After Google released the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet, or Nexus 7 2, rumors of a Nexus 8 2 or a Nexus 10 2 have been incessant, as fandroids clamor for a 2013 upgrade to Google-designed hardware with larger screens. In a surprise move, Google instead released a "Google Play" edition of the LG G Pad 8.3.

This is the first time Google has opted for a "Google Play Edition" for a tablet, though it has partnered with other manufacturers like HTC and Samsung for the same concept, applied to smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

The difference with Google Play editions of smartphones and tablets is in the software. Google Play smartphones and tablets come with the top Google Apps, like Google Now, Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome pre-installed. In addition, Google strips off any manufacturer-specific layers, like Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense, so the Google Play Edition LG G Pad 8.3 will not feature LG's custom UI - which is probably for the best anyway, given how LG's Optimus UI 3.0 has generally been received by critics.

Without the manufacturer's UI, Google can get Google Play Edition mobile devices Android updates with greater speed, and the LG G Pad 8.3 will indeed come with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat preinstalled.

As for hardware, the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition features the same specs as the original, which actually look like a good stand-in for a Google-specific Nexus 8 2.

First off, the LG G Pad 8.3 comes with the kind of focus on display specs that Google put into the Nexus 7 2. It boasts an IPS LCD touchscreen with 1200 x 1920p resolution with an impressive 273 pixels per inch on the 8.3-inch screen, which makes it one of the best mid-sized tablet resolutions available. Also, the screen on the G Pad is slightly larger than the 8-inch competition, but LG made sure to slim the tablet's bezels, so it's still just as portable as the others. And despite its 4600 mAh battery, the LG G Pad 8.3 is less than 12oz. It's also only about a third of an inch thick. 

Other hardware features of LG's first manufactured tablet in a couple years include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset, clocked to 1.7GHz with 2GB of RAM. This is one of the better Snapdragon systems on a chip, especially for a WiFi-only tablet. Speaking of WiFi, LG made sure to include dual-band WiFi, which is the latest way to get more speed out of your wireless internet. There's also a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for web chats and a 5-megapixel camera on the back, but you really shouldn't take photos with a tablet.

The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition comes with 16GB internal storage only, but unlike the Nexus 7, there's a microSD card slot for up to 64GB more.

The Google Play store is the only place to get the Nexus 8 2 stand-in, and there's no word if the Google Play Edition G Pad 8.3 will be available at Best Buy or other retailers. Unfortunately, Google missed the big holiday shopping weeks, and isn't offering a discount on the tablet. It will cost you $349 for the pure Google experience on the LG G Pad 8.3, which is anywhere from $50 to $100 more than the regular LG G Pad 8.3, depending which store you find it at.