Samsung may be holding back its Galaxy S4 announcement until a later date, but the Korean firm did have something to show at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Galaxy Note 8 is gunning for the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini, and slots neatly in between the “phablet” Note 2 and the full-scale Note 10.1 in the company’s tech portfolio.
It’s just 8mm thick and weighs only 338g, making it the ideal travelling companion. There’s a quad core processor inside to keep things nippy, and the inclusion of a SIM card slot means the device is truly mobile. You can even make calls on it, although holding something that size to your ear in public won’t do your street cred any favours.
The star of the show – and what will set the Note 8 apart from its aforementioned rivals – is the iconic S Pen. Already a hit on the smaller Note models, this stylus allows you to doodle on the tablet’s 1280×800 resolution screen, making it perfect for shopping lists and general note-taking.
The only potential sticking point is the price – given that you can make phone calls on this thing, its likely to cost more than a standard Note 2, which retails for about £500 when purchased without a contract. Considering the Nexus 7 costs less than half that figure, the Note 8 could find itself in a tough position, but we’ll wait for final pricing before we cast any dismal predictions.
Is the Note 8 the mid-size tablet you’ve been waiting for all these months? Leave a comment to tell us what you think.
