Well, that was fast. LG inadvertently outed a G-Pad tablet that would be getting the Google Play Edition treatment earlier today, and Google has just followed up with a confirmation, a price tag ($349) and another device to add to the mix. Sony’s $649 Z Ultra is also available in the Google Play store, much to the chagrin of rumormongers who have long claimed that Sony would soon get a crack at crafting a Nexus device.
Alas, global gadget fiends won’t be able to join in the fun just yet — like the Google Play Edition HTC One and Galaxy S 4 before it, these devices aren’t yet slated for an international launch.
The spec sheet on the G Pad 8.3 hasn’t changed since last we saw it, but the announcement of the Sony Z Ultra was largely unexpected. If that name sounds mildly familiar, it’s because the X Ultra is a lightly modified version of the Xperia Z Ultra smartphone that debuted to positive critical feedback earlier this year. The exclusion of the Xperia branding is honestly a little confusing though — it’s not like the brand couldn’t use a publicity boost in the United States, and Samsung’s Galaxy moniker is still slapped on its Google Play Edition phone.
This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.
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