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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hands-on: First look

24 February 2013 | Read the review | Post your comment
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hands-on: First look - read the full textSamsung is trying really hard to fill every empty slot in the mobile market, so the Galaxy Note 8.0 announcement shouldn't be a surprise to many. The compact tablet follows the same design guidelines as all the other Samsung high-end devices...

 

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Are you sure that this device has NFC Support ?

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  • 2013-04-15 07:25
  • gKdw

> In reply to Richi @ 2013-03-17 10:10 from t}I1 - click to readI would like to know too which is a better note 2 or note 8.0

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  • 2013-04-04 07:42
  • jBuU

> In reply to man @ 2013-03-12 08:43 from Rbqc - click to readApple, "new concept"? LOL
Samsung have 7.7" since long ago. Why should the 'copy' Apple? Apple copy Samsung here.

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  • 2013-03-29 17:35
  • TXnN

nice

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  • 2013-03-17 12:34
  • upbx

which one is best to buy NOTE-II or NOTE-8.0 ?
...plz suggest me.

Thnk you.

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  • 2013-03-17 10:10
  • t}I1

Same old look... boring. Hopefully they change that plastic casing. I feel like im using something so cheep with my Note 2

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  • 2013-03-12 20:41
  • 0fSk

Before i loved my iphone then i realized that android is better so itried the galaxy note and fell iin love with it. Now i have the note 10.1 which can make phonecalls. It was kind of aekward at first carrying a huge tablet but i made it work. I just wish that samsung would just create a 7 inch version of the 10.1 and add a decent camera with flash on it. This 8.0 version seems like it is lacking the essentials. Samsung needs to think things through and not just copy apple as soon as they advertise a new concept.

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  • 2013-03-12 08:43
  • Rbqc

> In reply to Xionsky @ 2013-03-05 17:54 from TfX2 - click to readLol in-terms of price ?

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  • 2013-03-05 23:34
  • vV5G

> In reply to fadoobaba @ 2013-03-04 22:36 from QcR$ - click to readIndeed most world stuff are from Chinese made but you are forgetting something here.. Their quality or QC checker are make the differently...you can't compare high quality stuff with cheaper stuff..you can't compare Samsung tablet with A13 all winner tablet.

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  • 2013-03-05 23:24
  • vV5G

No thanks i'll choose the Xperia Tablet Z

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  • 2013-03-05 17:54
  • TfX2

I know you might have read my same comment everywhere, but cant stop myself! these manufacturers are using Chinese stuff same as local Chinese manufacturers and same processors, same RAM chips, same displays, hell there are 200$ Chinese tabs available with retina!! they are just looting us all with expensive prices! and Chinese tabs come in warranty as well!!!

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  • 2013-03-04 22:36
  • QcR$

> In reply to the_seba @ 2013-02-25 09:34 from mN}Z - click to readBroda you right. nice comments

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  • 2013-03-01 00:06
  • ftKb

I disagree with GSM Arena's comment about the Mali 400 supporting a higher resolution. It would really hurt 3d gaming performance if they used a 1920x1200 screen. Samsung is trying to make this an affordable tablet. There's no reason to make a top of the line 8" tablet when their competition is a very modest iPad mini with older specs and lower resolution than even this. They can see how we'll the iPad mini has sold, its sold better than probably anyone would have thought. They are trying to get in on the sales with tablets just as they have with their GALAXY S2 and s3 in the phone sector against the iPhone. They know what they're doing. I have an iPad mini and this looks like a very appealing tablet, I want the spen and I miss Androids customize options.

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  • 2013-02-28 18:29
  • k%Jh

> In reply to yousif @ 2013-02-25 14:12 from L1xq - click to readNo it's a higher resolution than the iPad mini. 1024x768 vs 1280x800 Galaxy note 8.0 is HD iPad mini is not.

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  • 2013-02-28 18:19
  • k%Jh

> In reply to Dom @ 2013-02-25 07:33 from Rbqc - click to readI used to agree about the bad cameras in tablets.
But as they are really impractical to use as photographers tools, I dont think high resolution cameras are all that important.
A led could be nice, though.
In a device like this, the camera is mainly for on screen applications, like taking pictures as notes, and maybe scribble on them, for augumented reality or video calls when showing something.
So full HD should more than cover those grounds, and 5 is even over the top, and with the lens sticking out like that, they should have gone for a smaller sensor and lens, with lower resolution.
Perhaps not full HD, but an unsual 1920x1920 sensor, and accelerometer/gyro support in the recording mode to make sure all videos have the right orientation.

(But sure, in a tablet, at least bigger ones that are often used on tables, they could put a bulge on the top, think landscape mode, and fitted a good camera with good lens, xeon flash and much better speakers, but this needs to be slim and light weight, otherwise it wont be as practile as a notepad replacement. In those tablet that bulge would give the tablet a nice sligly angeled working position on a desk, and something to hold on to when you hold it up in portrait mode, and it could hold an even bigger and more comfortable stylus. But really when would you take full advantage of that camera.)

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  • 2013-02-28 06:00
  • mhBi

> In reply to the_seba @ 2013-02-25 09:34 from mN}Z - click to readlets not forget that is this is supposed to be used for taking notes, as it comes in a handy notepad format, those are often made on light backgrounds, as well.

But there are higher end LCDs, so if they was aiming for the best, they missed, but I dont think they were, considering the old GPU/CPU combo, so lets hope the price is right.

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  • 2013-02-28 05:49
  • mhBi

> In reply to Anonymous @ 2013-02-25 06:33 from YcXC - click to readsticking to the Flyer makes no sense.
This has better screen resolution.
It has quite a bit better digitizer.
Better weight.
Probably better display, in general.
Quite a bit better processor, and better Android release.
A bit better battery, and as this is new and your old flyer probably has somewhat worn battery, that would problably make quite a difference.
Built in Pen holder.
This has calling capabilities, much missed in the flyer, especially since the developer unit had it.
Quicker HSDPA.
Bluetooth 4.0, for those acessories that you want long battery life on.
Support for 64GB Micro SD cards.
Dual band wifi.
Infrared port to use as a remote.
Better software suite.
Split screen support.
I suspect the camera is better, but not great.
I can't remember if Flyer had USB host functionality, but the Note 8 has it.
And it will probably get better software support than the flyer got when it was around.

Sure it is a little bit bigger, but better in almost every way (if not exactly every way, even).
You might not be able to afford an upgrade, but this is not a fail compared to the flyer, this is quite a bit better product, and will probably end up costing quite a bit less than the flyer did when it was still around (and not the shelf clearing sales).
If you ever liked the flyer, I dont see any reason to call this product a fail.

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  • 2013-02-28 05:45
  • mhBi

My comments:
The pertruding camera could have been made less pertruding, by going for a smaller sensor. In a device like this all you really need is full HD, that is enough for Augumented reality, video calling (showing things off), for picture notes (sometimes with scribble on them). Or possibly 1920x1920 and using accelerometer and gyro to make sure that the video is recorded att full HD in at the right orientation at all times.

The front camera should have been f/2.0, or better, or IR-light assisted for the best use of smart-stay and smart rotate, after all the smart rotate is usually used in bed at night.

The display, well I wanted amoled, but this is much of a notetaking device, and then light background is pretty much standard. It's size makes a lot of sense, as its usable as a notepad, certainly at that weight. The note II is too small for that, and the 10.1 is a bit big and heavy (even bigger screen and higher resolution could make a good working tool out of the 10.1 follower).

The battery is somewhat a letdown for a device at this size. But not catastrophic.

The CPU/GPU combo all depends on the price, those are good chips for a 1280x800 display.

Resolution of the display is not really that bad, this is a tablet, usually held at some distance from you eyes. And I have compared two asus tablets, one with 1366x768 and one with full HD at the same screen size, and full HD didn't really make much difference. So it mainly just uses extra resources, draining the battery faster. Nexus 10 and iPad retina are different things, there the resolution makes a difference, but still at the cost of performance and battery.

Micro SD and Micro USB with otg are great.

IR is practical, but I do wonder, if it has a receiver and programmable software so it can learn odd remotes.

Hardware keys are nice, they dont waste screen estate, but it would have been nice to see them repeated in landscape mode.
And why are the stereo-speakers in portrait mode? You will hardly notice the stereo effect that way, and your hand will easily muffle the sound. And when you do use stereo material, its usually a video that is watched in landscape. I doubt the sound is fantastic, so if you use the speakers for music its probably when the device is resting on table, while you are doing something else, and just want a temporarily solution, and then landscape orientation wouldnt be a problem.

Calling capabilities are great. And the earpiece is good for those situations when you want to answer a caller just to tell them that you have to connect your headset. I usually have a bag with me, and with a device like this, I could see my self using it as a phone and always have a bag with me, except for certain situations, when I can use one of my really compact phones.

it seems like a pretty good device, if it supports the new HRT audio interface/headphone amp, I'll probably buy it, even if I would never use it as a phone, and even if I get the Note II or Note III.
But I hope to see something like this with Windows on it, RT or 8, after all, rumours talk about ~7 incher Windows tablets this year. Having OneNote on a device like this, would be great. I also wish there was a 4.7-5 inch note like device runnint WP8, with OneNote. Personally I can handle the 5.5 Note in one hand, but I would like something a little more compact, if I'm going to partner it with a tablet at about 7-8 inch. But I could see myself using a trio of Wacom digitizer products, starting with a phone, for quick notes and mouse over functionality, and quick editing (onenote documents), a 7-8 inch tablet as a notepad replacement. And a 12-15 inch tablet/laptop combo device (to replace my current HP TM2 2190e).


For now I can only hope the price is right, but I'm a bit afarid it will be at the level you can find the Note II and the 10.1 at, and that is almost twice the price of the Nexus 7.

  • Reply
  • 2013-02-28 05:27
  • mhBi

Lol the design looks ridiculous. Soap again.

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  • 2013-02-27 13:25
  • 3ZH5

if this thing cost around 300 USD without contract.... i'll consider to buy one...

i have the first galaxy note... and then my wife galaxy note 10.1.. it's just too big for me to carry around...

while i'm still using galaxy note instead of upgrading to note 2..
so could be a good choice for me...

  • Reply
  • 2013-02-26 01:51
  • IVRS
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