Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 review: The roadster

02 April 2013
Ever since Apple's release of the first iPad, Samsung has been churning out tablets to battle them on so many fronts it's starting to look like overkill. With so many larger Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note varieties...

Sort by:

  • J
  • Jaz
  • 7wx
  • 18 Apr 2013

Not adding a flash to cam is nt a wise step. has been a drawback of tab 2 p3100 too.
Otgerwise a decent tab. Hopefully will be priced at mid range .
7` was gud enough and easy to carry

    • g
    • ghdffdbgfd
    • ut6
    • 16 Apr 2013

    AnonD-131777, 04 Apr 2013Hi everybody, Does anyone know if note 8.0 support Flash... moreyes

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • 9Ex
      • 13 Apr 2013

      Cool stuff lol

        AnonD-105611, 09 Apr 2013I know right! The first thing I remembered when I saw it w... moreBut those are as versatile and powerful as the Note 8. No phone functions.

          • D
          • AnonD-105611
          • 39m
          • 09 Apr 2013

          AnonD-87222, 03 Apr 2013The main disadvantage is, that it's ugly :-(I know right!
          The first thing I remembered when I saw it was my first smartphone: samsung galaxy i5700. Cheap white plastic.
          I couldn't believe they were actually going to release this ugly thing.
          Of course, beauty is relative, but design wise, ipad mini and nexus 7 are in the lead here :D

            • D
            • AnonD-119525
            • fkB
            • 07 Apr 2013

            great Device
            i hope it will be released before the end of April in egypt or ksa

              • j
              • johnlove
              • t78
              • 06 Apr 2013

              I hope Samsung can come up with note 8 that can accept 2 mini sim.

                Anonymous, 05 Apr 2013iPads do not have the 4GB filesize limit. Nor do i belie... moreWell, the battery stamina remains to be seen for the Note 8. I was assuming the stamina with the almost the same specifications of the Note II. It could reach my desired 18 hour heavy usage.

                I can create digital paintings with the Note II, and I'm not stuck with carrying 3kgs and a big bag to be able to do paintings anywhere. The Note 8 can give me an advantage of portability and a bigger screen and not as big and heavy as an iPad.

                128 GB of the iPad sounds great but the cost for a limited device will not work out for me personally. Once rooted, I can connect the Note 8 to my NTFS 1TB portable HDD via OTG USB cable to retrieve any of my media. This is what I've been doing using my Note II. An iPad is incapable of ever doing that and I don't prefer 1080p files as they take up a lot more space. 720p is great as it is on a small screen.

                Other than that, I plan to use it with the AllShareCast wireless HDMI dongle for presentations/lectures and live drawing process demonstrations. It just means I can still move about in the classroom while my screen is mirrored onto the projector screen. Oh, wait, I'm already doing that with my Note II.

                Yes, it's really a personal choice and preference for my set of needs.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • PGX
                  • 05 Apr 2013

                  TheNeighbor, 05 Apr 2013My friend swapped his iPad 2 with the iPad 3 with a some ex... moreiPads do not have the 4GB filesize limit.

                  Nor do i believe this note 8 will provide more battery life then iPad mini nor the full size iPad.

                  When it comes to consuming media, nothing can beat iPad in terms of battery life. Nor the storage space since the new iPad comes with 128gb.

                  But when it comes to create media and ease of file transfer, i would agree note 8 would be better. But then again.. i rather create media on a full size desktop pc.

                  Personal opinion thou. :)

                    • Z
                    • ZDelta47
                    • 40F
                    • 05 Apr 2013

                    In my opinion an S-Pen like stylus, and a Windows Surface like stand and keyboard would make any tablet favorable. A tablet needs good usability alongside its specs and interfaces. I'd love a new nexus with those features! Mainly because I know I can rely on Google making an affordable tablet that is pleasing to use. Hoping it comes true soon! XD

                      Jon (Swe), 05 Apr 2013I agree with the pixel density war. I did a comparisson of... moreMy friend swapped his iPad 2 with the iPad 3 with a some extra cash. He felt robbed after not noticing any difference and the unit is heavier because of the extra battery to compensate powering the higher res screen.

                      I don't mind a full 1080p screen but if it's sacrificing battery or gaining weight to compensate battery usage, then I'll stick with a 720p with the current tech.

                      Having a full HD screen is impractical at the moment. I can't even download HD that fast enough and is limited to 4GB for a FAT32 format. 720p videos are already fine on small screens with manageable file sizes. It's already brilliant as it is! Think about it - 1080p resolution are good for 24" to 60" TVs and fitting them onto a 4.8" to 10" screens. Yeah, I can agree it looks fine but impractical as it consumes a lot more power. Is be more of a psychological satisfaction than practical.

                      For me, I need a portable device that could last a good 18 hours on heavy use on a single charge. The Note 8 being similar to my Note II but the Note 8 having a bigger 4600mAh battery might just give me that. That's almost 50% more power with almost the same pixel count.

                      Of course I do know one is 5.5" Super AMOLED and the other 8" LCD. If the screens consume the same amount of power for both, then we're guaranteed at least a whole day's worth of power with extensive usage. The Note II usually last 12 hours for the heavy way I use it with at least 6 hours of screen time. I could go 7.5 hours of screen on at times with 3G/wifi on, bluetooth connected to smartwatch & stereo earpieces, 1 GB worth of torrent downloads, 2 hours of internet music.

                      Oh well, let's see the battery test when it comes out.



                        • J
                        • Jon (Swe)
                        • mhB
                        • 05 Apr 2013

                        TheNeighbor, 04 Apr 2013Yeah, at least someone else is excited with the Note 8. I'm... moreI agree with the pixel density war.
                        I did a comparisson of some Asus tablets, one with 1366x768 and one with full HD, with the same screen size, and also the Nexus 7.
                        The thing was, that lokking close at details made very little difference between them.
                        Up from HD to full HD isnt enough to really make a difference.
                        And with the extra payload to gpu/CPU, and thus slowing down the unit, sacrifising details in game, and loosing battery performance, the question is if it's worth it. And especially back when the Note 10.1 was new, and the new chipsets wasn't around yet.

                        You need to go to resolutions like the iPads with "retina" or the Nexus 10, to really get gain from the resolution bump, and then the drawbacks are really to big at the moment.

                          • J
                          • Jon (Swe)
                          • mhB
                          • 04 Apr 2013

                          AnonD-88295, 04 Apr 2013Aside the S-Pen functionality, I don't see any reason to up... moreFor some of us the S-pen (wacom digitizer) is what sets this apart from the other small tablets.
                          I could use this to replace the paper notepad i bring with me most of the time. Plus it does all the things a tablet does. + thanks to the digitizer it also does mouse-over functions in the browser. And it can even be used as a mobile phone by simply connecting a handsfree, wired or wireless.

                          It's a product that makes lots of sens to some.

                          Some of the buyers of the note products do so, because of the pen. So yes, this have a pen, and so does the rest of the Note family, so itäs related, and for those interested in the Note series products, because of the pen, might find this to their liking, as well.
                          SO its not milking the Note brand, it is a sensible Note product.

                            Yeah, at least someone else is excited with the Note 8. I'm thoroughly happy to be getting this for the bigger screen (I have the Note II)and Wacom active digitizer. I tested the Note 10.1 for an entire day last December, and I pretty much wasn't agreeable with its 600g weight and size since I'm mostly mobile.

                            Note 8 is just missing NFC (would have loved that!) and FM radio (not a fan of local stations anyway). What I like other than the 8" screen are the S Pen can now operate the menu and back capacitive keys at the bottom, is a fully functioning cellular communications device (3G version), new calendar organizer, really lighter at 338g for wireless presentations or drawing on-location, a regular micro USB port (and not those elongated exclusive ports) and probably has a wireless charging integrated (unconfirmed and not widely announced), although

                            The 8mm thickness is useful for me since I plan to create its custom case from a thin A4 book planner by cutting out paper layers from its outline. This is for concealment against snatchers or pilferage. It makes more sense creating one. I can operate it, read & answer text, shuffle through call contact and remote control it with a smartwatch.

                            I was fully satisfied with the Note 10.1's resolution and I don't get it with people spoiled with a full HD resolution on a 10" screen! Ok, I honestly can't see the pixels! Someone had to start the pixel density war, and I think there will be double HD screens on smartphones in a year's time! And double that by the following year.

                            For the Note 8, with the good screen reviews, except the viewing angles of any LCD, the clarity would be very good. A full HD would tax the battery power in any case and a bigger battery would then be needed.

                            There hasn't been any battery usage review for the Note 8 yet, and would love to know the stamina on this baby. The regular micro USB port is a welcome thing so that I wouldn't be carry 2 different cable connectors for my Note II and for the Note 8 for charging! Although I would have loved it if the Note 8 had a removable battery for easy changes.

                            Speakers placement and the wider bezel frame are minor irks for me. I'd find the wider side frames useful for one-hand holding in portrait orientation. Although the sound volume is about 15% lesser for the Note 8 compared to the Note II.

                            And yes, most don't get the benefits of the S Pen. I mainly use it for drawing/painting - this is the main reason I want this device than the cheaper Tab 2 7". A capacitive pen will not do as you will not have variations of pressure registering for Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop Touch. I need to be accurately drawing details. But still, an integrated active stylus with a silo on the device is handy for quick note-taking and investigative and explanatory sketches.

                            It won't be for everybody's liking, and don't really need this specifically.

                              • s
                              • swiss guy
                              • 70H
                              • 04 Apr 2013

                              guys...wait for nexus7 serie 2,should be around 8 inches hd and less than 200$.

                              coming out in 2 or 3 months.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-131777
                                • 9Ej
                                • 04 Apr 2013

                                Hi everybody,

                                Does anyone know if note 8.0 support Flash Player or not? Because I can't seem to find it in the review (Usually mentions Flash in browser)
                                Can't find it in the specification too.
                                Appreciate the assistance, thanks

                                  • J
                                  • Jon (Swe)
                                  • mhB
                                  • 04 Apr 2013

                                  [deleted post]Or maybe GSMarena has gotten some inside info, that the Note 8.0, soon will get it's update, and therefore are planning to revisit if with with a pretty extensive review, where performance is meassured running the latest release, as that often affects performance. Just that it's not official so GSMarena couldnt tell us about it.
                                  But that would not explain the missing display test.

                                  Let's hope.
                                  Cause there sure are things from the S4, that would be nice to get in the Note 8 (and Note II and S III as well).

                                  oh, and how about the document editor?
                                  What is the document editor that is listed on the feature list, as later in the review its stated as just a viewer.
                                  Or is it the Awesome Note HD, not mentioned in the review, only in the video.


                                  Oh, and how it fares against the competition.
                                  Well with the Note 10.1, they hade the problem that others had higher resolution. And all though, with the chipsets at that time, the 1280x800 resolution was a good compromise actually, it still scared potential buyers away.
                                  The Tab 7.7 was just expensive.
                                  Now, at least at this moment, the screen resolution of the Note 8.0 matches that of the competitors (still people are complaining). And since not all understand the benefits of the stylus (some that apparently can be achieved with the new Display tech of used in the S4), and not all use a tablet as a notation device, the price can't be too much above the price of the fire and the Nexus 7. Apple can always charge extra, and they lure customers in with their qualityfeel as well.
                                  For me, the Note 8.0 is almost the perfect device. But I wish the last gen chipset was more clearly reflected in the price. And the pricegap between the wifi only and LTE version is a bit big. But I will most likely get it, in the LTE version.

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-88295
                                    • PDQ
                                    • 04 Apr 2013

                                    Aside the S-Pen functionality, I don't see any reason to upgrade to Note 8.0 from my Tab 7.7.
                                    I wish Samsung would make the successor of the 7.7 and leave the Note series to the phablets. They just seem to milk the success of the S and Note series phones.

                                      • P
                                      • Patanjali
                                      • 9xe
                                      • 04 Apr 2013

                                      Bone, 03 Apr 2013It's a fantastic little tablet, but can only be an iPad Min... moreThe ads are trying to distance it from just being considered an iPad mini competitor, by highlighting what it IS designed for: writing/drawing upon.

                                      The bezel allow the device to be securely held while writing in portrait mode without having to straddle it with one's hand. Writing places more pressure on the holding hand than mere finger jabbing.

                                        2 of 3