Google announces the LG G Pad - the very first stock Android play edition tablet, along with the Xperia Z Ultra to its Google Play edition line up
Google has added two new devices to its portfolio of Google Play edition offerings, the LG G Pad 8.3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra. The LG G Pad is an 8.3-inch Android tablet while the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is a 6.4-inch phablet (a tablet with calling facility, can be used as a phone).
So what is all the fuss about Google Play edition devices? Well, a Google Play edition device, also known as Google Experience device or just Google Edition device, is typically a Google-authorized Android device. A Google Play edition device is not be confused with the Google Nexus branding, but it does run on a stock build of the Android OS, barring a few changes made to the OS that are hardware specific.
Notably, all Google Play edition devices receive software updates directly from Google, though it will be the device manufacturers who will supply the updates.
Coming on to what Google Play edition phones are available now?. Well, Samsung and Google announced a Google Play edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone at I/O 2013. Unlike the original Galaxy S4, launched in March 2013, it does not run on Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and software. The stock build edition of Android 4.2.2 was launched in June 2013 for $649 via Google Play Store.
Taiwanese manufacturer HTC also announced a Google Play edition of their flagship HTC One smartphone in May 2013. Running on a stock version of Android, it was released in June alongside the S4 for $599, through the Play Store.
From phones, we come to which Google Play edition phablets are available. Well, a Google Play edition of Xperia Z Ultra phablet was announced on December 10, meanwhile the original phablet was launched in June 2013. The Google Play edition version, which runs on a stock version of Android 4.4 KitKat, costs $649 on the PlayStore.
From phablets we move on to tablets. LG announced and released a Google Play edition of the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet on December 10, just a few months after the original debuted. Which makes the LG G Pad 8.3 the first and only tablet branded as a Google Play edition tablet. It runs on the stock version of Android 4.4 KitKat, available via PlayStore for $350.
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Finally, the availability of Google Play devices. As Google Play edition devices were for the most part created to cut carriers cost and get the latest version of stock Android for customers quickly, their target audience is the US. That is precisely the reason Google Play edition devices have not been launched outside of the United States.
To own a Google Play edition device in the US, you can check out Google’s hub (this link might not work with Indian ip) on the Google PlayStore, where you will find all the four aforementioned devices exclusively listed.