So, this is a smartphone, at least, not a pure tablet. This can be easily identified by: 1). an earpiece and, 2).the iconic Home button and two navigation keys.
The major difference to Galaxy Note 2 is the odd location of the speaker. In Galaxy Note 8.0, it is in the bottom, not on the back. Designer may come from the Mars.
Specification wise, this is surely not a top-notch smartphone or tablet. It is merely a not-so-bad device, based on today’s standard. Under the hood, you get a 1.6GHz quad-core A9 processor (it should be a Exynos 4XXXX), a 2GB RAM, a 1280*800 PLS display, a 16/32GB storage, a 4600mAh battery.
The weight is only 338g, thanks to its full plastic exterior, except display and bezel. Typical Samsung style.
The good news for Galaxy Note and Note 2 users is now you finally can use S Pen  for the menu and back buttons. You also get a new reading mode to make your reading more comfortable.
The bad news is it runs on Jelly Bean 4.1.2 (just like most Note 2 and Note 10.1), not the latest 4.2.2. Disappointed, although you will very likely get the update later.
More disappointed, the battery is not removable.
The most disappointed: the main camera has no flash. So you can guess its quality. The 5MP tag reminds you the price is not in the cheap side.
However, if you compare this giant phablet with the tablet with similar form factor (e.g., iPad mini). It is actually quite decent.
So, the imaginary competitor of this Galaxy Note 8.0 is not smartphones, but 7-8″ tablets.
Samsung probably hopes this giant phone will be the king or queen in this form factor. This could have been true if the specifications were slightly elevated.
It looks stupid to hold this giant phone near your ear in the street. But it is more stupid if you think this phone is too large, in the future.
For the time being, Galaxy Note 8.0 is a good (although not exceptional)  8″ tablet.
What do you think?
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This post was last modified on September 14, 2013 6:07 am
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I am using a Note 8 smartphone and it's been awesome..its so cool cos it doubles as a tablet and a smartphone. Who says you always have to answer a call by placing the phone onto your ear? If I had another chance, I'd get a Note 8.0 again.
Holy moly that's a big Note! Looks nice, but I think I'll still stick to my trusty Note 2 lol
Are the Android apps optimized to run on 8 inch tablets?
There are quite a lot apps optimized for tablet in the Play Store.
How does the ipad mini manage to run comparably despite having an older processor and 1/4th of the ram..
I got a gift Samsung Galaxy Note 8 from China and I want to make the unit work in US platform (templates and apps are in Chinese)... what is the best thing to do?
You just need set the langue top English. If you cannot find the buttons, you ask any Chinese friend to find the button.
However, if it is a 3G version, 3G may not work in US. WiFi should work without issues.
Would you recommend any other 7" or 8" tab in place of Note 8.0? If so why