Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (16GB, Brown-Black) Review
Whether you're giving a business presentation at work, drawing a sketch at the park, or watching a movie in bed, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is right for the job. Not only does the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 offer fast performance in a sleek, portable form factor, it also comes with the S Pen, making it an ideal on-the-go companion for thinkers, dreamers, and professionals.
The Note can run up to 20 apps simultaneously. View larger.
Price : $329.00
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (16GB, Brown-Black) Feature
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS
- 1.6GHz Quad Core Processor
- 8-inch Display
- 16 GB Memory, 2 GB RAM
- microSD Card Slot (Up to 64 GB)
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684 of 717 people found the following review helpful.
By Justin Juneau
***Update as of 7/1/2013*** Please see below for my actual review - I just wanted to let others know that my experience with this tablet has been great with no problems. For what it's worth, I am left handed and I have no problems with the built-in S-Note application (or any application) for that matter. My hand does not bump into things and I believe this tablet was made to accommodate both left and right hand users (despite the storage location of the pen).
***Update as of 6/3/2013*** Apparently the comments section is so long, users have stopped reading the How-to's and have asked me how to use the microSD card for external/internal storage. Here's a quick excerpt so you don't have to dig through the comments:
1. Firstly, you need to root your device which is VERY easy - Download and run an app called "Framaroot-1.4.apk" - Here is where I downloaded it from:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2130276
3. You can also follow these instructions for rooting your device:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2229788
3. Download one of the apps from the Google Play store and read the program's descriptions. It should walk you through the whole setup process.
Root External 2 Internal - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.codlab.int2ext#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwiZXUuY29kbGFiLmludDJleHQiXQ
or...
GL to SD
Hope that helps!
***Update as of 5/23/2013*** If I haven't covered something here or in the "comments" section, feel free to drop me a question in the comments section and I'll do my best to help you out. Thanks again for all the "Helpful" ratings you've given me. It makes me happy to know I've helped some of you. I understand I can't please everyone so keep your negative comments to yourself please :-)
***Update as of 5/7/2013*** Attention U.S.A. owners of the Galaxy Note 8. While we all know the U.S. version didn't get phone capabilities (3G data), I found an app on the Google Play Store (free) that allows you to make and receive phone calls for free. All you need is a wifi internet connection (Starbucks, your home wifi, etc) to place calls, and a Google Voice account (free). Firstly, go set up a free Google Voice account so you can get your free phone number (do a search on Google for "Google Voice".) Lastly, download the following app from the Google Play Store: "Groove IP Lite". When you run Groove IP, the application will want to link itself to your Google Voice number (assuming you set this up) and the rest is very seamless. The app allows you to use a Bluetooth device for making calls or the built in speakerphone. Enjoy!
***Update as of 5/6/2013*** Look at the last page of the "comments" section for my instructions on installing flash and rooting the device. I've posted instructions on how to install Flash and root your device. I had too many emails to respond to so here ya go!
***Update as of 4/25/2013*** I have found an app on the Google Play store that will allow you to use your micro-SD card as the "internal" storage and it's free. Additionally, after reading some tech articles, I figured out how to get Flash working on this device along with being able to quickly, safely and easily root the device. If you want more details, post your contact info in the comments section and I'll email you whatever it is you're after. I'm afraid Amazon will delete this review if I post links to 3rd party sites.
***Update as of 4/23/2013*** I still love the Note 8 and highly recommend it. If you have any questions that I don't answer in this review, feel free to comment and I'll respond back to you when I can. Thanks for all the "Helpful" votes!
My main reason for buying this tablet was/is to use it for taking lecture notes and reading books (college/work/technical books). I wanted something more portable than the Note 10.1 and this seemed to fill the void.
Since this product has only been out for a day (when this review was written), I've had a chance to play with most of the features but not all. This review is meant for those of you hanging on the fence, unsure of whether or not this tablet will work for you.
First off, to save yourself some time, if you have no intentions of using the stylus for taking notes or modifying photos then stop reading this right now. The stylus IS the reason this tablet costs more than the competition and in my opinion it's worth the price. Yes, there are more powerful tablets out there that are much cheaper but they don't have a stylus! This tablet is designed for the person who likes to read/write and/or do artwork/photo-shopping. If you don't need a stylus then you don't need to read this review (look at other products like the Nexus 7).
The Pros: Taking notes on this device is a dream (very precise, even for mathematicians)
-The hand-writing recognition feature is pretty darn accurate
-I can use Microsoft OneNote to take notes (yay!) See "comments" section for more info on this(page 2)
-Supports a 64GB micro-SD card (search Amazon for the Samsung card)
-The interface is snappy and the graphics are fluid (for the most part)
-Internet browsing and switching between programs is quick and smooth
-The device is easy to hold and is very lightweight
-The image quality is crisp, clear and bright
-Did I mention, I really love the pen and it's ability to glide across the screen effortlessly?
-The infrared remote feature is pretty slick and worked with my Panasonic T.V. without issue
-Comes with 50GB dropbox account (for storing and sharing files with others)
-Includes a $25 Google Play credit for downloading apps
-Very quick to charge (roughly 2 hours)
-Plastic finish is very slick and clean - Metal bends and scratches so pick your poison
The Cons:
-The price should be lowered by about $50 in my opinion because of the weak video card (see below)
-The device comes with Android 4.1.x and not 4.2.x (Samsung hasn't announced when they will release the "much improved" update)
***This no longer applies as I've found an app to replace this missing functionality*** -The following is a negative regarding Android and not the actual device: I made the mistake of buying a 64GB micro-SD card thinking I could store applications and games on it. Turns out, Android stripped out this feature and you can only put pictures, music and other "documents" on SD cards. So in short, the included 16GB of storage runs out before you know it (for power users). Save yourself the money, don't buy an SD-Card and use the DropBox service for storing all of your files
-The graphics card is kind of weak for playing graphic intensive games but this tablet isn't really meant for that. For example, I played "Real Racing 3" and my framerate was probably 20-30 FPS. Still playable but kind of choppy. Additionally, when I unlock the screen with the stylus, the "ink" effect can be sluggish at times with a noticeable frame rate drop. Maybe an update will fix this.
-Not really a con but lack of color selection(white)is kind of weak if you ask me - This can be fixed by putting it in a case.
Overall: I bought this device to take notes and it does that VERY well. I can write complex math formulas and draw nearly anything I can think of without pixelation issues or accuracy problems. The stylus IS the reason to buy this tablet. Don't go off of the specs or other reviewers who have emotional feelings toward this device. If you're serious about taking notes (college students and corporate employees), reading e-books and playing the occasional YouTube videos and browsing the internet, you found your golden nugget. I did A LOT of research to find a replacement for my convertible-laptop (stylus enabled laptop) and I believe the Galaxy Note 8 was the right choice.
I looked at the competition, even in the $1,000 price range and ultimately I chose this device. My complaint about the graphics card was to iterate the fact that this is not meant for hardcore gaming. Yes it will play Angry Birds and those other cheesy games but don't expect this to replace your IPad 3 or your modern smartphone. The graphic cards on those devices are way more powerful than what this little guy packs.
After thoughts: For what it's worth, you can go to Best Buy and purchase the tablet. If you think it's not right for you, you have 15 days to return it and get a 100% refund. If you're a "Silver" status member at Best Buy, you get 60 days to try it out. After using it for just one day, I'm sold on the device and plan on keeping it. Your mileage might very. But I believe the portability and the note taking features of this device far out-way the cons. Other reviewers compare this tablet to other tablets that don't even have a stylus. That's just not fair. That's like me comparing a wheel-chair (which has a specific purpose) to a bicycle (which has a different purpose). Yes, both will get you around but they are designed for specific needs and I personally feel that the Note 8 will satisfy those looking for a stylus enabled tablet at an affordable price.
275 of 288 people found the following review helpful.
By animalsrush
I have had the Galaxy Note 8.0 for a week now and decided to share my thoughts. I come from a heavy iOS/OSX background owning Ipad3,ipad Mini and Macbook air. This is my first Android tablet . I also own a Sony Xperia Ray android phone but use it mainly as phone. I also bought Xperia Tablet Z recently and had to return due to build issues after few weeks .. I won't get into specs or detailed reviews ( there are quite a few good ones out there) but will list out why i chose Galaxy Note 8.0
Build : Everyone is complaining about the plastic build of Galaxy note 8. It is actually very solid and has no squeaks. The backplate gives a little when you push it. However most will use a case to put their tablets so this is a non issue. the white plastic looks classy. Also as this is plastic the Wifi and bluetooth connections are solid. I get min 4 bars even in bedroom with router in living room. Compared this to ipad mini barely went upto 2 bars. Sony Xperia Tablet z was terrible ..It dropped connections so often it was unusable . However not a big fan of where power button and vol buttons are . I would have preferred power button on top and vol button on left so when i hold tablet they don't get pressed accidentally as this tablet is designed to be held in portrait mode. Also love the physical home button ( I think this because of habit i guess all Apple devices have them :) ). This tablet also weighs as much the ipad mini and Xperia tablet Z so it is very lightweight and easy to hold in one hand for long hrs.
Display : Even though the display is 1280x800 the display is very crisp. Movies and pictures look really great and text looks real good at decent reading distance. The display is way better than Ipad Mini but little bit lower than Xperia tablet Z which is 1080P. However i prefer the Galaxy note 8.0 display as it is easy on eyes. The colors popped so much on Xperia tablet Z it hurt my eyes. Small text ( try msn.com website) looks bit bad when you look closely . But you would never use tablet close to eyes anyways.
Battery life : I get about 2-3 days on single charge with moderate use browsing internet, watching YouTube, some games etc. Mind you I keep brightness to 25% , Bluetooth and GPS off , app notifications off. This decent but not as good as iPad mini.
SDXC card extension : This was the biggest sell for me. I bought a Sandisk 64 GB class 10 SD card and put about 40 movies on it and my books and i am all set for long trips. None of the ipads have the feature.
Non Propriety port: The charge port is micro USB. So with my universal USB charger i just need to carry one cable that will allow me to charge my MP3 player, my tablet, my cell phone and my portable amp as all use micro usb port. Reduced the clutter of cables i need to carry when i travel
Form factor : I was a big fan of Ipad mini for its form factor. I tried to use 10.1 inch tablet ( Sony Xperia Tablet Z) even though light became cumbersome after holding in hand for more than 30 mins. The 7 inch is too small , 10.1 inch too big , 8 inches just perfect for both reading books and watching movies. However i do prefer the 4:3 format of Ipad mini Vs 16:9 format of Android tablets.
Multi tasking : This is brilliant feature and this device allows to have two applications next to each other . This is good when you want to take notes and when browsing a website or a doc . Also the performance is so good there is zero lag even with 6 applications open in background. Ipad doesn't have true multi tasking and there was lag on Sony Xperia tablet Z even though it is high powered device. However that may be due to Sony's bad skinning of jelly bean
Performance/Touch Wiz : Samsung has heavily skinned jelly bean with touch wiz. However there is no lag as this tablet has gobs of power . The 2 GB RAM and quad core processor keep this humming along. I had sometimes 6 applications running in background which were cpu heavy but no lag or abrupt app closures. With Ipad mini apps sometime closed abruptly due to aggressive memory management. iOS is one of the best tuned OS and uses the HW properly . Android still needs horse power to run smoothly.
Speakers : They are placed in the same way it is on ipad mini. I like that because when i watch movies in landscape mode the sound is more rounded as my palms cup them. The are loud but not quite as loud as Ipad mini but way better than the ones on sony Xperia Tablet Z. The sound is loud enough to hear in a noisy env. I will not use the tablet for music as i have a very good Sony mp3 player with amp .. So the speakers are only for you tube videos or movies . Mostly i will use headphones anyways
IR blaster : IMO this is just a gimmick. The Watch on and Peel work for me only if i point my tablet at proper angle to the device it is controlling. The app has so little features. The one implemented on Sony Xperia Tablet Z is awesome. It recognized all my HT components complex menu options and controlled them without me having to point the tablet accurately at the device . However i am hoping someone will come up with an awesome remote app
S Pen : This feature is new to me so i am completely fascinated by the tech. It recognizes my handwriting well and i am using it regularly for my meetings ( Handwriting to text mode) . Need to play lot more with it but love the ability to do this . Not many tablets have this
Price : I think it is reasonably priced ( I bought mine for $379) for features and functions it provides. people don't seem to mind exorbitant prices apple charges for their devices because they are cool :) . Spen , SDXC extension, touchwiz all makes this tablet worth every penny
Ecosystem and OS : Android OS is not as polished as iOS even in its current Jelly bean format . However it is more fluid than ICS. As to apps there are quite a few now in play store that are designed for tablets. Luckily for me all the apps i use i found them in play store . Also android is more open . So it allows me to manage my files the way i want and also root the device if i choose to. It is open to other ecosystems like Amazon market place so i am not tied down to a single ecosystem. This is huge benefit as i was tired of Apple restricting everything to iTunes
Cameras: I will use them only for skype so no issue with the ones on the tablet. Will never use the back camera for taking pics so it doesn't matter to me what quality pics it takes. however what ever pics i took for testing were decent
Things i didn't like : The backbutton and multitask button are so sensitive that when watching movies i have accidentally swiped them and it went back to home page. there is no easy way to disable this . Also not a fan of the location of power button or vol rocker. However the samsung galaxy book cover case is alleviating this a bit ..
Overall it is a very solid tablet filled with ton of features and at reasonable price(IMO) on a very flexible and open ecosystem . You just can't beat that. Also it is way better than iPad mini (IMO)..
269 of 296 people found the following review helpful.
By Kidd32
If what you need is a device for watching movies or TV shows on, carry around in your coat pocket, in a purse, or small backpack, this is not the device for you. If that's your intention behind buying a small tablet, then there are better options for the price- much better bang for your buck if you must. This includes the Nexus and the slightly more expensive than the nexus but cheaper than this device Apple Ipad Mini (sorry that was a mouthful). However, if you like to or need to take notes and work in a setting where you are constantly on the move, need information quickly, have to organize information well, and increase your overall productivity - then this is the ONLY device I would personally recommend.
As someone who is in the medical field, this device gives me the ability to take patient history notes in an organized and secure manner. While there are other great note taking programs out there, the game changer for me personally was the S-Note program with its hand/wrist discrimination feature and hand to text mode. My handwriting is absolutely terrible but it does a phenomenal job of text recognition. You cannot do this on the iPad and other android devices. In the past, I even invested in a wrist discriminating sensor thing for the iPad and that was a HORRIBLE idea. Not only can and did damage my iPad screen, it also did terrible job writing where I was actually writing. The text was always distorted above the pen contact point.
Additionally, with this device, I was able to make a pdf template on my computer, import it into the SNote software and now use it to take patient history in a consistently organized manner. I never miss those frequently missed questions (like smoking, and packs a day, etc.). Some people have asked me why the the 8 over the 10, and the answer for me is very simple: I can't carry around a ten inch tablet in my white coat, it's just too big. The note fits perfectly in the inside and outside white coat pockets for men's sizes (>36), it sticks out a tiny bit in the smaller sizes (<32). My one recommendation, however, is to get a cover because you don't want to scratch your screen against your equipment or vice versa.
As a student, I can use this to annotate lecture notes and Powerpoints very easily. While the software can't import Power-point files, it's very easy to convert them into a PDF, especially on Office 2007 and then send it to yourself or load it onto the Dropbox. I can then import the pdf into Snote and note away.
As far as storage goes, these files aren't very big but if you are planning on using more storage (movie's etc.), then invest in an expandable memory. It's one of the big advantages of this device over the Ipad mini.
Yes it has a hefty price tag but the features are un-paralleled for productivity. However, the way I see it: you pay 300 for the premium specifications on the device, like the graphic card and processor, and another 100 for the S-pen feature. For me, it's an investment worth making if you are using it for the right reasons.
Battery Life: Great but depending on the frequency of use, might require charging.
Feel: I have big hands so it fit's pretty easily. It feels like holding note pad. If you have small hands and want to use this in a manner similar to what I do, try it at Best Buy first because I can see this being a problem for people with smaller hands. By try it, I mean really try it, pick it up and write on it for a few minutes.
Note taking tip: The only tip I can give so far is that if you are taking notes and are getting frustrated by your wrist hitting the buttons (menu + back), flip it 180 with the camera on the bottom and the buttons on top. Works like a charm for me.
If you have other questions, please feel free to ask. I will try to help in whatever way possible.
Update:
Importing tip: So this isn't the most intuitive of things for previous ipad/iphone users but to import files or even just bring up a menu while in a program, click on the button to the right of the "home button" (the one that lights up and looks like the top of a college ruled paper). I know this seems like a stupid tip but believe me - when I was first trying to figure out how to "import" things into S-note or find how to reach the table of contents in the Kindle App, I almost lost it.
S-pen compatibility: First thing, if you buy a new stylus, make sure you undock the previous stylus before using the new one. The new stylus will not work if you leave the old one in. Secondly, http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Pen-Stylus-Holder/dp/B0076Z3GMG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1367301937&sr=8-4&keywords=S-Pen+Samsung+Galaxy+Note, that stylus feels nice but the one that I bought is slightly off calibration and the text is a few mm off. If this isn't a big deal then go for it. However, if you are OCD, this can be really frustrating.
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