Samsung has announced today that the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet will be launching in the United States on April 11.
The new slate, which we went hands-on with at Mobile World Congress, will be sold in both brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy/Best Buy Mobile, h.h. gregg, Newegg, P.C. Richard & Son, Staples and TigerDirect.com.
The Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet runs Android version 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) on an 8-inch WXGA TFT touchscreen. It’s a response to the overwhelming popularity of the iPad mini and the trend towards smaller Android tablets pioneered by the Nexus 7.
Nestled inside is a respectable 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, bolstered by 2GB of RAM and a substantial 4,600 mAh battery. There’s also a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera – for those who don’t mind shooting outside with a tablet in front of their face – as well as 1.3 megapixel version on the front for video calls and the like.
Samsung has tried to innovate through its “intelligent” stylus, called the S Pen, which supports a number of the tablet’s exclusive software features such as S Note templates for document creation, editing and sharing.
From a hardware perspective, the tablet is in keeping with other devices that use the “Galaxy” branding, such as the Note II, Galaxy SIII and S4.
The device will be sold in white for $399.99. Samsung has been keen to emphasize, however, that it comes preloaded with content and services valued at over $200, including 50GB of free Dropbox storage over a two-year period and one month of unlimited streaming the Samsung Music Hub.
A wider international release is yet to be detailed, but when it does, TNW will be sure to let you know.
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