSN hacked: No restore date in sight

6. Apple and Google’s race to launch cloud music streaming services
Apple To Release Cloud Music Service Ahead of Google
Google In Talks With Spotify To Power Android Music Service

7. Apple’s fiscal Q2 earnings report
Apple’s Q2 Sales Results Show 18.65 million iPhones, 4.69 Million iPads, Apparent Growth
Apple’s Q2 2011 Earnings Analysis

8. White iPhone 4
White iPhone 4 goes live at Three UK
Three backtracks on white iPhone 4 listing
White iPhone 4 in Europe from April 27 says source
White iPhone 4 In Retail Packaging Picked Up Early At Vodafone UK Store

9. iPhone 5
iPhone 5 a World Phone with GSM/CDMA spills Verizon
Apple Seeding iPhone ’4S’ Prototype With A5 Chip To Game Developers?

10. BlackBerry PlayBook
BlackBerry PlayBook Review
A Half-Baked PlayBook is the tip of the Firmware Nightmare
PlayBook sales “far exceeding” XOOM demand says analyst
Verizon Undecided About Carrying BlackBerry PlayBook
Hulu Blocks Support For BlackBerry PlayBook
BlackBerry PlayBook Firmware May Be Lacking, But Getting Updates Fast

11. T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate tablet and G2X smartphone
T-Mobile Confirms LG G-Slate To Ship April 20th
T-Mobile G2x Review
T-Mobile G-Slate, G2x and Sidekick 4G arrive in-store
T-Mobile G-Slate Review

12. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer gets US/Canada release date & pricing

13. HTC Flyer
Best Buy Pre-Sale Of WiFi HTC Flyer To Start April 25th

14. Acer Iconia Tab A500
ACER Iconia Tab A500 Review

Featured Columns:
On Stewart Lee and how Twitter ate comedy
Windows Phone: The Next Six Months
Is Anyone Really Surprised the PSP Go Was A Failure?

SlashGear 101:
What is a Jailbreak?

As we’ve said before, the G-Slate will have a starting price of $530 after a $100 mail-in rebate with two-year service agreement for current customers. Pricing for new T-Mobile customers starts at $630 with a two-year service agreement. You can also get the 32GB G-Slate sans contract for $750. The unsubsidized pricing is cheaper than the Motorola XOOM but slightly more expensive than the equivalent iPad 2.

Overall, this 8.9-inch dual-core Tegra 2 tablet has been gotten high marks for its specs but gets dinged on its heftier price tag. Make sure to take a look at our full review here. Unlike the Motorola XOOM, the LG G-Slate will come with Flash Player support out of the box. The 3D camera on board will also help to differentiate it, but is likely a contributing factor to its higher unsubsidized price. And it does come with a pair of 3D glasses.

[via Android Community]

Hardware

LG hasn’t strayed too far from Motorola’s example when it comes to the G-Slate’s core specifications. At its heart is NVIDIA’s 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, paired with 32GB of integrated storage. The 8.9-inch display runs at 1280 x 800, making it more pixel-dense than the XOOM, though it lacks the pop and super-broad viewing angles of an IPS display as on the iPad 2. There’s WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and HSPA+ 4G connectivity built in. Unlike the XOOM, the Verizon version of which only supports 3G at present, the G-Slate offers 4G support out of the box, though whether that adds up to high speed browsing depends on T-Mobile’s coverage.

At 9.6 x 5.88 x 0.5 inches and 22 oz. the G-Slate is narrower, lighter and a little shorter than the XOOM, though no thinner (the Motorola is 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches and 28.5 oz.). It’s possible to hold it with one hand, but the widescreen-aspect display makes for a long, narrow tablet that soon gets tiring, especially if – as much of Honeycomb is intended for – you hold it in landscape orientation. Build construction is solid if a little uninspiring: sturdy plastic rather than the aluminum of the iPad 2.

On the front is a 2-megapixel camera for video calls, while a dual 5-megapixel camera array on the back – with a single LED flash – supports 3D photography and video capture. In-between the two lenses there’s a flip-out metal kickstand, useful for propping the tablet up for video playback (though generally not at the right angle for standalone 3D recording). We often found ourselves smudging the rear lenses when holding the G-Slate in portrait orientation. Ports include microUSB and HDMI on the bottom edge, as well as contact points for the optional docking station, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left edge. Volume controls and a power/standby button are the only physical keys to be found.

Software

The screen may be a little smaller than that of the XOOM, but the Honeycomb is shows is just the same. As with Motorola, LG has left the Android 3.0 experience untouched, so you get the usual 3D-effect homescreen, tablet-scale email and calendar apps, tabbed browsing and more. We’ve reviewed Android 3.0 Honeycomb in full here.

T-Mobile installs a handful of apps itself, however, including a copy of Need for Speed Shift HD. The EA game uses the G-Slate’s accelerometer and gyroscope for control, and works much as we’ve seen before on the XOOM. There’s also T-Mobile TV, for on-demand news, sports, TV episodes and kids’ content; that offers a 30 day trial of the “premium” package, with the free offering being limited to some basic news and sports, and some shows for your children. Unfortunately, despite being perhaps the most obvious use for the G-Slate’s HDMI output, T-Mobile TV is the one app that can’t be mirrored in that way.

Finally, there’s Zinio Reader, for digital magazines, and a shortcut to Flash Player 10.2. Adobe’s software doesn’t actually come preloaded, instead there’s a link on the homescreen that takes you to Flash Player 10.2 in the Android Market.

The range of Honeycomb-specific apps in the Android Market is still relatively minimal, especially compared to what’s on offer for the iPad. We’re expecting to see a push by Google for Honeycomb development at Google I/O, but for now much of the software is intended for smartphone-scale devices and scales accordingly.

Motorola XOOM giveaway

Performance

With the same underlying processor, the G-Slate’s performance is pretty much on a par with what we saw from the Motorola XOOM. That basically means a reasonably swift tablet experience with a few frustrating lag-points. The G-Slate lacks the silky page transitions and animations of the iPad 2, but is still capable of admirable speed nonetheless. Need For Speed Shift HD is a good example of what NVIDIA’s chip is capable of, and plugged in via HDMI to a big-screen TV it’s a great gaming experience.

Camera and 3D

Like the LG Optimus 3D, the G-Slate taps into the current buzz around 3D with out-of-the-box support for three-dimensional graphics. Unlike its smartphone sibling, however, it’s not quite as slick an experience. The LG tablet has a twin camera array on the back, capable of shooting 3D stills and video, but lacks the glasses-free 3D display of the phone; instead you get a pair of anaglyph 3D glasses – the red/cyan sort – and a special playback mode.

In fact, the G-Slate supports two different 3D playback systems: used alone or with a regular TV, it’s anaglyph only, but with a proper 3D TV you can switch to side-by-side mode. That allows you to use the special 3D glasses that came with your 3D TV to enjoy the content, without the color effects of the red/cyan specs. You can find out more about the different types of 3D in our SlashGear 101 feature on the technology.

Still photos are solid if nothing to write home about, benefiting from as much natural light as you can give them. Indoors, the single LED flash is underwhelming, and there’s plenty of noise in low-light conditions. Video can be shot in 2D or 3D, though only at up to 720p HD resolution, and works well, though there’s some tearing with faster movements. Viewed in anaglyph mode, it feels gimmicky, the color balance affected by the red/cyan glasses. “Proper” side-by-side 3D is more successful: we plugged the G-Slate into a Samsung 3D HDTV, and the results proved surprisingly good considering it was a tablet camera. Nonetheless, we’re not convinced that 3D filming is something that most people will do more than try a few times and then ignore.

T-Mobile G-Slate 2D recording samples

Battery and Accessories

Despite being smaller than the XOOM, the G-Slate’s battery is almost as large: 6400 mAh versus 6500 mAh. That adds up to a solid day’s use or, as is probably more likely for most G-Slate owners, a few days casual use between recharges. We managed 9-10 hours on a full battery, a little shorter than what the iPad 2 offers but still a good showing.

T-Mobile’s retail package is relatively minimal, with an AC adapter, USB cable and a single pair of 3D glasses in the box. Pricing for the docking cradle – which has an HDMI port, USB and power – is yet to be confirmed.

Pricing and Value

T-Mobile is offering the G-Slate both with and without a two-year agreement: if you don’t mind a data plan, you can get the 8.9-inch slate for $529.99, while the off-contract price is $749.99. Three postpaid monthly plans are available, ranging from $29.99 for 200MB, $49.99 for 5GB or $84.99 for 10GB. If you’re already a T-Mobile voice or mobile broadband customer then those plans drop to $23.99, $39.99 and $67.99 respectively.

Each plan includes WiFi sharing for up to five devices at no extra cost, along with unlimited T-Mobile WiFi Hotspot use. On the 200MB plan, overage is charged at $0.10 per MB; on the 5GB and 10GB plans, there are no overage fees but T-Mobile will throttle data speeds and throughput should you exceed your allowance. Alternatively, there are three prepaid mobile broadband plans, either $10 for a 100MB week pass, $30 for a 300MB month pass, or $50 for a 1GB month pass.

The obvious point of comparison is the iPad 2, the 32GB WiFi + 3G version of which goes for $729. That’s $21 less than the off-contract G-Slate, and AT&T and Verizon’s no-commitment data plans are more generous than T-Mobile’s too. As for the XOOM, Verizon’s tablet is more expensive upfront – $599.99 on contract or $799.99 off – but can be used with cheaper data plans. Overall, if you opt for the subsidized upfront price, the cheapest G-Slate is $1,250 (assuming you’re not an existing customer) while the cheapest XOOM is $1,080. Still, you can’t share the XOOM’s 3G connection with the mobile hotspot app.

Wrap-Up

In a way it’s difficult to criticize LG for its decision to put 3D into the G-Slate. We’re constantly asking manufacturers to think about how they’ll differentiate their tablets from the iPad, and 3D recording is obviously LG’s push to do just that. Still, at the same time we can’t help but wonder whether dropping one of those rear cameras might have scraped a little off the unsubsidized price overall.

T-Mobile’s role is a little more frustrating. Compared to the data plans offered by both Verizon and AT&T (on the XOOM or iPad 2) the G-Slate’s packages look over-priced, even if you take into account bundled mobile hotspot service. Honeycomb’s remaining rough edges and lackluster app availability could more easily be overlooked if the G-Slate undercut Apple’s tablet; without that, the price becomes another stick, which will be used against the tablet.

If you’re already set up with a 3D TV, have a hankering to record 3D video, but only the budget for either a new tablet or a new 3D camcorder, the G-Slate does tick both boxes. If you’re not especially bothered by 3D, however, it’s harder to justify, and we’re not entirely convinced by LG’s arguments that the 8.9-inch screen slots the G-Slate into a “perfect middle ground” between 7- and 10-inches. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 8.9 is also on the near horizon, and while it will lack integrated 3G at first, that also has allowed the company to undercut the WiFi-only iPad 2. With no WiFi-only version of the G-Slate on offer, the $750 of the contract-free LG tablet feels like a lot to pay for 3D optics and a 3G modem you’re not going to use, versus the $569 of the 32GB Samsung.

Honeycomb still falls short of being mass-market ready, though it’s certainly full of promise. As Google has shown with its smartphone iterations of Android, it has no intention of standing still and allowing iOS to dominate the market. The G-Slate makes – with things like Flash Player support out of the box – a better first-impression than the XOOM managed, but it still lacks the general appeal of the iPad 2. A few solid firmware updates could address that, but it will take T-Mobile chiseling away at the G-Slate’s price before we could wholeheartedly recommend the tablet.

Related: Google Android 3.0 Honyecomb Review

Also inside this event will be a couple of musical groups, one of them called Dev and the Cataracs, the other by the name of DJ Chachi. Without a doubt this event is set to totally relax us in the sun with fine drinks and snacks, right? No way, man! We’re going to be scrambling with super authoritative skill to get you all the details you need to be informed first! Then YOU can do the relaxing for us.

What we’ll be seeing, again, if you’re not familiar with these devices, is the LG G-Slate and the T-Mobile G2x. To see information on either of those devices, simply click their name and you’ll be brought to a portal with all the information we’ve got on either. Quickly though, one of the most important factoids about both is that they’re packed with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core processor. That’s tight!

Seeya there!

Unfortunately, that agreement could be pretty expensive over the course of the G-Slate contract. That’s because T-Mobile is insisting not only on a data package, like with the XOOM, but on a voice plan as well. You’ll need to accommodate a $100 mail-in rebate, too.

On the upside, you get a 3D camera array, 1080p HD capture, HDMI output and a reasonably compact chassis that should be a little more bag-friendly than other Honeycomb tablets out there. More info in our hands-on.

[via Android Community]

Press Release:

T-Mobile G-Slate with Google by LG:

Powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the G-Slate delivers a premium mobile entertainment experience with a brilliant 8.9-inch, 3D-capable, multitouch HD display and the ability to record 3D and full HD video. With the new G-Slate, customers can access their favorite TV shows, magazines, games and more with pre-installed applications such as T-Mobile TV, Need for Speed SHIFT HD and Zinio eReader. The T-Mobile G-Slate will cost $529.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate card with a qualifying mobile broadband plan on two-year agreement, voice line and enrollment in EasyPay.

The LG G2X smartphone—also known as the LG Optimus 2—rocked its benchmark results on its pre-production unit running Android 2.2 Froyo. The G-Slate, LG’s bid in the tablet wars, will be a powerful Tegra 2 device that will be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb and sports some awesome specs including dual-camera 3D video capabilities.

TmoNews does warn that further delays are not beyond a possibility, and we sure are used to them by now when it comes to tablet devices. With Apple’s iPad 2 predicted to still rule the roost this year, its an exciting time to see whether these more powerful competing tablets can shake things up—if only they can all release on schedule.

[via Android Community]

You also get the LG dual-camera 3D video capabilities of course, though the G-Slate lacks the Optimus 3D‘s parallax display for glasses-free 3D playback. OS is Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and there’s T-Mobile HSPA+ support, 32GB of storage, an NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU and a front-facing camera. No word on release date, however.

[via Android Community]

Talking to TI earlier today, the company was at pains to highlight that it had been talking about – and, more importantly, working on building in support for at the chipset level – Full HD 3D support in its chips since the first days of the OMAP4, whereas rivals have come to those capabilities more recently. That means on Tegra 2 the ARM processor has to do the crunching, whereas in the OMAP4 it’s shunted to dedicated DSP.

TI’s OMAP5, meanwhile, will add in chipset-level support for four simultaneous camera streams, which will mean devices using it will be able to record 3D using twin cameras on both sides. That opens the door to 3D streaming video calls.

Video after the cut

While we weren’t sure about 3D on a tablet-scale device before – especially without a glasses-free display – the slick user experience on the G-Slate is making us consider a change of heart. You need red/green glasses, but LG has finessed in added controls to switch between twin-view, 3D and 2D previews, and the process of getting content from the slate and onto a big-screen 3D TV is thankfully straightforward.

T-Mobile G-Slate hands-on:

The rest of the UI is standard Honeycomb, leaving only the light weight, sober but classic styling and more compact display in the G-Slate’s favor. So much will be dependent on pricing, and T-Mobile isn’t talking figures until the tablet launches later this year.

There’s also 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth, along with GPS. The Optimus Pad runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google’s tablet-centric build of the open-source OS, and LG has wisely left alone and not modified the UI or software.

We’ll be grabbing hands-on as soon as we can, and putting the Optimus Pad through its paces to see how it holds up against the Motorola XOOM and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. LG says the Optimus Pad will launch in select markets from March 2011, pricing tba.

Press Release:

SETTING A NEW STANDARD IN TABLETS, LG OPTIMUS PAD DEBUTS AT MWC

Designed for Both Work and Play, LG’s 8.9-inch Tablet is Convenient to Hold with One Hand; Features Android 3.0, Dual Core CPU, 3D Camera

Barcelona, February 14, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the highly anticipated LG Optimus Pad at a press conference on opening day of Mobile World Congress 2011. With diverse multimedia and productivity features, the LG Optimus Pad features a unique 8.9-inch display for one-handed portability and uncompromising viewability, a departure from the trend toward tablets featuring 7- and 10-inch screens.

The LG Optimus Pad is powered by Google’s Android 3.0 platform and the NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor. The world’s first tablet with a 3D camera, the LG Optimus Pad wraps users in an immersive multimedia environment with Full HD 1080p decoding.

“With a flood of tablets hitting the market, we felt strongly that the LG Optimus Pad needed to set a new standard for what a tablet should be,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “We think the LG Optimus Pad achieves the right blend of portability and viewability with no performance compromises.”

The LG Optimus Pad also represents the fruits of a close partnership between LG and visual computing leader NVIDIA. “The world of computing is shifting under our feet,” said Phil Carmack, Senior Vice President of NVIDIA’s mobile business. “Tablets are quickly taking their place as our most personal computer, providing previously unimagined capabilities and full mobility. The new LG Optimus Pad uses NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 to give consumers outstanding levels of power, speed and performance.”

Easy Portability, Ideal Viewability

Sized at 8.9-inch diagonally and 149.4-mm horizontally, the LG Optimus Pad offers a sensible solution to other tablets on the market that are either too large for comfortable portability or too small for ideal viewing. The conveniently-sized LG Optimus Pad fits comfortably in one hand, goes anywhere and slips easily into purses and slim briefcases. With 15:9 aspect ratio, the LG Optimus Pad allows users access to the full range of applications in Android Market and its 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution vividly displays multimedia content in full widescreen format.

Powerful, Fast and Versatile Platform

The LG Optimus Pad is powered by Android 3.0, Google’s latest platform optimized for tablets which supports larger display resolutions and applications specifically designed for tablets, including Google eBooks, Google Maps 5, and Google Talk. Android 3.0 also makes the LG Optimus Pad easy to use with a more intuitive PC-like interface. The LG Optimus Pad fully utilizes the 1 GHz Dual Core CPU of NVIDIA Tegra 2 to deliver lag-free web browsing and quick app start up. The superb graphics and multitasking capabilities of NVIDIA Tegra 2 enables the LG Optimus Pad to run multiple apps simultaneously and handle rich multimedia with ease.

Haven for Multimedia Enthusiasts

As the world’s first tablet equipped with a 3D camera, users can capture vivid images and video with the LG Optimus Pad for viewing on 3D TVs using HDMI or on the web via YouTube 3D. Business users will also appreciate the built-in videoconferencing feature. With 1080p Full HD decoding, movie enthusiasts can transfer high quality content to their TVs without any loss in picture quality. Serious and casual gamers alike will delight in the wide collection of console-quality games available through the Tegra Zone app that runs seamlessly on the LG Optimus Pad.

The LG Optimus Pad will begin shipping in local markets starting in March.

The LG Optimus 3D packs a 1GHz OMAP4 dual-core processor and, the company claims, four times the amount of video decoders than its rivals; that adds up to double the graphics performance of its nearest, unnamed competitor. Of course there’s also the 3D camera and 4.3-inch WVGA glasses-free 3D display, along with DLNA and HDMI support for outputting to external screens.

As for the Optimus Pad (the European version of T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate), that has an 8.9-inch 15:9 1280 x 768 display and Full HD decoding, together with NVIDIA’s 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core CPU. It also packs a 3D camera, though you’ll need glasses to see it on the tablet itself, since the Optimus Pad doesn’t have a special screen like the Optimus 3D. We’ll be checking out both devices with LG tomorrow, so stay tuned for more on SlashGear.

Press Release:

LG UNVEILS PREMIUM LINE-UP AT MWC 2011

SEOUL–(Korea Newswire) February 13, 2011 — LG Electronics (LG) returns to Barcelona this year to introduce two new flagship devices at Mobile World Congress: the LG Optimus 3D, a stunning super-smartphone with unparalleled 3D performance, and the LG Optimus Pad, a true Android tablet optimized with Honeycomb OS designed to offer the full viewing experience of a tablet while still being easy to hold with one hand.

“I`m confident that this year, LG will emerge as a leader in the next generation of smartphone and tablet devices,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “What you see here today is just the beginning — we will continue to innovate with products that address consumer needs and deliver benefits that live up to our `Life`s Good` commitment.”

Aiming to aggressively take a leadership position in the smartphone market in 2011, LG has been earnestly bolstering its premium smartphone line-up, evident by its strong showing at CES last month. There, the company introduced the world`s first dual-core smartphone (LG Optimus 2X), one of the world`s slimmest and brightest smartphones (LG Optimus Black) and the company`s first phone compatible with 4G LTE networks (LG Revolution(TM)). LG products debuting at MWC 2011 build upon this spirit of innovation. Key devices include:

LG Optimus 3D

The LG Optimus 3D packs exceptional features with performance in mind, including an advanced dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory architecture. Equipped with a 1GHz OMAP4 dual-core processor and four times more video decoders than competing designs, the LG Optimus 3D doubles the graphics performance of its nearest competitor allowing users to enjoy superb performance while web surfing, running applications and enjoying multimedia content. In addition, the LG Optimus 3D provides the world`s first full 3D experience covering the full spectrum from recording to viewing and sharing 3D content. It features a dual-lens camera that enables users to capture any moment in true 3D which can then be viewed immediately on the 4.3-inch WVGA glasses-free display. Multiple connectivity options including HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) also make it easy for users to transfer their recorded content to other devices.

LG Optimus Pad

The LG Optimus Pad sets a new standard for tablets by utilizing an 8.9-inch display in a form factor that`s comfortable to use one-handed. With a 15:9 aspect ratio and Full HD 1080p decoding, the LG Optimus Pad offers users an immersive multimedia environment on a 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution widescreen display. The new device sports Honeycomb, Google`s latest platform optimized for tablet devices with an optimized and intuitive PC-like interface for running tablet software. LG`s tablet runs on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor for unmatched performance and power management. In addition, the LG Optimus Pad is the world`s first tablet with a built-in 3D camera, enabling users to capture vivid image and video content to be viewed on a high definition 3D TV or shared on the web via YouTube 3D.

LG Optimus 2X

The world`s first smartphone with a dual-core processor, the LG Optimus 2X was developed in partnership with graphics processor powerhouse, NVIDIA. The dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip found in the LG Optimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio. Not only does the LG Optimus 2X mean more powerful multimedia features, the Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and multitasks with virtually no screen lag. The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to Full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA-compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience, taking full advantage of the phone‟s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor.

LG Optimus Black

One of the world`s slimmest and lightest Android smartphones, LG Optimus Black is already a hit, having recorded more than two million pre-orders in 20 countries since its introduction at CES. At MWC, a range of special-edition LG Optimus Black handsets will be unveiled featuring designs courtesy of the Keith Haring Foundation. Besides its incredibly slim body, the LG Optimus Black features a 4-inch NOVA display for optimal brightness and readability under any lighting conditions. The crystal-clear display also provides a more natural web browsing experience by displaying truer whites while simultaneously cutting energy consumption by 50 percent compared to conventional LCDs. In addition, the LG Optimus Black includes a collection of smart features designed to improve the user experience, such as Gesture UI, Wi-Fi Direct and a 2MP front-facing camera.

For more information, visit the LG stand at 8B178 in Hall 8, Fira de Barcelona or go to the online newsroom at www.lgnewsroom.com/MWC2011.

Video demo after the cut

That means a proper look at the HDMI and microUSB ports on the bottom edge, along with the connectors for a docking station, together with the twin camera array on the rear. There’s also a brief show of the 3D playback mode in action, which confirms that it’s a basic anaglyphic system; LG’s bundled glasses will hopefully be a little more sturdy than the throwaway cardboard specs you used to get in movie theaters.

It all looks reasonably slick and pleasingly slim, though after news of Motorola’s XOOM costing $800+ we’re now more than a little cautious as to how much LG will be asking for its Honeycomb tablet.

[via Engadget]

That means an 8.9-inch 1280 x 768 touchscreen, NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 32GB of internal storage and a front-facing webcam. We’re also assuming the dual camera array on the rear – which allows the G-Tablet to shoot 3D video – will also be present, though we’re still dubious about how useful it might be.

SlashGear will be at MWC in a little over a week’s time to bring back all the news, and we’ll be looking forward to playing with the Optimus Pad ourselves. At 8.9-inches it’s smaller than the Motorola XOOM but larger than the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a potential sweet-spot between usability and portability that we’ve not had much experience with yet.

[via Android Community]

On-board the device will boast a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor which will power Android 3.0 Honeycomb, 32GB of internal storage, gyroscope and an accelerometer. The main feature of the device will be its set of on-board cameras. On the back, the tablet sports stereoscopic rear-facing cameras – one of these will serve as a 5MP still camera with flash for capturing shots with the device. On the front you’ll find a 2MP camera for video chat over T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and WiFi networks. Also supported is the output of 1080p video playback from its built-in HDMI port.

The device will ship “this spring,” but pricing has yet to be determined. But, if we know anything about tablets, we can expect it to be somewhere near the Motorola XOOM.

[Via AndroidCommunity]

It’s fair to say that Froyo – Android 2.2 – was never intended for tablets; even Google confirmed that. Back when we first reviewed the Galaxy Tab we praised Samsung for the work it had done on creating custom apps for the slate, replacing the native calendar, address book and other software to suit the 7-inch display and 1024 x 600 resolution. It went some way to disguise the feeling that the Tab was an oversized phone, certainly, though it was nowhere near perfect.

Still, we’ve seen a gradual flow of tablet-centric apps for Android, including some high profile launches from the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. They’ve targeted Tab owners and borrowed design cues from iPad apps to make the most of the resolution, carving out a 7-inch niche where even Google didn’t think there was potential.

However, to paraphrase Jurassic Park, just because we can, doesn’t necessarily mean we should. In the most recent SlashGear poll we asked readers to vote for what tablet screen size they were most interested in, and – as of writing – a full 50-percent of over 3,000 respondents told us they were looking for a 10-inch scale slate. In contrast, a little over a quarter preferred a 7-inch model, like the Galaxy Tab (or, indeed, RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook).

[poll id="4"]

Now, we didn’t ask for justifications of each selection, so we can’t say exactly why more people prefer a larger slate than a smaller one, but there are some common reasons we’ve been hearing since the Tab was first rumored. One is a basic preference for bigger-scale web browsing, with smaller tablets not perceived as offering a big enough leap in screen real-estate over a smartphone. Another is portability; while the Galaxy Tab can fit into a coat pocket (or even your jeans pocket, if you’re not a fan of skinny fit), how many people actually do take it out with them?

The absence of phone support undermined Samsung, with carrier wariness of potentially cannibalized handset sales leaving North American Tabs unable to make regular voice calls. Whether the target audience for an Android tablet – more likely, perhaps, to already have a smartphone – would bother carrying both around sapped some of the slate’s portability potential. We’ll have to wait until European sales and return figures for the Tab emerge, given versions there allowed for voice calls and thus it could fully replace a cellphone, to see what sort of impact that artificial crippling had.

Should Samsung have waited, or avoided the contentious 7-inch size altogether? It’s perhaps telling that, of all the big-name Android slates launched at CES 2011 last month, the vast majority had displays in the 10-inch range. Dell’s Streak 7 mimicked the Galaxy Tab, but with an 800 x 480 display that’s rightly being criticized in reviews; it also misses out on Honeycomb, at launch anyway, despite having a dual-core Tegra 2 processor at its heart.

The others – Motorola’s 10-inch XOOM, LG’s G-Slate with what’s believed to be an 8.9-inch screen – plumped for more direct iPad-rivalling scale, and indeed Samsung is expected to bring a 10-inch Galaxy Tab, with Honeycomb in its sights, to Mobile World Congress in just a few weeks time. From what we’ve seen of Android 3.0 so far, it’s a vast improvement over previous iterations when it comes to accommodating a big touchscreen. It’ll work on 7-inchers, of course, just like it will work on smartphone-scale devices, but it’s pretty clear Google had 10-inch tablets in mind throughout development.

We’ll know more after Google’s Honeycomb event tomorrow, where the Motorola XOOM is expected to take center stage, and with the Android team expected to outline not only what makes 3.0 special but the longer-term vision for the platform. Honeycomb on the Galaxy tab could well be the reboot the 7-inch slate needs.

Looking for everything we know about Android 3.0 Honeycomb today? Check out the Android Community Honeycomb User Features Preview and the Android Community Honeycomb Developer Features Preview.

Video after the cut

Still, that glimpse is enough to show the LED flash next to one of the camera lenses, here separated by a metal “with Google” strip as on the back of the LG Optimus 2X. There’s also a brief view of the ports on the bottom of the slate.

So, we can add that the presence of 4G and Google Talk support, but we’re still generally in the dark about everything the LG G-Slate will offer. Perhaps Enya will show up with one next, and tell us about WiFi and Bluetooth.

[via Android Community and via Engadget]

T-Mo asserts that those dates are now confirmed with the Dell Streak 7 Tablet coming up first on February 2nd for $299.99 after rebate and following with the Samsung Galaxy S 4G on February 23rd and the LG G-Slate rounding it out on March 23rd.

[Via T-Mo News]