Galaxy Note 8.0 Rumor Roundup: What We Know So Far About iPad Mini Rival Tablet in Tow For MWC 2013

Last year at MWC 2012, Samsung splashed the tech arena with the launch of two stunning 10 inch tablets - Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Tab 2 10.1. Both the tablets secured decent sales through out the year, and are right now being considered as one of the best tablets which the market has to offer.

Now it is 2013, and the MWC event is back again. Hence, the rumors regarding the upcoming Samsung tablet - Galaxy Note 8.0 are surfacing online. After multiple leaks and rumors of the tablet coming to fight the likes of Apple's iPad Mini, has been confirmed by the company official to launch at MWC 2013.

While most of the specifications have been leaked alongside a render of the tablet, the price of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is still a mystery. However, a recent report from Digitimes has claimed that the 8-inch Samsung tablet will be priced between $250 to $300 (approx. Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,500).

Though the tech media world, spectators and industry experts are eagerly waiting to avail some official information regarding the tablet, the company seems to remain tight-lipped regarding the device, except for the confirmation on its launch.

Based on the earlier reports and speculations, Gizbot has come up with all the specification details of the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet.

What Features to Expect?

According to earlier reports and speculations, Galaxy Note 8.0 is rumored to come packed with an an 8 inch Super Clean LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, 1.6GHz quad core Exynos 4412 processor, micro SD card slot, 16GB/32GB internal storage, 2GB RAM, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera for video calling, Wi-Fi, micro USB 2.0, A-GPS, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 4,600 mAh battery.

S-Pen stylus support

Galaxy Note 8.0 is not only speculated to pack exciting specifications as mentioned above, but also come with S-Pen support as its bigger brother - Galaxy Note 10.1. Further, the tablet is also claimed to be loaded with a collection of S-Pen applications.

Release Date

After a confirmation from Samsung's VP JK Shin, it is clear that the South Korean tech titan will take the wraps off Galaxy Note 8.0 at MWC 2013. When it comes to availability, tech experts predict that the device will be released in Q2 2013.

Going by the earlier reports, Galaxy Note 10.1, which was launched at MWC 2012 was released only in August, which is almost six months after its launch. Hence, a similar release schedule is expected for the 8 incher as well.

Galaxy Note 8.0 Price

As mentioned above, a recent report suggests that Samsung might price Galaxy Note 8.0 in the range of $250 to $300 (approx. Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,500).

Competitive Rival iPad Mini

If the current rumored specifications of the Galaxy Note 8.0 turn out to be authentic then the upcoming device would surely prove to be stiff competitor to iPad Mini - the 7.9 inch miniature of the tablet market dominator launched in October 2012.

Speaking of specifications, iPad Mini has a packs a 7.9 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, which is not a Retina Display, 1GHz dual core Apple A5 processor, PowerVR GPU, 5MP iSight rear camera, 1.2MP front camera for video calling, iOS 6, 16GB/32GB/64GB internal storage, 512MB RAM, Lightning port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 16.3 Whr Li-Po battery delivering up to 10 hours backup.

When it comes to pricing, iPad Mini is priced at Rs 21,900, Rs 26,900 and Rs 31,900 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi only variants and Rs 29,900, Rs 35,900 and Rs 41,900 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G variants.

Galaxy Note 8.0 can be a competitor to the iPad Mini provided it comes with a price starting at Rs 16,500 approximately.