Galaxy Note 8.0 vs iPad Mini

Monday, February 25, 2013

Galaxy Note 8.0 vs iPad Mini

The 10.1-inch Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet too big? The 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 too small to be your tablet but too big to be your phone? Okay, I bet the newly released Galaxy Note 8.0 will be just right for you!

Samsung has announced its new 8-inch, Android tablet at Mobile World Congress 2013, and hopes its new software features and the portable size will make Galaxy Note 8.0 standout, especially against Apple's iPad Mini. Before I start the full comparison between the Galaxy Note 8.0 and iPad Mini, let us firstly check out the basic features of Galaxy Note 8.0:

Basic features of Galaxy Note 8.0:

1. Powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM
2. Feature a 1280 x 800-resolution WXGA screen
3. 5-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front
4. Improved S-Pen Software that is ever shipping with Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Note 2
5. Run Google's Android 4.2.1 OS
6. Smarter Remote (The tablet has an IR blaster and Samsung's new Smart Remote app)
7. Be out in the second quarter of 2013
8. No exact pricing and availability in the US

Here is a quick look at how they compare across various parameters:

Screen:

The Galaxy Note 8.0 screen comes with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels which comes to 189 pixels-per-inch (ppi) since it an 8-inch device. In terms of screen resolution, the Note 8.0 is kicking the iPad Mini hard. The iPad Mini in contrast has a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and 163 ppi. Obviously, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is a bit sharper.

Processor:

To make sure everything runs smoothly, Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 powers with its Exynos 4 Quad chip, the same one found in Samsung's fiery-hot phablet, the Galaxy Note 2. While Apple gave the iPad Mini a last-generation A5 chip, first introduced in 2011's iPad 2.

Camera:

The Note has a 5-megapixel back camera (plus a 1.3-megapixel one on the front for video calls). The iPad Mini has very similar camera capabilities. Its back camera is also 5-megapixel, while the front camera is slightly less powerful at 1.2MP.

Battery:

From above, you will find that Samsung's Note 8 holds a bit more battery life than the iPad Mini's. The Note 8.0 has a 4600 mAH battery which comes to around 17 watt-hour and so is slightly bigger than the iPad mini which has a 16.3-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. However, what you should bear in mind is there are many other factors determine actual battery life.

RAM:

The Note 8.0 quadruples the iPad Mini's mere 512MB of RAM.

We all know that few tasks in iOS require massive amounts of RAM, but you may find that recent apps close quicker on the iPad Mini than on, say, the iPad 4.

Storage

Samsung's Note 8 comes in two variants— 16GB and 32GB. Unlike Apple's mini-tablet, its memory is expandable up to 64GB using a microSD card. The iPad Mini comes in three variants — 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB.

Wireless

Both tablets ship in both Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + mobile data models. In some regions, Samsung's will be LTE-capable. Apple also offers a pricier LTE iPad Mini.

The Note 8 could make phone calls, which is obviously a big plus. It is not just a mini-tablet but also a pretty big smartphone.

Intangibles

The S Pen is the brightest point of Galaxy Note 8. Clearly Samsung is counting on the S Pen to steal consumers away from the iPad Mini, and has upgraded it to work better on tablet devices.

So what will Apple's response be to this threat from Samsung? Probably the next generation iPad Mini – iPad Mini 2? Guys, welcome to join in my discussion. Your thoughts is greatly appreciated!

Table for Reference