Samsung Galaxy Note 8 lands, but key information missing

Samsung's long-rumoured Galaxy Note 8.0 has been officially announced ahead of the opening of MWC 2013.

Samsung confirmed the device after an anonymous tipster, presumably part of the set-up crew in Barcelona, snapped a picture of the Samsung stand. There, lo and behold, was the Galaxy Note 8.0 featured on the big screen.

It's big differentiation from the competition is obviously the 'power' of the S Pen, which brings in all manner of Air View and handwriting / formula / shape recognition to the mix. However, while the Notw 8.0 looks a lot like the Note 2 in terms of spec, other features have been added such as a dedicated e-book reading mode that adjusts the contrast and resolution to save reader eyesight.

The latest leak comes just a week after the Note 8.0 was accidentally revealed at a Samsung event in South Korea - but the official press release does confirm that we'll be getting both Wi-Fi and 3G versions of the tablet, although it doesn't look like 4G is included in that mix.

Top billing

The new, iPad mini-bothering member of the Note family will pack an 8-inch 1280 x 800 Super Clear LCD display, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, a 1.6GHz ARM-quad-core processor and 2GB RAM.

There's also a 5MP camera, a 2MP front-facing sensor, plus up to 32GB internal storage and the chance for much, much more though the microSD slot. And if you're worried about longevity per charge, the 4600mAh battery will probably do you for a couple of days at least.

The display isn't as clear as some of the competition, simply by the fact it has a larger screen - you can see that Samsung is less worried about the Nexus Fires of this world and once again going after its old nemesis Apple with the larger screen.

However, we don't have that one bit of crucial information: price. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 release date has been set for Q2 2013 (in the UK, at least) but if it follows other Samsung tablets and costs a rather high amount it won't have a prayer against the incumbent budget brigade, despite the reams of S Pen magic you can do.

We already know that the Samsung Galaxy S4 won't be making an appearance at the event this year, with latest speculation suggesting it will arrive at a dedicated event on March 14.