Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 8.0 at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) to a sea of journalists with their heads in their hands as they uttered the words, "it also makes phone calls". Let's take a look at its review....
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is essentially a larger version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, a trait that bizarrely makes the device feel more like a phone than a tablet. Good news for Samsung, given that the Note 8.0 is designed to be used as both. However we found the device far too large to be used as a phone, even with an earpiece or headphones connected, and struggled to get phone connectivity when we did put our SIM in, so went on to test the device as we would a tablet.
On paper the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 features an 8in 1280x800 LCD touchscreen, lacking both HD resolution and Samsung's favoured Super AMOLED technology.
As well as not looking very good, the Galaxy Note 8.0's plastic casing doesn't feel very rugged, as the device creaks when pulled in opposite directions. Having said that, we did drop the device a couple of times and it came away completely unscathed.
One thing we do like about the plastic casing is its size. Whereas the iPad can cause our arms to ache over long periods of use, the Galaxy Note 8.0 weighs just 338g. However, that's not to say the device will fit into your pocket or handbag easily, and we found the device far too large to use as a phone.
In terms of connectivity and ports, potential buyers will probably be pleased to hear that Samsung has opted not to use its proprietary charging port, and has equipped the device with a microUSB port instead. There's a standby switch and volume rocker on the right hand side of the device, a microSD slot on the left hand side, and a hidden Samsung S Pen on its rear.
Screen
While we noticed no major issues with the screen, which looks great when cranked to full brightness and displays clear, readable text, it paled in comparison to those of its rivals, which was unsurprising given its 189ppi pixel density. To put that into context, the iPhone 5 display has a pixel density of 326ppi and the Galaxy S4 display offers 441ppi.
When compared against the Galaxy S4, for example, colours look a little washed out on the 8in device, and text doesn't draw you in as it does on Samsung's latest smartphone. While most users won't notice any issues while using the device, we'd expect better given the price.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0's screen can't be faulted for responsiveness, with the display quickly reacting to our every touch, whether made using our finger or the included stylus. We found ourselves generally opting for the S Pen over finger input, due to how responsive it was, although the novelty might wear off over time.
Performance
As with most Samsung devices, the Galaxy Note 8.0 has decent power. Samsung has configured it with a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor, which certainly shows when using the device. Apps are quick to load and when they do, video playback is great and gameplay is smooth.
As with most Samsung devices, the Galaxy Note 8.0 has decent power. Samsung has configured it with a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor, which certainly shows when using the device. Apps are quick to load and when they do, video playback is great and gameplay is smooth.
Operating system
The Galaxy Note 8.0 comes with Google's Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, which Samsung has taken over with its Touchwiz user interface. The interface is largely similar to that found on the Galaxy S4, although Samsung has focused on including productivity apps that make use of the S Pen.
The Galaxy Note 8.0 comes with Google's Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, which Samsung has taken over with its Touchwiz user interface. The interface is largely similar to that found on the Galaxy S4, although Samsung has focused on including productivity apps that make use of the S Pen.
Chief amongst these apps is S Note, Samsung's dedicated notetaking app in which you can write and doodle pictures. This app proved great for showcasing how responsive and accurate Samsung's S Pen stylus is to use. For example, if you hold the pen down it makes lines thicker. However, we're not sure how often we'd use the app during everyday use.
Another, more welcome feature is Samsung's split-screen multitasking mode, which lets you have two apps open simultaneously. While this worked better on the 10.1in screen of Samsung's previous Galaxy Note tablet, we found the feature very useful during our time with the Galaxy Note 8.0. There's a shortcuts menu on the left hand side of the tablet for multitasking, which lets you open an app wherever you are. This feature is a great addition to the tablet, although we did find ourselves opening apps accidentally.
Beyond this, we didn't find ourselves using the preloaded apps very much. Samsung's Smart Remote is a great addition for those who want it, though, allowing you to switch TV channels using the device. However, we did find ourselves taking advantage of the customisable user interfaces and the preinstalled Android features, such as Google Now and the Google Chrome web browser.
Camera
Samsung has decided to furnish the Note 8.0 with a 5MP rear-facing camera.
While nowhere near the Galaxy S4's 13MP camera, and despite creating an unsightly bump on the rear of the device, the camera performed surprisingly well. While it was often difficult to hold the tablet to get the right shot, picture quality was good, with natural colours and decent vibrancy, although it struggled a bit in dimly lit conditions.
There's also a 1.3MP camera on the front of the Galaxy Note 8.0, which will no doubt get more use than the rear-facing snapper. This proved ideal for video calling and the like, although as you'd expect the image quality isn't fantastic.
Battery and storage
Samsung claims that the Galaxy Note 8.0's 4,600mAh battery can last around eight hours of average to heavy use, and we found that the device lived up to those claims during our time with the tablet. A day of heavy usage saw the tablet struggling to make it throught the evening, although over a weekend of average usage we saw the device make it through two entire days.
When it comes to storage, users shouldn't have anything to complain about. The Galaxy Note 8.0 will be made available in both 16GB and 32GB models, with the ability to expand up to 64GB via the included microSD card slot. There's plenty of cloud storage bundled in too, thanks to Google apps and Samsung's partnership with Dropbox.
Specifications:
Processor: 1.7GHz quad-core Exynos processor
Display: 8in 1280x800 IPS LCD touchscreenStorage: 16/32GB internal storage, microSD up to 64GB
Camera: 5MP rear, 1.9MP front camera
Connectivity: 2G, 3G, WiFi
Operating system: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Dimensions: 211x136x8mm
Weight: 338
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