LG G-Slate Android tablet to offer Honeycomb-powered 3D and 4G thrills

LG has taken the wrappers off its G-Slate tablet, confirming a spring launch for the Android-powered slab. It follows a starring appearance by the device in a Korean pop video last week.

The G-Slate will initially go on sale in the spring through US mobile operator T-Mobile, running on its 4G network. While no UK deal has been announced, you can assume LG will be in similar negotiations with operators over here to get the G-Slate running on their (slower) HSDPA networks.

Specs were thin on the ground when the music video broke, but that's been rectified now. The G-Slate has an 8.9-inch multi-touch screen, which is 3D-capable. That's not the glasses-free display technology being used in LG's new Optimus 3D smart phone, however: to watch 3D videos on the G-Slate, you'll need 3D glasses.

The device has a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calls, and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video, and stereoscopic 3D vids. The G-Slate will also be kitted out with Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb software, and could thus be one of the first Honeycomb-equipped tablets to go on sale.

You'll be able to watch 720p HD video on the G-Slate itself, or pump 1080p video out to an external TV or display via its HDMI output. Processing grunt is supplied by Nvidia's dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2, and before you ask, yes, the device will run Flash. 32GB of internal storage is provided for all your video and music, while a gyroscope and accelerometer will come in handy for games.

While T-Mobile has only said "spring" for a US launch date, LG has specified March as the month the G-Slate will be available to buy there, AFP reports. We're hopeful that means a UK launch for the device this side of summer.

We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, here's that catchy K-Pop video again. Hands in the air, people...