Samsung Galaxy Note set to be 8-inch iPad mini rival

By Rich Trenholm on 18 January 2013, 12:28pm

Samsung is taking note of the trend for small tablets, taking on the iPad mini and Google Nexus 7 with a rumoured 8-inch version of the Galaxy Note.

The 8-inch screen will apparently boast a resolution of 1,280x800 pixels for high-definition detail in your movies and games, according to unofficial Samsung blog SamMobile. The oversized Note is also rumoured to pack 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of storage and a 5-megapixel camera.

The Note is a compromise between the giant screen of a tablet and the portability of a phone, but Samsung has branched out into full-sized tablet form with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, a 10-inch rival to the iPad. An 8-inch Note squares up against the new iPad mini and Nexus 7 and other mini tablets clocking in at more affordable prices.

Incidentally, what makes the larger Notes Galaxy Notes and not Galaxy Tabs is that they're equipped with an S-Pen stylus. Other Note-worthy features include a split-screen option to look at two apps at once.

The new octo-Note will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress, the annual phone fiesta where the year's new devices are announced. CNET is heading to Barcelona in force, so keep it here for all the new phones and tablets next month. And in the meantime, check out our 25 top Note tips.

Speaking of the number 8, this week we've also heard rumours that the next Note, the Note 3, could pack Samsung's new eight-core Exynos Octo chip -- and it could be a 6.3-inch behemoth, even bigger than the current 5.5-inch model.

What do you think of the Note? Should Samsung make a bigger Note or keep the Note to the middle-ground between phone and tablet? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Comments 10

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anonymous 18 January, 2013 15:48

pfft, nothing can beat the ipad. let's face it.

Damien2501 18 January, 2013 17:48

Oh My Lord, BB10 and Windows 8 will destroy CrApple and Spamdroid tablets if this is the best Samsung can come up with, SNM aha! ;)

On a more serious 'Note', Samsung needs to encourage developers (through incentives) to invest in apps specifically optimized for its Android and Windows 8 devices and available exclusively through its app store to make their products unique from its rivals. There are many Android/Samsung tablets out there but I really fail to see any real difference between any of them, except for hardware.

anonymous 18 January, 2013 18:56

@Damien2501 you must have memory loss or you're just a child 'aww'because its Apple and Android. And on a more serious 'note' bb10 looks good and fresh but to say it will destroy Apple and Samsung you're just wrong. Period.

anonymous 18 January, 2013 20:16

The Galaxy Note should remain a Phone/Tablet, with 5.5 max screen, any bigger and it stops being a mobile phone as well and becomes a home phone. Personally I like my Note 1, which I'd say is the perfect screen size for productivity and play, any more than 5.5 and it becomes a tablet with phone capability and a bugger to carry around. It's time to stop thinking bigger is better.

Damien2501 18 January, 2013 20:53

@Anonymous 18:56 Man is being sarcastic Bruv innit, calm down.

anonymous 19 January, 2013 08:02

Samsung have recognised that 8" is the better small tablet size and not 7".

7" isn't good for much other than video and games.

anonymous 19 January, 2013 23:39

@ the guy at the top, dimwit the ipad has been beaten have you heard of the nexus 10, rips ipads to pieces, just because the ipad is the most popular doesnt mean its the best, youre still trapped between apples four walls,cant do much unless apple say so, pathetic, apple one of the biggest cons in the past century, period........

anonymous 20 January, 2013 07:32

@anonymous 19 January, 2013 23:39
"@ the guy at the top, dimwit the ipad has been beaten have you heard of the nexus 10, rips ipads to pieces....."

No the iPad hasn't been beaten by the Nexus 10 and no it isn't "ripped to pieces by it"".
Almost every credible review gives it between 6 and 8 out of 10.
Even the Android specific web sites highlight its shortcomings ....and they are fans.
This what some of those reviews say....

Engadget...
"Middling overall speed and battery life
Display lacks contrast
The 5-megapixel camera on the back failed in virtually every case to take a compelling shot. Complex images were too soft and simpler images were often rendered with curious color temperatures that had little to do with reality.
Bottom Line......Google's latest reference tablet packs an amazing resolution but ultimately fails to distance itself from the competition.

PCmag.com (6/10)
Super-sharp screen. Powerful processor,but Buggy. Real-life performance doesn't match up to hardware specs. Difficult to find good apps.
....even at the latest Android version (4.2), the software still feels like a beta test.

The Verge (8.3/10)....
The Nexus 10 is a great way to watch movies, but there's absolutely no way it's going to replace your laptop the way the iPad could.
....it's still hard to recommend the Nexus 10 over an iPad.

The rest are pretty much the same.
Gorgeous hi-res screen, but poor contrast and poor colour rendition.
Very fast processor, but stutters and is sluggish in some applications.
Muti-tasking noticeably slows down performance.
Can't be comfortably held in portrait mode.
etc etc.