You could call it Samsung’s “Goldilocks device.” It’s not too small. It’s not too big. It’s just right – at least that’s what Samsung is hoping.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 fits nicely into Samsung’s lineup of smartphones and tablets. It’s a bit bigger than the Galaxy Note II at 5.5-inches and a bit smaller than that Galaxy Tab at 10.1 inches. It’s a perfect size to hold in one hand and write on with that S-pen.
Related Story: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 takes on iPad mini
Samsung’s stylus remains a focus for this latest addition to the Galaxy Note family. Samsung offers its own app store offering different ways to use the stylus. You can scribble down a memo, or make annotations on top of a screenshot, image, or PDF. The S-pen fits neatly into the tablet when you’re not using it.
Samsung’s smartphones have been compared to Apple’s iPhone in the past. This tablet also has an Apple counterpoint, the iPad mini. The Note 8 has an 8-inch screen size, the iPad mini is 7.9 inches. Samsung has offered 7-inch tablets in the past, but the Note 8 has a more premium build quality and better technical specs.
The Note 8.0 is a bit heavier and thicker than the iPad mini. But Samsung packs in a faster quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. It also offers expandable memory with a mini SD card slot, adding to the 16 or 32 GB included on the device. The screen resolution is higher at 1280 by 800. But Samsung’s screen is the same plastic found on the Note 2, while the iPad mini has a glass screen. The Note 8 also has a plastic body, while the iPad mini has an aluminum casing.
Samsung offers an addition to Android called Dual View Mode. It lets you view more than one app at a time on your tablet screen.
Another interesting feature of the Note 8 is an RF port. Used with an app, you could turn your tablet into a remote control for your television.
Other countries will get a version of the Note 8 that allows for cellular data plans, and even calling features. But in Canada, just the Wi-Fi only version of the tablet will be available. No prices have been released yet.
