(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/note80619.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/samsung-galaxy-note-8-review/)
Overseas, it doubles as a phone. Here in the US, it's just a tablet with an S Pen onboard. For its stateside debut, Samsung's stripped the Galaxy Note 8.0 (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/23/samsung-galaxy-note-8-preview/) of the very HSPA+ radios that made it an 8-inch curiosity at this year's Mobile World Congress. Now, as it's primed to go on sale, the Note 8.0 has sobered up, combining a host of compelling TouchWiz software tricks lifted from its high-profile Galaxy mates into a more serious, along with a more pocketable size.
Its 8-inch form factor may be new, but the bits used within should be plenty familiar: Samsung's borrowed elements from previous products, including the Note 10.1's (http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/15/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-review/) 1,280 x 800 TFT display (albeit with a higher pixel density of 189 ppi). Meanwhile, the Note 8.0 draws inspiration from some Samsung phones (http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/08/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-review/), too, with chrome accents, a bulging rear camera module and a build that manages to be reminiscent of both the Galaxy S III and Note II. What's more, it packs a 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad (http://www.engadget.com/tag/exynos%204%20quad/) inside -- yep, just like its predecessor. It'd be easy to pass the Note 8.0 off as a comfortable retread; a Best of edition for the Note line. In a way, it is. But, Samsung's not so daft -- there's a cushy market for tablets as a second screen and the company knows this all too well. So, can it best the iPad mini (http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/30/apple-ipad-mini-review/) as the go-to, do-everything couch companion? Or is this $399 tablet more of a supernova for the Galaxy line? Follow along to find out.Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 review (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/)(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06534_thumbnail.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/5794015)(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06536_thumbnail.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/5794016)(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06539_thumbnail.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/5794017)(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06543_thumbnail.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/5794018)(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06544_thumbnail.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/photos/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-review/5794019)
Filed under: Tablets (http://www.engadget.com/category/tablets/), Samsung (http://www.engadget.com/category/samsung/)
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Via: Engadget