Samsung May Launch 8-inch Galaxy Note to Rival iPad Mini

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By Kevin Parrish
published

A spec list has surfaced revealing an 8-inch Galaxy Note with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

SamMobile reports that Samsung plans to release an 8-inch version of its Galaxy Note tablet this year to rival Apple's just-release iPad Mini. It will arrive in two flavors: a Wi-Fi only version and a Wi-Fi/3G combo model for computing on the go. The company plans to introduce the tablet during Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona next month.

According to a list of specs, the 8-inch Galaxy Note (codenamed Kona) will sport a 1280 x 800 TFT (Super Clear LCD) display, a 5MP camera mounted on the back, a 1.3MP camera on the front, and a 4600 mAh battery. It will also have 2 GB or RAM, and either 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, depending on your wallet. A microSD card slot will expand storage up to an additional 32 GB.

On the connectivity front, the 8-inch Galaxy Note will offer Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 802.11 b/g/b/n and A-GPS. GSM network coverage will include EDGE (850/900/1800/1900) HSPA+21.1 Mbps, and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps (850/900/1900/2100). The operating system of choice will be Google's Android 4.2 "Jelly Bean".

SamMobile adds that the dimensions of the Galaxy Note 8.0 will be 211.3 × 136.3 × 7.95-mm, and the weight will be around the 330g.

In addition to the Galaxy Note 8.0, Samsung is gearing up to launch the 6.3-inch Galaxy Note III "phablet" featuring an 8-core SoC using the company's big.Little architecture. The company is slated to reveal this 28-nm chip next month during the International Solid-State Circuits Conference on February 19.

But don't let the 8-core description fool you. The chip will consist of four 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A15 cores that will handle the heavy tasks like gaming and video playback while the four 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 cores will handle the normal stuff like web browsing and Facebook lurking.

For more information about Samsung's big.LITTLE architecture, check out this PDF here.

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Kevin Parrish
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • g00fysmiley
    isn't the note III suppossed to have a 5000mAh battery seems odd that this is 4600mAh but i guess you have to cut corners somehow to keep prices down, phones sell for much more than tablets so it makes sense, but also odd that despite being bigger it will sport a lower resolution screen as the 6.3' note 3 is to have a 1080p screen.. still if the price is righ ti am sure there will be a market for it
    Reply
  • squeeks
    Note III will have 8 cores the 8" note only 4? Perhaps this explains the smaller battery?
    Reply
  • squeeks
    Note III will have 8 cores the 8" note only 4? Perhaps this explains the smaller battery?
    Reply
  • Nossy
    Next up: Apple to release Ipad Mini as a phone to battle Note III.
    Reply
  • joebob2000
    No support for 64gb microsd? Kills the deal.
    Reply
  • CaedenV
    no 64GB support?
    no 4G support?
    an 8" screen that has just a few more lines of res than most phones half it's size?
    a 5MP shooter?

    Either this is being rushed out the door and they are trying to use up some old parts in the process, or Sammy is slipping a bit.


    The 8 core vs 4 core thing is understandable. The 8 core unit rumored for the noteIII will just be 2 quad core CPUs crammed together, one tiny quad core for basic things, and a powerful quad core for heavy workloads. The quad core that would be on this would probably just be the larger full-blown CPU.
    Reply
  • g00fysmiley
    CaedenVno 64GB support?no 4G support?an 8" screen that has just a few more lines of res than most phones half it's size?a 5MP shooter?Either this is being rushed out the door and they are trying to use up some old parts in the process, or Sammy is slipping a bit.The 8 core vs 4 core thing is understandable. The 8 core unit rumored for the noteIII will just be 2 quad core CPUs crammed together, one tiny quad core for basic things, and a powerful quad core for heavy workloads. The quad core that would be on this would probably just be the larger full-blown CPU.
    true, if they are trying to just run though some warehoused parts then cool, if it is priced under $250 i might even buy the wife one, sub $200 i woudl buy her one and buy a throw around one to leave in the living room for peopoe to surf and check their facebooks and such and load rpg files on to take to my rpg group night to get passed around like a communal digital rulebook
    Reply
  • murzar
    You can do better Samsung. You give us a good competitively priced product and you have our money.
    Reply
  • hannibal
    Hmmm... Also no 802.11 ac with new devices is kind of stange... Very fast internet connections can be handy from time to time...
    Reply
  • salgado18
    I just wonder why they need to call Galaxy Note two different products: a tablet and a phone. Won't that add up to confusion? Why not call it Galaxy Tab II?
    Reply