Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Review

With the mid-sized tablet in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series you’re getting the only device on the market to go to war with the similarly-sized Galaxy Note. For Samsung it would appear easy to create so many device sizes that there’s got to be one you’re fond of, but here with the Galaxy Tab 3 generation of devices, it becomes so thick in the industry that the company redefines what it means to cannibalize one’s own sales. That said, pretend the rest of the Samsung smart device universe doesn’t exist and you’ve got a solid competitor for the 8-inch (or thereabouts) tablet market.

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Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 works with an 8-inch display rolling with an 800 x 1280 pixel resolution across it, making it essentially the same delivery of sharpness and brightness as the Galaxy Note 8.0. While you’ll find this close relative tablet mentioned more than once in this review of the Tab, you can be sure here first that the display panels themselves are directly on-par with one another for everyday use.

Inside you’ve got Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box, this powered by a Samsung-made Exynos dual-core processor. This processor is a step up from what we saw in the last generation of Samsung Galaxy Tab devices, to be sure, and acts as a decent engine for this mid-range tablet. It’s got 1.5GB of RAM, too – odd, isn’t it?

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While you wont find this processor besting the likes of the Galaxy Note 8.0′s quad-core Exynos SoC nor the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor found in Google’s current ASUS-made Nexus 7 tablet, you can rest in the idea that the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0′s chip is one that’ll keep you humming without lag well into the future.

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This device comes in at 8.26 x 4.87 x 0.275 inches with a weight at 10.9 ounces, just a bit smaller than the Galaxy Note 8.0, and just as thin. This Galaxy Tab lineup aims to be just as slim as the smartphone that leads the pack, and as you can see, Samsung does well to make the whole family look extremely similar. Each of these Samsung smart devices feels like part of a unified whole – this is industrial design one-ness in full effect.

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With the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 you’ve got 16GB of internal storage as well as a microSD card slot with the ability to take on an additional 64GB. You’ll be connecting to devices of all kinds with abilities in DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, and Wi-fi 02.11 a/b/g/n. In the future you can expect 4G LTE as well – though you’ll need an edition with a microSIM card slot for that, too – later this year it’ll all become clear.

Software

In the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 you’ve got a software experience that you’ll need to do at least a double-take with to realize it’s not on-par with its brethren. You’ll find the app “Samsung Link” missing from the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 (see our full review) while the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has it ready to roll – ready to share and be shared with through the cloud with Samsung notebooks, tablets, and smartphones – and everything in-between.

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This is the full entry into the Samsung Galaxy S 4 era of smart devices from the manufacturer that promises wireless connectivity and cross-device sharing galore – just so long as you’re working with Samsung devices. Samsung’s Group Play and ChatON are another couple of good examples of this ecosystem – Samsung makes the case for Samsung-to-Samsung sharing as an experience you’ll want to be a part of – over and over and over again.

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While you’ll not be using NFC with this tablet – there’s no NFC hardware to be had, that is – you’ll get DLNA access, screen mirroring, and the promise of all the greatnesses of the software suites of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy Note families without the S-Pen-specific apps in play. Items like Samsung’s “Smart Stay” keep the family’s ability to detect your human eyes and account for it while items like Power Saving Mode and cloud storage abilities are assumed.

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This device is one of several Samsung has released with a Dropbox bonus of 50GB of cloud storage added on to your account – or added to a brand new account – for 2 years from the point at which you access said space. Other bonuses include a $10 Google Play store credit, a 3 month Hulu Plus membership (for new users), and 12 months of Boingo Wi-fi access (also for new users). This is all part of the “Samsung Rewards” program the company is blowing out with the Galaxy Tab 3 line as well as the Galaxy Note 8.0 – and with future Galaxy Note devices soon, we must expect .

Camera and Battery

This tablet works with the newest version of Samsung’s camera UI, the same not able to be said (at the moment) about the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 or the Galaxy Note 8.0. We expect such an update to come on quick for those devices, on the other hand, and the camera quality here matches that of the Galaxy Note 8.0′s shooter, one generation of camera app UI difference or not.

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This device works with a 5 megapixel camera on its back with no flash while its front-facing camera is 1.3 megapixels, good enough (and specifically ONLY good enough) for video chat. The back-facing camera takes photos and video that are good enough for social networking and general small-scale sharing.

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Click panorama photo for full-sized image.

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Compared to the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, the camera situation here is far and away superior – it would appear that the smaller tablets in this range are finding their camera setups to be a bit more of a priority than the slightly more awkward to wield amalgamations on the larger 10.1-tabs. It’s clear that the extra cash the larger device costs is not applied to its back-facing shooter.

Meanwhile battery life is roughly the same here with the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 as we’ve seen with the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 – that is, with a 4,450 mAh battery in tow, this tablet will bring on a full day’s usage without a problem, and standby time is – in general – acceptable as we’ve found it with the Galaxy Note 8.0 Wi-fi edition.

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Both the Galaxy Note 8.0 Wi-fi edition and the Galaxy Note 3 8.0 work with Samsung-made Exynos processors, and though they’re not the same model, they seem to work just as well as one another in the realm of energy conservation.

Wrap-up

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is a fine upgrade from what’s been offered at this size range by the manufacturer in past generations. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 bests this tablet in essentially every area save its smaller bezel, the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 holds its own as a solid addition to the Samsung family of Galaxy S 4-era smart devices. Here the company brings an extremely thin and finely constructed mid-sized tablet that’ll serve its users well into the future.

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Be sure to have a peek at our Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 vs Galaxy Note 8.0 article to see which device is more your flavor. There you’ll find the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0′s price range – right at $299.99 USD and ready to sit between the hundred dollar addition or subtraction of the Tab 3 10.1 and 7.0, both of which have their own feature gains or drawbacks to speak of. Here in the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 you’ll have the most well-balanced member of this season’s Galaxy Tab 3 lineup, bottom to top.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 vs Galaxy Tab 3 8.0: not just an S-Pen war

For those deciding on a tablet that’ll get them through the day at the same time as it’s able to fit in their satchel, Samsung hasn’t made things easy. With the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, you’ve got two machines with exceedingly similar specifications to decide between. What we’ve got to check this afternoon is how the two make their mark in the world – and if it really is all about the S-Pen in the end.

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Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 works with an 8-inch display with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 carries the same size and pixel density – they’re effective the same in day-to-day use, while the subtle differences in software will make the tiniest of differences up-close. You’ll find the font and the shadows to be ever-so-slightly different from one another: but you’ll never notice unless you hold them up RIGHT next to one another, so no worries.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 works with 16GB internal storage with a microSD card slot for memory expansion. The Note 8.0 works with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and works with a Samsung Exynos quad-core processor internationally and in its Wi-fi iteration and a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor as carried by AT&T with 4G LTE. Meanwhile the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 works with a dual-core Samsung Exynos 4 processor.

Have a peek at how these machines fare in the benchmark scores listed below. They’re all knocked out with Quadrant Standard benchmark tests with the newest software available, Jelly Bean and TouchWiz included.

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External speaker performance on both of these machines are essentially the same – they’re both mediocre if only because the speakers themselves are blowing out the sides the devices rather than the front. We must again assume it’s because thinness is more important than speaker performance as both of these devices are so extremely thin, it’d be difficult to toss a front-facing speaker anywhere. *cough* HTC One *cough*

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Battery performance on both devices are essentially the same – it’s only 4G LTE on the Galaxy Note (that’ll eventually find its way to the Galaxy Tab, of course) that has any push on the battery life involved here – and it’s marginal unless you’re doing non-stop video streaming all day long.

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Above: Samsung Galaxy S 4, Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, and Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 (from top to bottom).

The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 comes in at 8.26 x 4.87 x 0.275 inches with a weight at 10.9 ounces. The Galaxy Note 8.0 comes in at 8.29 x 5.35 x 0.31 inches and 12 ounces. The difference is almost solely in the amount of bezel required with the Samsung Galaxy Note – likely mostly because of the grip area it provides for holding the device whilst writing with the S-Pen and to give the device room to hold the S-Pen in its back.

Cameras

While the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 is essentially a non-performer when it comes to capturing video and photos, the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 brings some low-level heat. Though you’re still just working with a 5-megapixel camera at this device’s back, you’ve got autofocus and auto adjustment to lighting conditions, backed up by Samsung’s most basic edition of its new camera UI. Included here are Auto, Beauty Face, Night, Sports Shot, Panorama, and “Sound & Shot”. Have a peek at a panorama here for an example of what this device is capable of, followed by several indoor and outdoor shots.

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Click panorama photo for full-sized image.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 brings on an exceedingly similar setup, bringing on photo and video abilities with its back-facing 5-megapixel camera (the same as the Galaxy Tab 8.0 here) also without an LED flash. While the Galaxy Note 8.0 has the same previous-generation camera interface as the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 at the moment, we’re expecting an update to the current generation imminently.

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Software – a non-issue

When you’re deciding between the Note 8.0 and the Tab 3 8.0 based on software, you’re really going to have to focus to find the differences. Both devices are part of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 era of smart devices, so both are able to connect with essentially the same software suite of wireless sharing apps from Samsung. Group Play specifically shows how these devices are able to interact with one-another in a variety of ways that non-Samsung devices currently can’t – or at least can’t with the same finesse.

NOTE: While the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 does not feature the app “Samsung Link”, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 does. This is a situation rather similar to that of the devices’ camera interfaces – where the 10.1 uses the same camera UI and abilities as the previous generation model, the 8.0 works with a Galaxy S 4 interface, derived from the Samsung Galaxy Camera.

Both devices bring on a free 50GB for 2 years through Dropbox for cloud storage while each different release of these devices has its own perks on the side. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has a free three months of Hulu Plus as part of its benefits package, so to speak, along with a $10 card from the Google Play store through Samsung’s “Galaxy Perks” program.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 works with a variety of S-Pen specific apps as outlined in our original Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hands-on and later our full review (as linked above). This device’s attachment to said apps is rather crucial in proving a set of selling points for this device while the Tab appears in quite a few places – though not everywhere – to be winning the race on hardware aesthetics.

Both machines work with a new enough version of Android Jelly Bean that you’ll have access to Google Now, and both machines have Samsung’s S-Voice for voice commands as well.

Cost

While the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0′s current wi-fi-only price range at $299 seems enticing compared to the last several years of $400 or more on tablets of all sizes as a standard, it’s the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0′s $399.99 (or it’s current sale price of $379.99) we’re doing battle with. If on the other hand you’ll be wanting to access mobile data with AT&T here in the USA, you’ve also got a $399.99 price tag with a 2-year contract to agree to to boot!

Of course there’s also an AT&T bundle price available at $199.99 for the Note 8.0, but then you’re still attached to a 2-year contract and you’ll have to also purchase a Samsung Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S 4 Active, or Galaxy Note II along with it. Good news is they all look rather nice next to one another.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is far more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 with a processor that’s made to handle this device as a real hero product. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 works with a dual-core Samsung Exynos 4 processor which we’ve found to be ever-so-slightly lacking in the high-level processing department – there the Tab is better suited for everyday web browsing and the occasional media consumption in the form of streaming video.

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 may have a slightly larger bezel and therefor appear – at first – to be the lesser of the two tablets, in every other category this machine excels. If you’re looking for the tablet that can do more, last longer, and will likely find its way into the hearts of developers longer, you’ll want to stick with the Galaxy Note 8.0 in this case. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 should only be chosen where price or availability are especially major factors.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 vs Galaxy Tab 3 8.0: not just an S-Pen war is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Hands-on

There’s little difference between the experience you’ll have when you’ve reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 wi-fi edition and aim to connect to the 4G LTE internet with AT&T’s iteration. Of course if you’re aiming to connect to the web anywhere inside AT&T’s mobile data coverage area inside the USA, there’s a very big different – data speeds and all. There’s also a few key AT&T-added apps, of course, and the rest of the Galaxy Note 2013 family of features as well.

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You’ll find the same hovering bits and pieces here – hold the S-Pen above an image in Flipboard and it’ll expand to show a preview of the story it represents. Hover, that is, with the same sort of feature you’ve got with your finger in the Samsung Galaxy S 4.* Here you’re also able to tap the capacitive buttons below the display with the S-Pen where every Galaxy Note before this one was limited to the display itself.

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*Have a peek at the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in Aurora Red from AT&T while you’re at it.

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This device is made to be the one other display size outside the pocket-sized Galaxy Note I, II, and eventually III, and of course the 10.1-inch full-sized tablet out there in the wild as well. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 was introduced at Mobile World Congress 2013 at an event which saw the machine play hero for the entire convention from Samsung.

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Where previous appearances by Samsung at said Barcelona-based event series saw hero devices like the Samsung Galaxy S II, here the company’s showing with this single device showed two things:

1. Events such as Mobile World Congress these are evolving, with established lines of devices finding their way to 3rd part events. The Samsung Galaxy Premiere event showed us here in 2013 that Samsung may well be out of worldwide events like CES and CTIA by the time 2014 rolls around.

2. The Galaxy Note 8.0 was important enough to hold up Samsung in one of the most important multi-brand events in the world, MWC, specifically tuned for the mobile landscape.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note brings with it the style of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the abilities of that machine as well, just so long as you’re using this machine’s S-Pen. The S-Pen brings with it a collection of abilities unrivaled at the moment. Not until the Samsung Galaxy Note III rolls around. Soon enough!

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AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung Galaxy Note III release details stack up

It’s once again time to get heavy into the world of conjecture for the Samsung Galaxy Note series, this time for the third iteration of the handheld machine that started the series in the first place. What we’re seeing this week is a heavy-handed drop of a release date – September 4th – as well as a rolling-up of specification rumors from the past several weeks. This device may well be the largest (non-tablet) Note in the family yet, and it’ll likely appear right before IFA 2013.

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While sources speaking with China Mobile News have suggested the accelerated production on the Samsung Galaxy Note III, a person “close to the matter” speaking with Android Geeks has pinpointed the event in question to September 4th. As in past years the machine has been dropped inside the Berlin-based technology convention IFA, this push for a pre-event reveal would follow instead the Samsung-only event trend of devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4.

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This release will likely be paired with a larger display than in the past, reaching up towards 6-inches instead of the measely 5.5-inch panel working with the Galaxy Note II. While the current-gen machine has an HD Super AMOLED display at 1280 x 720, it’s been suggested that the Galaxy Note III might work with IPS LCD instead, and the size 5.9-inches has popped up more than once.

Inside we’ll likely see specifications rather similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, as in past iterations. Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean will almost certainly be onboard with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI over the top, complete with a set of hover-friendly abilities like the Galaxy Note 8.0.

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The big difference between the Galaxy S 4 and the Galaxy Note III (besides its size and addition of S Pen technology) may be the processor inside. As the Samsung Galaxy S III worked with a Qualcomm processor inside the USA and an Exynos processor abroad, so too has this situation arisen for the Galaxy S 4. It’s been suggested that, as with the Galaxy Note II, the Exynos processor included in the international edition of the Galaxy S device from this generation will be appearing in the USA release of the newest Note.

It all depends on how willing Samsung is to work with Qualcomm radios inside paired with their own “Octa” processor. We shall see!


Samsung Galaxy Note III release details stack up is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung Jay-Z team-up may only be newest in extended music exclusive series

This week it’s become apparent that Samsung will continue to bring on the musical connections with their tie-up with South Korean pop-stars CN Blue for a Blue Moon concert event. This event will be live broadcast through Galaxy devices and will, therefor, make clear Samsung’s intent to bring a long series of Galaxy smartphone and

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AT&T Galaxy Note 8.0 Launches June 21st For $400

AT&T Galaxy Note 8.0 launches June 21st for $400. Bundle packages with Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy Note 2 will also be offered, the tablet will then cost $200.

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AT&T Galaxy Note 8.0 hits the multi-device Samsung bundle June 21st

This week the folks at AT&T have revealed the release information surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 along with pricing for the machine on its own. This device mirrors the capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Wi-fi edition, here coming with 4G LTE connectivity from the big blue network in the USA. Bundles have

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AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 appears as first LTE edition in USA

The mid-sized machine known as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 has made its way to the USA before this week, but never with wireless data abilities beyond Wi-fi. Today AT&T has jumped onboard with the machine, bringing their own 4G LTE network to the 8-inch display-toting tablet with S-Pen technology. Though AT&T hasn’t officially stated when

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Spotted At The FCC With AT&T LTE Bands

The FCC gets paid a visit by the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

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What can the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 do?

Are you in the market for a spanking new tablet? If you are one who jives with South Korean conglomerate Samsung, then you might want to check out the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. Having hit the market recently, those of you who are still sitting on the fence before making a purchase decision might want to read more about what it can do. For starters, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 was specially developed to offer convenience at the forefront, similar to how a personal assistant is there to offer assistance at all times. Not only that, the S Note application is also the right place to be as users are able to write down their thoughts, ideas, and diary entries, regardless of where they are, throwing in a bunch of cute icons along the way.

Take for instance, when there is the presence of the drawing mode icon, one is able to change the pen type, color of the pen, and the pen thickness and draw a heart on the word ‘my boyfriend’ (this is just an example), which would definitely go a long way in personalizing the entire user experience. Not only that, the voice memo feature would also pave the way for voice recording capability.

There is a wide range of S Note templates, ranging from meeting notes to graphs, recipes, and travel diary, which would make the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 the ideal companion for just about any situation. The presence of the Samsung S Pen has evolved to increase everyday usability and enhance creative expression, being that advanced that users do not even have to touch the screen in order to figure out just which icon is used for what. Thanks to the inclusion of Air View, all users need to do is hover their S Pen over the screen in order to check out previews of videos and photos, and to figure out what is inside the file or application in full.

So, is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 the perfect tablet for you?

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[ What can the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 do? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]