Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs iPad Mini: Switching to 8-in Tablet

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or Apple iPad mini -- Which small tablet is the right device for you? The iPad mini, which was unveiled in October and released November last year quickly left store shelves by the millions in just a couple of days.

Galaxy Note 8, which has just been unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is quickly creating a lot of buzz, too. Here is a quick look at the specs of the two small tablets.

If you have just recently begun considering shifting to an 8-inch screen, may this help you decide which factors are most important to you.

iPad mini vs Galaxy Note 8: Display and Specs Under the Hood

Here's a clip of Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in a PocketNow YouTube video.

Screen Display. The Note 8 features an 8-inch display (1280 x 800 pixels) at 189 pixels per inch. The LED-backlit Multi-Touch display of the iPad mini screen measures 7.9-inch (1024 x 768) at 163 ppi in pixel density. Based on pixel count, the Note 8 display should be crisper if not more stunning, at least on paper.

Chipset Power. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is powered by the Exynos 4 chipset, which has a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, the Mali 400 GPU, and 2 GB of RAM. The iPad Mini brain is in the Apple A5 chipset, which has a 1 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, the PowerVR GPU, and 512 MB of DDR2 RAM. Apps gamers and multi-taskers will be happier with the Note 8. It seems the "bigger boy" of the two based on hardware power.

Extra Storage. Samsung appears to be intent on killing the iPad mini by offering a micro SD card slot for up to 64 GB of expansion. Note 8 buyers can choose from 32 and 64 GB variants. iPad mini does not support storage expansion, and buyers can choose from 16, 32 and 64 GB models.

Camera and Battery. Both devices offer a 5-MP primary camera and above 1-MP front-facing camera. It is not likely for users to choose a tablet based on camera features. But at least you know both are pretty much on the same level here. As for battery, it's 4600 mAh and 4400 mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer, for Note 8 and iPad mini, respectively. There is hardly any difference in the numbers, but longer hands-on reviews later will provide more information.

Weight and Dimensions. The iPad mini is difficult to beat when it comes to lightness. It's 308 g vs 338 g here, in favour of the mini. Galaxy Note 8 measures 211 x 136 x 7.95 mm. In contrast, the iPad mini figure is set to 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm -- thinner and lighter.

Pocketnowvideo was at Barcelona for the Galaxy Note 8 unveiling (among others). The tech news site was able to compare the iPad mini chassis against the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Nexus 7. THe Apple device appears to look and feel outstanding against the two small tablets. Think metallic against rubber-y against something "hyper-glazed." (Scroll down to watch the video.)

VIDEO: iPad mini vs Nexus 7 vs Galaxy Note 8 (PocketNow video)