Galaxy Note 8 released in SA

Samsung today announced the release in South Africa of the Galaxy Note 8.0, competing head-on with the iPad mini. Here are the full specs…

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of what it calls “the world’s first 8 inch tablet, the Galaxy Note 8.0″”.

It says the device is “”set to re-ignite the mid-size tablet category that Samsung established in 2010″”. It is a space invaded dramatically by Apple in late 2012, when it released the 7.9″” iPad mini. The two devices look uncannily similar and, aside from the hype that suggests Samsung is occupying a new niche, the “”mini”” has turned the 8″” format into a hotly contested slice of the market.

Samsung has come up with a significant differentiator, however: it says the product is built for the business user, “”be it an individual looking for a great personal and business device or the CIO looking for the perfect productivity tool to implement within the business””.

‚””Back in 2010 the launch of the first Samsung Galaxy Tab with 7 inch screen opened a new chapter in the mobile industry,””says Craige Fleischer, Director of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa.””

In fact, Samsung was so successful in the 7″” format, it heralded a flood of competing devices that eventually took 7″” to more than 40% of the tablet market.””

Fleischer adds: “”Now, almost three years later, Samsung continues to evolve the sector that meets the demands of modern life the ultimate work/life tool, creating a multi-tasking, productivity environment that is unparalleled in the industry.

‚””The Galaxy Note 8.0 breaths fresh life into the category as it delivers the perfect fusion of portability and everyday productivity – the result is a pioneering, compact solution that enhances and enriches our everyday lives, whether at work or play.‚””

Samsung provided the following overview of the new device:

At the core of the Galaxy Note 8.0’s innovative solutions are beneficial functions, including multi-window options to split the portable 8inch screen and allow optimal access to a number of live applications: a new generation of Samsung’s intelligent S Pen with advanced usability: access to a suite of S Note templates and tools that allow you to create, edit, manage and share everyday documents: the Samsung ‚””reading mode‚”” technology to enjoy e books with optimised resolution, video and voice calls. Using an intelligent S Pen, you can now enjoy the ease of a traditional pen and paper but with the latest in notebook technological innovation, creating a sophisticated mobile experience that will enhance life on the go. In addition, a suite of exciting new content and services are pre-loaded for users at no additional cost including, for the very first time on Samsung Galaxy tablet, the innovative Flipboard, and Awesome Note.

A smart diary for life on the go

Slim and compact enough to become the perfect on-the-go work and play companion, the Galaxy Note 8.0 brings powerful performance and functionality to support even the most demanding of lifestyles. Designed to store and manage your personal and professional data efficiently, this new era device gives users the perfect pocket-sized hands-on organisational tool and as a result, is ideal as a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) tool to use in the workplace. Practical S Note templates and S Planner feature help to manage everyday tasks, including meeting notes, to-do lists and even personal diary entries. All content can be entered and updated with the finest of detail thanks to the evolution of the intelligent Samsung S Pen. Enhanced precision is offered with Handwriting-to-Text conversion and advanced Productivity Tools that support formula and shape recognition are now available at the touch of your S Pen.

New content and services

Galaxy Note 8.0 is packed with pre-loaded content and apps specifically for the mass multimedia, value-maximising, consumer. Upgraded Chat-On provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in multiple formats images, video, voice, contacts for simple, enjoyable communication. Awesome Note, an integrated application that is introduced in android tablet for the first time with Note 8.0, is capable of near-unlimited note-taking uses including Memo, Diary and Must-remember lists. With Flipboard, your RSS, social network and other feeds come together in one stylish, flip-able format so you can enjoy all your news and life’s great moments in one place. Flipboard developed a customised version of its application exclusively for Samsung’s Note 8.0 that allows users to take the S Pen’s hover feature and preview article headers beneath Flipboard’s main screen tiles. Finally, Smart Remote, gives you a universal remote control and electronic programming guide allowing you to manage TV and video watching seamlessly.

A new age of S Pen intelligence

Optimised to aid personalised creativity, the Samsung S Pen has evolved to increase everyday usability and enhance creation expression. Embedded within the tablet, the S Pen is an extension of the Galaxy Note 8.0. Removing the S Pen from the device will automatically launch innovative features such as Pen Detection that will suggest adapted menus that it thinks you’ll need and Page Buddy, a feature that will intuitively activate your most recently adapted S Note home screen.

S Pen technology is now so advanced that it doesn’t even have to touch the screen. With Air View, the S Pen needs only to hover over the screen to see previews of videos, emails, photos and appointments on S Planner without opening the file or application in full. S Pen Gesture allows images and content to be easily edited and cropped, whilst Paper Artist and Photo Note allow photos to be artistically personalised.

In addition, for the very first time in Galaxy Note category, you can use S Pen to control the physical menu/back buttons on the device with Wacom® feel IT technologies. Wacom® feel IT technologies comprises of a highly sensitive digital pen and other key components integrated in the Galaxy Note 8.0, resulting in a natural and intuitive user interface solution.

Maximising mass multimedia consumption

Creative multi-tasking with the Galaxy Note 8.0 is effortless due to innovative Dual View feature, two multi- window options that seamlessly allow you to facilitate multi-screen usage. Dual View’s split screen accommodates optimal operation of different apps, such as launching the S Note on the web browser screen and allowing content to be resized, dragged and dropped as required.

Multi-tasking is extended to phone calls. Pop Up Note allows you to access S Note at any time to keep track of key actions and Pop Up Video ensures you can keep surfing the web whilst chatting content windows can be easily resized by pinching to enlarge or reduce.

Perfect info-tainment partner

Packed with features to engage, entertain and excite, the Galaxy Note 8.0 supports your everyday needs in a practical way. Reading Mode transforms the Galaxy Note 8.0 into an e-Book reader, provides the optimal reading conditions to ensure you can curl up and enjoy a good book. You can even turn it into a universal remote control with Smart Remote, to seamlessly manage TVs, set-top boxes, DVD & Blu-ray players.

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