Galaxy Note 8 reviews indicate this small tablet (a phablet outside the U.S.) has features that can make a prospective iPad mini 2 buyer forget about any Apple device. Then again, some Apple users have been accustomed to certain Apple look and feel. Suffice it to say that Note 8, scheduled for release within Q2 2013, is shaking up the game and sparking renewed interest from the Samsung-curious.

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Galaxy Note 8 Reviews: Hands-on reports from MWC reviewers

The Note 8 has just been unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Here is a round-up of Galaxy Note 8 reviews for those wondering what the fuss is all about.

"At 335g it's significantly lighter than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and only a shade heavier than an iPad mini. It feels comfortable," starts wired.co.uk.

"The Galaxy Note 8.0 is comfortable to operate with one hand, the form factor is ideal for reading books or watching videos," reports ubergizmo.com.

"Samsung Galaxy Note 8's top features (Wacom digitiser layer and S-Pen stylus combo) lets you write with a virtual pen on the touchscreen, and offers pressure sensitivity - which you don't get with a standard capacitive touchscreen," highlights trustedreviews.com.

"The processor here - a 1.6GHz quad-core beast - is powerful and keeps the Note 8.0 running at top speed," reports t3.com. "This is a strikingly different tablet to others on the market, thanks to its bright, competent screen, large but manageable size and that Samsung speciality, the S Pen," the site concludes.

Galaxy Note 8 vs iPad mini: Samsung winning comparative reviews?

Many reviewers pointed out the Note 8 is an iPad mini competition. And in many aspects, Samsung is winning the specs comparison game.

Samsung packed its small tablet with a micro SD card slot for up to 64 GB of expansion. This comes on top of the 32 and 64 GB storage variants from which buyers can choose. Apple iPad mini does not support storage expansion.

Even at the iPad mini's best feature - the thin and light aspect - the Note 8 is proving itself a worthy competition. Galaxy Note 8 measures 211 x 136 x 7.95 mm. The iPad mini figure is set to 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm. The small Apple tablet is only slightly slimmer than the Note 8. It's only slightly lighter, too, at 308 g.

Galaxy Note 8 Release Date is Q2 2013, Price Remains a Mystery

The Galaxy Note 8 release date will fall around the second quarter of the year. Samsung has yet to announce Note 8 pricing, but analysts expect a price tag competitive to that of iPad mini.

VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Review - Hands On (PocketNowVideo)

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