In Samsung’s marketing scheme to offer a wide variety of sizes for their tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch stands above its Galaxy Tab 3 brethren. For those that cannot afford the more expensive Samsung Note 8”, the Tab 3 8” is an excellent option for $100 cheaper than the Note. Aside from being cheaper, the Tab 3 8” is also thinner and lighter than its Note counterpart.
In terms of the Tab 3 products, the 8” model offers the best set of features including: a sharp, bright screen, excellent performance, comfortable design and Samsung’s multiwindow feature that allows users to run two apps simultaneously on the screen (something its larger 10” brother does not offer).
The Tab 3 8” runs on Android 4.2.2 and skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz for plenty of exclusive software such as the remote control/TV Guide component. The removal of the array tab offers users who game on their device full-screen access.
When looking at the hardware, this tablet has modest specs compared to other tablets in the size range such as the iPad mini and even the Kindle Fire HD. It comes with 1.5 gHZ dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16/32GB of internal storage with an expandable microSD slot. The screen is a full 8” with a resolution of 800 x 1280 megapixels and fully capacitive touchscreen. In addition, the Tab 3 8” comes with a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3MP forward facing camera. The device itself measures in at a slim 8mm thickness and 0.76 pounds in weight, slightly heavier than the iPad mini.
While the Galaxy Tab 3 8” does offer the best specs and features out of the entire Tab 3 line, it is not priced competitively in the small tablet market. Other tablets like the Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7 offer better screen resolution and computing power than the Tab 3 8” for a lower cost. At $300, the Tab 3 8” is only $30 cheaper than the iPad Mini which boasts the best app ecosystem. In addition, the tablet has back-facing speakers, leading to poor speaker quality There is also no FM Radio or NFC support available on this tablet.
Despite some of the drawbacks, the Galaxy Tab 3 8” is worth a look for people looking to purchase a tablet in the Tab 3 lineup. The Tab 3 8” comes in three variants: WiFi only, 3G and LTE.
The Good: Slim design measuring in at 8mm thickness, multiwindow feature, excellent performance of its 1.5 gHZ Exynos processor.
The Bad: Expensive for a tablet of its size and specs ($30 cheaper than an iPad Mini), poor speaker quality, no NFC support.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Dan Gardiner, APCIf you’re patient and not too demanding this is a mini tablet that can still get the job done, but if you’re spending $300, we’d be inclined to stretch up to the newer Nexus 7 — which you won’t want to replace 6 months down the track.
- Romain Thuret, Digital VersusThe Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is no landmark event on the tablet calendar, but it's an easy choice if you're looking for an Android slate to watch shows, browse the web and play the odd game on—for not too much money. It's a been-there-done-that kind of design, but it's still a good-looking, well-built...
- James Stables, TechRadarIf you look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and add up all of these factors, it doesn't look good for the Samsung. Combine the high price, poor performance and below par build quality, and it's hard to find any reason to recommend this new Samsung Tab.
- Anil Satapathy, The Mobile IndianThough the tablet impressed us with its performance and quality, we really were surprised to see no headset in the review unit box. However, some online retailers are offering headsets with the tablet. In a nutshell, it is a very good tablet which looks classy and performs better than many low...
- Michael Sawh, TrustedReviewsThe Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 tablet is a solid performer and has a decent screen, but it’s overpriced for what you get. There are cheaper more impressive alternatives to spend your money on instead. It feels like Samsung isn't even trying here.
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