True to its word, Samsung previewed the Galaxy Note 8.0 right at the start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, introducing a device that can be called as a phablet, at least in select regions where it will be released.

Samsung set the commercial availability to occur starting April and most everyone will get the chance to own the Note 8.0 as the South Korean tech giant plotted a global rollout covering all continents.

The phablet feature, however, will not make it to some markets. U.S. consumers, for instance, will be limited to the device's tablet functions, which initial reviews said were basically extensions of what we've seen in the Tab and Note series.

According to ABC News, the S-Pen appears as the core hardware attraction of the Note 8.0.

"Samsung has enhanced the pen software experience. The Air View feature lets you hover the pen over specific Samsung apps so you can see previews of videos, emails or photos without actually launching the apps. The pen also now allows you to control the menu and back buttons on the device," ABC News said on its report.

Samsung packed its new device with a 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad CPU and 2GB RAM, Engadget said, noting too that bits of lags were experienced during the trial runs. The tech site allowed though that the new Note "could still benefit from software optimization," once the final version hits store shelves.

The Note 8.0 promises comfortable use for an extended amount of time, weighing only 338 grams that allows for more operating hours. With a 4600mAh battery, that prospect is a shoo-in, initial reviews have indicated.

Its 8-inch screen size makes it just the optimal gadget for eBook reading and Samsung provided the Reading Mode for that end, SlashGear said.

"This brand new Reading Mode you'll have transformed your Galaxy Note 8.0 into an eBook with optimized settings for the most well-balanced e-reading experience on any Galaxy Note device yet revealed," said the tech site.

And if some consumers relished the phone serving that Samsung has afforded for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, "the global version of the Note 8.0 also packs HSPA+ 21 connectivity (850/900/1900/2100MHz) ... you will be able to hold it up to your head and make voice calls," Engadget said.

No pricing is announced by Samsung at the moment but some experts are assuming that the price point hovers between $US200 and $US300, considering that power-packed as it is, the Note 8.0 betrays signs of scrimping from Samsung.

Instead of its signature Super AMOLED display screen, Samsung opted for the TFT LCD display to run on the Note 8.0's 1280 x 800 of screen resolution. Note too that for the Android vanilla, the new Samsung phablet's TouchWiz is teaming up with JellyBean 4.1.2.

Samsung Android Congress