After a long struggle in the 10-inch tablet, Apple finally chimed Android vendor to make a small tablet the iPad Mini, with a 7.9 inch screen. As the biggest competitor as well as one of the pioneers of 7-inch tablet, Samsung certainly do not want to lose. They strengthen the ranks of small tablets with the release of the Galaxy Note 8.0. As the name suggests, the tablet is equipped with 8-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels (189 ppi density) with OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Exynos 4 Quad processor ARM Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz speed with Mali400 GPU, support 2GB of RAM and an internal memory of 16 / 32GB with a microSD card slot. And do not miss a hallmark of the series Note, the S-Pen stylus and the ability to draw or write like on paper.
Design and Body
To design, Note 8 inches is taking a different grip of his brother, Note 10.1. If the Note 10.1 tend to be more serious with the body of the box, then take the Note 8.0-curved curved design style Samsung Galaxy SIII. In fact, basically 8 inch tablet Samsung Galaxy SIII is a giant. But the difference, the side frame when the tablet in portrait position remains thick. Bezel that surrounds the tablet is enough to make an impression and exclusive premium arises, however, when touched, felt that overall the tablet is made of plastic.
The back of the tablet is quite interesting, there are patterns that emerge subtly, holographic patterns such as the LG Nexus 4, but not overpowering like Google's mobile phone. Overall this tablet ergonominya pretty good, the grip is really fitting, with a curved body tablet. Grasped the hand is not a big problem for this tablet, with portability which is clearly higher than the 10 inch big brother. Weighing about 338 grams weight of this tablet feels very light, especially Note 8.0 feels very thin with a thickness of 8mm. Oh yes, the tablet is part of the back cover can not be opened, so the battery replacement must dismantle the tablet.
The front of this tablet is no screen, no front camera on top and light and proximity sensors. There is also the earpiece, indicating the tablet can be used to teleponan. Below the screen is exactly the SGS III, no physical Home button flanked touch Menu and Back buttons. Port micro SD and SIM karti there on the left, while on the right there is the lock / power and volume adjustment buttons. 3.5 mm audio jack on the top of the tablet, while the micro USB port and two loudspeakers at the bottom. It allows the stereo effect, but the position does not fit, should its position at the top and at the bottom of the tablet, so there is a stereo sensation while watching videos in landscape position. Already uses a micro USB charger, no longer port pin connector like the Galaxy Tab or Note 10.1.
Screen
For the problem of the screen, frankly though the resolution is superior to Note 8.0 iPad Mini (1280x800 vs 1024x768), the screen quality is still below the 8.0 Note that its competitors. Not that screen 8.0 Note ugly, it's just a standard and not a punchy look like the Apple tablet, in terms of contrast, brightness and viewing angle. White colors seem a little less bright, while for a nice black color. Obviously, the quality of its PLS screen one level higher than the Galaxy Tab 2 (both versions 7 and 10.1 inches) and is equivalent to the Galaxy Note 10.1. There are several display modes such as Dynamic, Standard and Movie.
Interface
Note 8.0 using the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, so the performance helped by the Project Butter. Overall performance of this tablet is good, although of course depends on your usage, but the quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM diusungnya have a very qualified for your daily needs. In addition, of course, this tablet uses the TouchWiz interface, which has effects such as the SGS III Nature and Android phones from Samsung lately. Suppose on the lockscreen, that is the effect of water sweep. If you use the S Pen stylus to unlock the screen, there is an interesting effect of ink strokes, color can be changed in the Settings menu-Personal-Lock Screen. There are other modes such as Face Unlock, Face and Voice Unlock, Pattern, PIN, Password. Lock Screen you can customize by adding shortcuts, ticker, clock, weather and so on.
On the homescreen which consists of 5 pages, you can add two additional pages, widgets, application shortcuts, wallpapers, folder and page by holding the screen for a few seconds. Specific widget size can be changed. The bar in the taskbar notification also no longer appear at the bottom, but now there are over, such as an Android phone. In the notification bar shortcuts (quick toggle) for WiFi, GPS, Reading Mode, Voice profiles, screen rotation and many more are available in the Settings-Display-Notification Panel. Also there is no access to change the screen brightness. If you use the auto though, you can still change the screen brightness as much as 10 degrees.
App drawer pages featuring apps in the form of 5x6. Divided into three namely Apps and Widgets and Apps Downloaded. The interface can be reshuffled, can also alphabetically. Certain applications can hide apps from the drawer.
There are many settings for the interface on Samsung's latest tablet. Among other things, you can use Easy Mode, to experience the use of the Home Screen easier for the first time using a tablet. There is a Reading Mode feature to optimize the use of the tablet for reading, but only applies to certain apps such as Google Books and Readers Hub. Then there is the Smart Stay, stay alive as long as the screen of your eyes look to the screen. There are also setting the type and size of the font, the text klaritas level and others.
Input Text, Contacts and Messaging
Feel keyboard layout does not fit with your hands? Just pinch the area of the keyboard, then there will be a third option layout modes: standard, floating and split. For the keyboard and input method that is used only Google voice typing and Samsung Keyboard with features such as input languages, text prediction, auto capitalization and others. In addition, as an alternative there is also a handwriting recognition by using the S Pen. Setting handwriting recognition modes include time, pen thickness, color, type of introduction and guide to writing your first time using this method.
Contacts menu is divided into three parts, namely the group, and all your favorite contacts. As with other Android devices, you can synchronize contacts with your Gmail account, ChatOn, Facebook, Twitter and others, but you must first install the application of social networking. 8 inch tablet you can use to phone should a phone, but of course ready for it, you will look weird.
Available for messaging is SMS, MMS, email through Gmail and other accounts, as well as the form ChatOn Instant Messenger, Google+ Messenger and Google Talk. Of course you can install a variety of email clients and IM applications from third parties.
Camera and Video Recorder
Samsung pinning 5MP resolution camera and 1.3 MP front camera for 8 inch tablet. Although it is a tablet, features the main camera is very much including: Shooting modes (single, panoramic, share shot, buddy photo share, smile shot and cartoon), timer, effects, brightness, Scene (portrait, sports, indoor and forth ), resolution, white balance, ISO, metering, and voice control. The latter lets you take pictures with a voice command such as Smile, Cheese, Capture and Shoot. To focus mode, you can perform the focus by touching objects on the screen. You can use the volume buttons to zoom, but its function can be modified to shoot button. 5 pieces of shortcuts on the camera interface can be changed according to what you need.
Video recording is only given a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels only, its features include: GPS, timer, effects, the level of exposure, resolution, white balance and video quality. You can use the volume buttons to zoom, but its function can be modified to shoot button. 5 pieces of shortcuts on the camera interface can be changed according to what you need. Recording time you can touch the objects on the screen to vary the focal point.
Photo Gallery
Photos can be grouped by album, the (tags), Group, Favorite well as the location and time. Inlaid with videos, photo galleries looks good. Folder on the right, then the rest thumbnail of photos and videos there. Thumbnail size can be enlarged or otherwise by pinching the screen. Also there is a spiral fashion look attractive. Photos can you enter to list Starred, shared, used as slideshows, face tag, add frames, given a note with your scribbles, crop, in-print, rename and perform simple editing. You can directly add a new folder in the gallery. The details of the image such as camera model, focal length, ISO, exposure and other EXIF data can be read.
Players Video
Galaxy Note 8.0 has an integrated video player application. Video you can see by thumbnail, list, folder, other than that you can use WiFi to see a video of the device whose position near. As with other Samsung devices, the capabilities of the default video player is quite capable. Starting from a variety of codecs that can be played, until the complementary features. Recorded video formats can we rotate among others: .mkv (1080p, 2GB for a 2 hour movie), .mp4, .wmv, .avi. Although only a video recorder capable of recording up to 720p, but for the video player formats we write can support up to 1080p, without fractures. Moreover, this tablet screen has a screen sharpness better than most tablets, so watch HD video more pleasing to the eye. These features are available when playing the video include: Sound Alive (normal, voice, Movie and Virtual 7.1 channel), auto off, tone color (normal, warm, cold) weather add tags, tag friends, and share. Subtitle .srt format reads smoothly, with some settings such as synchronization, font size, language and subtitle options. Certainly not miss the Pop Up Play function that allows you to play videos while doing other things on the tablet. When in a state of Pop Up Play mode, you can zoom-in zoom-out by doing the pinch on the video.
Music Players
Note the default music player on 8.0 there are two, the music player from Google and Samsung built-in music player. For the default music player Samsung, zoom type with photo galleries and videos with a white background and a screen divided between categories and songs in it. Sound settings using SoundAlive, with a variety of equalizer options such as pop, rock, dance, jazz and so on, and of course your own homemade custom equalizer. Good sound quality stereo loudspeaker, crisp and tight, though certainly good in the standard mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Connectivity
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900, GPRS and EDGE class 12
- HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 with HSDPA up to 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
- Infrared port (as a TV remote)
- USB 2.0 with micro USB port models
- micro SD card slot (max. 64GB)
- aGPS
Browser
To surf the web there are two options and Chrome the default browser. For the default browser to open up to 16 tabs. Its features include Incognito, share page, Find, Desktop view, save for offline, print and arrangements such as auto fill, privacy settings and security, accessibility and others. Also features and other options such as cache, cookies, history, autofit, javascript encoding and others. For many accessibility options to choose from such as scale text, zoom, the smallest font size is displayed, as well as invert the colors. Browser performance good, even if you open a site filled with a lot of content. Moreover, this tablet default browser supports multi windows from Samsung, making it possible to surf the web while looking at pictures or videos in the gallery for example.
Features Multi Windows
Samsung is not wasted on spec class in Note 8.0, the features include Multi Windows. This feature runs quite smoothly, with some applications that support such as a photo gallery, video player, browser, Note, and so on. The way is easy, by holding the Back button for a few seconds, then on the left display will show the applications that are ready to run concurrently. Then, select an application icon, drag it to the desired screen. The size of the screen that you can use a drag apps for bigger or vice versa. Performance is smooth, although you play Full HD video of the default video player to play HD video simultaneously on Youtube application though. Obviously, this feature will be very useful as a productivity enhancer features, and be a plus for the Note 8.0. Details, please see the video below:
S Pen
8.0 Note S Pen Stylus equipped with. Despite its size remains smaller than most of the pen, but certainly more convenient to use than the S Pen in Note 2 for example. Now tap Menu and Back buttons below the screen you can use the S-Pen. When used at the top of the screen was different gripnya, the new S Pen-grip feel more bold than the S Pen old. To make a screenshot you can press a button on the S Pen and hold the stylus on the screen for a few seconds. Results screenshots taken directly to the Edit menu at the Gallery. S-Pen also supports the following three features, namely: Water View (preview the content or the menu without having to touch the S-Pen to the screen, apply at S-Note, email, video, photo galleries and S-Planner), Easy Clip (do the outline on the screen and then clicking crop the section to then be edited or shared), and quick command (quickly activate specific commands using gestures with the S-Pen).
Sample Quick Command can do (All gesture performed by holding down the S-Pen):
- ^ shaped streaking on the screen will open the menu (same function as the menu button).
- make scratches shaped
while dragging the text to the Text Selection. - streaking toward the top of the screen to do a quick comand, then make the following symbols:? (do internet search), @ (email)! (maps), # (make calls) and ~ (create a SMS message), then followed by the keyword. Suppose wrote:! Mall Taman Anggrek, then you will be taken to Maps showing the location of Taman Anggrek Mall.
- able to crop the image directly on the screen, so you crop the screen just as you like, the crop can be shared via email, edited using the S Note, or will be stored in the clipboard and scrapbook.
There are 5 types of inputs to the S-Note the Pen, Brush, Brush Calligraphy, Pencils and Stabilo. In addition there are levels of thickness and color choice very much. You can also add a good image of the gallery, camera, clip art, clipboard, Idea Sketch, Text box, Shape or folder. If an error occurs while writing or drawing, there are features of eraser and undo (and redo). You can change the background color of white, striped memo, mathematical papers, as well as sheet music tones. You can export images to the Gallery and shared via SocialHub, AllShare, Picasa, Facebook and so on.
Many features are available, such as Idea sketch (in this mode, suppose you write the Dog, it will display pictures of dogs, but certainly the idea sketch provided limited). There are also features of the Productivity Tools, with each Formula Match (automatically recognizes mathematical formulas that you write on the screen), Shape Match (recognizing geometric shapes that you draw and smoothed) and Handwriting to Text. You can record the times when you use the S-Note. To prevent your hands come touch the screen, you can make order in the area of S-Note's touch screen tablet only recognize the S-Pen only.
Benchmark Results:
- AnTuTu: 16 869 points
- Quadrant Standard: 6774 points
- NenaMark 2: 59.7 frames per second
- Multitouch Tester: up to 10 touches at once
Battery Life
Equipped with a 4600 mAh battery, nothing special about the durability of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. Only used in WiFi mode, within 1 hour 28 minutes we tried almost all the features to make screenshots in this review. Conditions wear screen brightness level of about 40 percent of the screen almost never die, the result is the battery drops from 58 percent to 41 percent aka decreased 17 percent in almost 1.5 hours. If the time is used for browsing the whole, of the percentage reduction of the battery will be bigger again.
Conclusion
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 8.0 emphasizes superior productivity compared to other similar tablets. Performance is for the size of the Android tablet includes upscale. Used for fun, such as video, gaming, music, this tablet can still satisfy most users. So for those of you who want to find a medium-sized tablet with the ability All-Round, the tablet is the answer. Unfortunately like Samsung devices in general, the design and feel of the hardware obtained from tablets which cost Rp. 5.5 million is still relatively weak, especially when compared to the Apple iPad.
Pros:
- S-Pen and S-Note
- Multiscreen Mode and Pop Up Video
- A fairly complete video codec
- good performance
- Stereo loudspeakers are powered and quality
- micro SD slot
- Micro USB port
- plastic body
- Mediocre screen quality
- Only 720p video recording
