Reviews for Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 are coming out and it is not the perfect small tablet around but is excellent enough to give its major foes, the iPad Mini and Google Nexus 7 2, a really good fight.

Samsung nearly got the right iPad Mini killing menu with the Galaxy Note 8.0, but with a tag price higher than the device, it is supposed to annihilate, with the Apple pedigree to boot, the choice is easier for many.

Where the Note 8.0 fell short, the Tab 3 8.0 comes in. It is affordable and gorgeous despite it being wrapped in a body-material made of polycarbonate plastic, which according to CNET is not cheap at all, in terms of look and feel.

As the third-gen Galaxy Tab, Samsung made sure that the Tab 3 8.0 is sexed up with slimmed down bezel around its 8-inch screen and a full dimension that is within the range of both the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 2. Pitted with the Apple and Google slates, the latest Samsung tablet could easily hold its own and buyers have three irresistible reasons to pick it up over its equally-tempting rivals.

Form factor

Picture a blown out Galaxy S4, and it is indeed the Tab 3 8.0. So far, the GS4 has successfully lured 20 million buyers and it would be hardly surprising for the latter to measure up with the milestone. Like the Mini, this Tab is a certified attention-grabber, which is especially true with the white version - cute and immaculate.

A review by Gotta Be Mobile concluded that despite its bigger heft than the Mini, the Tab 3 8.0 is comfortable to handle. Wielding the device anywhere is a delight and it is easy to lug around, pocketable even on mini-size bags.

And the slate is just a pure beauty, reviewers said, virtually equal with the iPad Mini and downright prettier than both the Nexus 7 2 and its predecessor.

Mid-range hardware specs

Powering the Tab 3 8.0 is the tandem of a dual-core 1.5GHz chip and a 1.5GB RAM with Jelly Bean 4.2.2. Screen resolution is at 1280 x 800 and pixel density is 189ppi. In general, consumers are getting a major upgrade from the Mini via the Samsung device, which in turn will tussle decently with the Nexus 7 2, given the rumoured high-end spec for the Google tablet proved true.

Clearly, there are tradeoffs included with this Tab 3 variant but so was the iPad Mini, yet the latter collected more than 20 million buys for two reasons - it is Apple and it has sex appeal. The same can be said about the Tab 3 8.0, and judging from the relatively good performance of its predecessors, it is highly likely that Samsung finally cooked up the tablet it can brand as its flagship. As CNET said, this device will be aided by good performance and comfortable design on its way to success.

Superb software and pricing make the Tab 3 8.0 a winner

This tablet is Jelly Bean 4.2.2 with the latest TouchWiz skin on top - the mix, according to GBM, plus the tablet's impressive capabilities and trimmed-down footprint "should place the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 at the top of a shopper's short list when browsing for a 7- or 8-inch tablet."

While CNET opined that lower than $300 pricing would have made the Tab 3 8.0 lovelier, "it's still a pretty satisfying package," compared to the Galaxy Note 8.0. Pricier, the Note 8 edges out the Tab 3 because of its quad-core CPU and stylus, which for many would be easy to give up in exchange for lower price and sufficiently-powered chip.

Tablet shoppers will mostly find the device as a "do-it-all tablet ... (with emphasis on) productivity, entertainment and portability," GBM said on its report.