Managed to snag this tablet (white) just before Xmas for $179. I had gift cards and points so this was a bargain and very little actual out of pocket, Xmas and b-day gift to myself all rolled into one nice brand spanking new package. I had been nerding out on the live floor displays at Staples and Sams Club for about 6 months with both the 7"and the 8" models. I ultimately decided on the 8" tab since it had twice the onboard memory and twice the MicroSD capacity. I'm glad I did.
I had previously had a Kindle Fire 1st gen and after really digging into it I ended up hating the OS, the fact that I couldn't get Google Play (all of my music, unless I tried to root it which I ultimately decided not to do- not worth it) and the measly 8g of memory (3 of which is taken up by system programs, leaving a paltry 5g for apps and storage).
This tablet is fantastic. Peppy, smooth graphics, excellent video playback. I can download whatever app I need since it has 16g onboard. Anything I need to store at any time with my 64g Microsd. The quad core is so much snappier than my 1st gen Kindle it was no contest.
Downloading is smooth, Facebook and Twitter run like champs and syncing my Google accounts to all three of my devices, my PC, Samsung GalaxyS3 phone and now my Tab 8 is so easy with Smart Switch Moblie app. It easily wirelessly prints on my printer as well.
Since Kindle app is a thing I can get my Kindle library and Samsung has tons of freebies as well with Play Books. Free storage with Dropbox too.
Battery life is a not as good as on a Kindle Fire, but only slightly less so. Surfing and movies drain both quickly. Reading ebooks is better on the battery. But since I use my tablet more like a tablet than an e reader only, I'm not going to be as picky about that.
Pro tip: Turn off the GPS/location setting. Most people clearly don't do this enough and they're usually the ones complaining about battery life. GPS/location is great for...GPS navigation (duh) and if you have your local transit schedules synced and need to check the arrival/departure...other than that why do you need it? You really don't.
Another plus: This puppy is light. My Kindle Fire was much heavier and an inch shorter. I know a lot of people equate weightiness with quality, but with me performance=quality. I carry a lot of crap in my bag and the lighter the better. I've carried an ipad 2 for work and it feels like a brick in my bag compared to this Tab. I also like the 8" version for ease of reading. I don't have to magnify the text with this size screen like I used to with my Kindle 7".
Camera quality could be better, especially the front facing camera. It's grainy and kinda slow but good enough for a Skype with my sister or mom. Transition between front and rear camera is smooth though so that's a plus. Just about a half second lag when it changes.
Charging cord is a little too short, this is a big con. My power strip is right next to my bed (1 foot from the floor to the top of my mattress) and I can't charge while using the tab while I'm laying in bed. I have to use my phone's power cable if I want to watch a movie with a low battery. Also a con when you want to stream your Google Play music, Pandora or Spotify for a nice 10-12 hour work shift. If you don't have a nearby outlet or USB...be prepared to bring a longer cord or the battery is going to crap out on you for the last couple of hours if you're not fully charged when you start work.
Charges fast. From a 10% battery to a complete charge in less than an hour.
A few general remarks:
Unless you by a "Built" brand neoprene case or search on Amazon for a custom snap in folding case...you're not going to find anything readily available for the 8" Tab in store. Most stores stock 7" and 10" cases standardly. But 8" cases are not the norm yet so there's that.
It's also not a commonly stocked screen protector size either.
The alarm widget works just like my phone. Loud and an array snooze options, location alarm and alarm sounds. I have to commend Samsung on this really. I have had numerous other cell and tablet manufacturers and Samsung alarms are by far the best. I get up at 4:30am every day for the past 14 years for my job and I've never been let down once by a Samsung alarm.
Last of all, I usually get the white version. I have found that if you can get yourself to get used to it, you'll save yourself anywhere between $30 and sometimes $60 on Samsung products.
| Standing screen display size | 8 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1280 x 800 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1280x800 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.2 GHz Snapdragon_S5 |
| RAM | 1.5 GB SDRAM |
| Hard Drive | 16 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 11 Hours |
