Build and Layout:
Aside from raw hardware the unit itself is attractively built. Let’s take a look.
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As you can see the Le Pan II has a square 4:3 profile accented on the sides with chrome. Along the top edge you will find your micro SD card slot, hold switch, headphone jack, volume control, power button, and finally your charging/dock plug. As far as ergonomics go I would like to have seen the charging jack opposite the controls but that is my preference. Its’ current placement does make the unit easier to handle while sitting, I simply prefer the jack at the bottom.
What’s Inside?
Sitting at the heart of the TC979 is a Qualcomm APQ8060 dual core processor at 1.2 GHz. This is a Snapdragon S3 CPU and is RISC based with Adreno 220 Graphics and supports 1080p video encode/decode and stereoscopic 3D video playback. This playback is of course achieved through the optional HDMI adapter as neither the Le Pan II nor the Transformer we previously reviewed have a native screen resolution of 1080.
Judging by stats alone you might think the Tegra 2 is superior, but taking a quick look at video decoding and gaming we see a noticeable difference between the two. Surprisingly the Le Pan II has far superior graphics power via the Adreno 220.
Take a look at just how much greater.
Demonstration of Power:
While the demo here shows a greater than 100% frame rate difference between the two its not as apparent on the screen. Jump the resolution to full screen and the benchmark on the Asus becomes a slideshow while the Le Pan II stays at a very playable 27.39 fps. So even in full screen resolution the Le Pan II outpaces the Transformer’s performance at 800 x 480.
If you have any desire to use a tablet for games or video then the Le Pan is the obvious choice.
Which SKU is this tablet and hdeolr? You should put the sku the description.Thanks for the reviews, man you are rocking all these reviews out! Keep up the great work.
I gave the LePan 1 to my husband as a gift Christmas 2011 and we all run to his tablet first. It is amazing. Never had any problem and believe me we had no problems. I would highly recommend this over any tablet, even Ipad. My friends have different Ipads, especially Ipad 3 and she complains all the time about overheating. One paticular feature I really love: email. I set up all emails and with just a click, I mean only one click I can swicth to different emails and check within a tenth of a second. It is really quick. We are constantly checking emails and websites quickly for business and we love it. I suggest you purchase one and if you have any doubts, just return. Believe me you wont ever return it. I am getting 2 this Christmas, which I am hoping that LaPan3 is released by then. Gotta go, check some emails. Have a great Holiday that are coming up. Blessing to all !!
Im sorry that it was not clear. What I said was Q2 or Q3 of 2012. I will have the Le Pan Rep clarify the date again and post here.
Thank you for clarifying the scheduled release date. I guess I’ll go ahead and get the LP II.Thank you for your review.
Was wondering if LP III release date has been solidified yet.
I’m hoping to get a tablet by the end of May for a trip. Do you think timing is too tight to wait for III since demand on introduction will be great?
Has anyone been successful in upgrading II to 4.0?
Lastly, availability of II also seems to be limited. Any suggestions on where to purchase?
Thanks for your guidance.
On your video you mentioned the scheduled release date for the Le Pan III, unfortunately is was a little confusing, it sounds as if you say “two-two-two-three of twenty twelve.” Can you clarify the date and if that date is still on? This way I’ll know whether to get the Le Pan II or hang on for the Le Pan III to be released. Thanks!
For reading technical PDF’s the Asus transformer would be my choice due to the 16:9 aspect ration and the elongated screen size. For reading documents you dont really need graphics or CPU power only a readable screen. For that matter the kindle, nook, or other e-reader would work just fine and probably provide better battery life.
I am looking for a tablet for: email, web browsing, showing pictures, and some basic games–sudoku, angry birds, etc. What would you suggest? Price is not the only factor, but it seems that under $250 should work.
Hi, If I were looking for a tablet primarily for reading a large number of technical PDFs all the time, would the Le Pan III be a better choice over Asus transformer?
We will share your comments with the makers of the Le Pan series and see what they have to say.
I have owned both the Le Pan I and II and can confirm they are both great tablets except:
The broken promise from Le Pan that the Le Pan I would be upgraded to a newer version of Android ( They claim it is not possible even though an independent group of developers are managing it)
The lack of a cable for the HDMI. (Not much point selling it as HDMI out and then making it impossible to connect to anything through lack of a cable)
The false claim that Le Pan II has not been updated to ICS yet because Google have not released the source code (To put it in the language of politics this seems to be an untruth)
Unfortunately it looks like Le Pan is moving so fast on their release schedule they are forgetting about their existing customers.