Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Specs

Written by B Johnson February 23, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Specs

Hi guys, welcome back to this website!

Despite being one of the most popular and best selling Android tablets in the entire world, Samsung Galaxy Tab series is never considered as a truly challenger to iPad given that this Samsung’s slate is just not on par with Apple’s tablet, especially when it comes to specs and design as well.

(Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Specs)


Weirdly, even the latest-gen Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7 still inherits the low mediocre specs of its predecessors, like the low-resolution screen (1024x600 pixels), average processor, mediocre camera and many more.

Compared to other 7-inch rivals across the mid-end market, like iPad mini, Tegra Note 7, Kindle Fire HDX 7, Google Nexus 7 or even HP Slate 7 Extreme, then it’s just no-brainer that this Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will be blown out of the water by these competitors.

They have way more powerful processors (Tegra 4, Snapdragon 800/S4 Pro and Apple’s A7 chipset), higher-resolution screen, better design, more powerful gaming performance, better camera and many more.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 benchmarks and gaming performance

The good news is, there is one other Samsung GALAXY Tab tablet that could probably save Samsung’s face from humiliation in front of its rivals.

The tablet that i’m about to show here is Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, an 8-inch Android tablet sporting a much higher-resolution 1280x800 pixel screen.

This one actually falls in the same generation just like Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch, however, what makes them different is their display.

Well, if you’re interested to get to know more about this tablet, then here you go, my personal review of Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. Enjoy!

Introduction

Around the tablet market, we all know that Samsung Galaxy Tab series has been one of the best selling Android tablets across the world, alongside iPad, Kindle Fire and Asus tablets.

If you go to the mobile stores in general, or even some specific tablet stores, then you know that the tablets that you’ll be familiar to see are Samsung Galaxy tablets, right?

Yeah, that’s true.

In fact, Samsung’s tablets are extremely easy to find given its popularity and of course its price tags.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 - Full tablet specifications/SPECS

There are many things that make Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets popular around the market, and i’m sure it’s not their hardware specs. One of those strengths on Samsung’s tablets is their 3G cellular support.

The reason why this thing has made Samsung GALAXY Tab tablets so popular is because many of regular Android tablets out there, cheap Chinese tablets you would say, are mostly not packing that 3G-cellular connectivity.

And if they do, most of them are cheaper than Samsung GALAXY Tab tablet and not that great in quality, especially in gaming performance.

And that’s the other way around with Samsung Galaxy Tab series.

Even though its specs are not on par with other toughest rivals, this tablet still has 3G cellular support and acceptable quality compared to those cheap Android tablets out there.

Not to mention, the price of this Samsung GALAXY Tab tablet is not that expensive compared to more premium offerings like iPad mini, Sony Xperia Tablet or Asus Transformer tablets.

In today’s 7-inch tablet market, Samsung has deployed some models under the flag Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series. 2 of them are Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 with a 7-inch low-resolution display and the one i’m about to show you today, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, the bigger and better version of the 7-inch model.

Specs to specs, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is definitely better than Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0. it has a much higher 1280x800 pixel display, bigger screen size, much faster processor, bigger battery, better camera and other great things that are just better than the 7-inch model.

But the question is, does Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 stack up against other 7-inch rivals like Tegra Note, Kindle Fire HDX 7, Google Nexus 7 or iPad mini 2?

Well, we’re about to find out about that in this review.

Design

In terms of design, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 actually kind of looks like the rest of Samsung’s latest GALAXY devices, like GALAXY S4 or GALAXY Note 8, especially with its chubby looking design with fully rounded corners.

And that’s not so surprising given that Samsung always does this on its entire GALAXY lineup, maybe in order to tailor all the current-gen GALAXY devices with the same design language, similar like what Sony Mobile always does on its Xperia lineup.

I personally like the design of Samsung’s latest flagships, like GALAXY Note 3, Note 10.1, Note Pro 12.2 or the other GALAXY Pro line because they look much sharper and less chubby especially on their rounded corners.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Review and Gaming Performance

And don’t get me start with their awesome fake stitching back cover.

Even so, i still think that this Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has a much better design than its predecessors, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 or GALAXY Tab 1, which look really ugly and much chubbier.

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  • 3G and 4G LTE
  • Micro-SIM
  • Released 2013, July
  • 8.0 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 800 x 1280 pixels, (~189 ppi pixel density)
  • Dual-core 1.5 GHz Exynos 4212Chipset
  • Mali-400MP GPU
  • 1.5 GB RAM
  • Android OS 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • 5 MP rear-facing camera, capable to take 720p@30fps videos
  • 1.3 MP front-facing camera
  • MicroSD Card slot for up to 64 GB
  • 16/32 GB Internal storage
  • GPRS
  • EDGE
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Bluetooth
  • Infrared port
  • USB
  • No Radio
  • GPS
  • Java MIDP emulator
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 4450 mAh battery
When it comes to specs, i’m also quite surprised with this tablet.

Compared to other 7-inch or 8-inch tablets across the market to date, like Tegra Note 7, Kindle Fire HDX 7, Google Nexus 7, HP Slate 7 Extreme, LG G Pad 8.3 or iPad mini, then it’s just no brainer that Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is not on par with these competing rivals.

However, what makes me really impressed with the specs of this Samsung’s tablet is because, with this type of specs, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 amazingly is capable to run many latest games that i consider as graphics intense games, but we’ll talk more about this later.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 comes with an 8-inch display sporting the resolution of 1280x800 pixels, which translates to 720p display.

That’s on the display sector.

On the performance department, this tablet is packing a dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos 4212 processor, accompanied with 1GB of RAM and Mali-400 GPU, which has been one of the best graphics chipset for gaming.

These specs are different with the ones on Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7-inches that comes with a dual-core Marvel SoC Cortex-A9 and PowerVR SGX GPU.

There are also Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean comes out of the box, SIM card slot that supports 3G and LTE, 5MP camera on the back (which is better than the 3.15MP camera on the 7-inch model), a 4450mAh battery, as opposed to the 4000mAh battery on the 7-inch model, and many other standard features like Bluetooth, GPS, Java and more.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is packing an 8-inch display sporting the resolution of 1280x800 pixels or known today as 720p display.

The display on this tablet may not be on par with other competing rivals on the market that mostly already adopt 1080p or even 2.5K (2560x1500 pixels) display.

So when it comes to sharpness, then this tablet will throw the towel in front of its competitors, although its 720p resolution still looks sharp and crisp on an 8-inch screen size.

However, the great thing about the display on this tablet is that, given its less powerful hardware specs, using only a medium-resolution 720p display is actually a “perfect match” for this tablet.

As a result, the overall performance of this tablet will be much faster and smoother, plus the tablet will last much longer in battery life.

And this makes this tablet a much even perfect as a media-consumption device, especially for gaming.

User Interface and Features

Similar just like other Samsung GALAXY devices with Touch Wiz UI, this tablet also comes with many similar features, bloatware and pre-loaded apps of TouchWiz UI.

So there will be some features like multi-window mode, standard notification window, standard setting window, and some specific S-Features that you’re probably can’t find on other regular Android tablets out there.

But the main homescreen is still the same, with the standard Android homescreen where you can float all of your widgets, apps and shortcuts all over it.

Performance

In terms of performance, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 really screams.

Its internal hardware may not be as powerful or on par with other competing 7 to 8-inch rivals like Tegra Note 7, Kindle Fire HDX 7, Google Nexus 7, HP Slate 7 Extreme, LG G Pad 8.3 or iPad mini 2.

However, despite not having some monster specs just like its rivals, this tablet impressively still delivers a fast and smooth performance for many heavy tasks provided on this tablet, like watching movies, browsing the web, reading books, using live wallpaper or even playing games, which i’m to show you in a minute.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is only packing a dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos 4212 processor, 1GB of RAM and Mali-400 GPU.

This type of specs is actually considered as outdated for today’s standards.

Interestingly, with this type of “outdated” specs, this Samsung’s tablet still runs so fast and smooth even when doing many tasks at once.

The most noticeable strength on this tablet can be seen when it’s used to play games.

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To be honest with you, i’m actually really really impressed, and a LOT, with the gaming performance of this tablet.

I mean - how could this tablet have a great gaming performance whereas it is only packing some outdated specs?

I’m personally amazed with this tablet, especially with its gaming capability.

As mentioned above, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is packing a dual-core Exynos 4212 processor clocked at 1.5GHz per core, 1GB of RAM and Mali-400 GPU.

Mali-400 GPU is actually the same graphics chipset used on the older-gen Samsung GALAXY Tab 1 and 2.

Amazingly, with these only specs, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is more than capable to run many latest graphically demanding games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Asphalt 7: Heat, N.O.V.A 3, and even, FIFA 2014, GTA San Andreas and Dead Trigger 2.

And more impressively, games like Asphalt 8, N.O.V.A 3, GTA San Andreas and Dead Trigger 2, all run in smooth performance and high graphics setting.

Something that i would have never expected before.

So having known that, then it’s just no brainer that this Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 will also be capable to run almost all the games released in 2013 or before that year, even the most graphics intense ones, like ShadowGun, Modern Combat (1, 2, 3, 4), Asphalt (5, 6), Dead Trigger, Horn, Need for Speed (Undercover, SHIFT), Real Racing 3, 9mm, Max Payne, PES 2012, GTA (III and Vice City) and many more.

Overall, i’m extremely impressed and even shocked actually with the gaming performance of this tablet.

I never expected games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, GTA San Andreas and Dead Trigger 2 can all be played on a tablet with Exynos dual-core processor and Mali-400 GPU.

I believe this has something to do with the optimization from game developers specifically for this tablet, given that Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has been one of the best selling Android tablets out there in the world.

So this probably gives game developers the certainty that their games will reach many many people across the world, thus making them interested to well-optimize their games specifically for this tablet.

That makes sense, right?

The gaming performance of this tablet actually contradicts with the 1st-gen Google Nexus 7, which is packing Tegra 3 quad-core with 12-core GPU that is considered as more powerful than the Exynos 4212 dual-core processor and Mali-400 GPU.

And apparently, that is SO wrong because Asphalt 8: Airborne and GTA San Andreas run really laggy and buggy on that Google Nexus 7 tablet, and not even in full graphics.

And this, i think, is weird because on paper, Tegra 3 quad-core is just way more powerful than the Exynos 4212 dual-core processor inside Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0.

So either this has something to do with optimization from the developers or Samsung has done a marvelous job in well-optimizing the hardware and software on this tablet, i’m not really sure.

But one thing for sure, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is definitely one of the best Android gaming tablets around the market to date.

If you're into tablet gaming and always want to play the latest graphics intense games on Google Play Store, then this tablet could be the one you're looking for.

Camera

As we all know already, Samsung GALAXY devices, especially the flagship ones, have been known to have great camera.

And that’s the thing that you’re gonna get on this tablet.

Thanks to its 5MP rear-facing camera on this tablet that is able to take 720p videos at 30fps (frame per second), you will feel at home if you love tablet photography.

In fact, besides as a great gaming tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is also a perfect device for taking photos.

It’s actually similar like saying iPad's camera is the best, even though i never checked all the cameras on all iPads.

It’s just no brainer because Apple and Samsung, both have been doing great with cameras on its flagship devices, even outpacing Sony with its Xperia devices, despite being the real manufacturer that supply the cameras on tablets/smartphones.

So if you love taking photos with tablet, even if it makes you look like a dork, then you’re in great hands with this tablet.

The photos taken with this tablet are not only worth showing off to your Instagram or Twitter followers, but they are also worth collecting to your photo album.

Unfortunately, there is no LED flash provided on this tablet. So you probably still need to bring a flashlight at your disposal if you’re on the mission to take photos or videos in low-light condition.

There is also a 1.3MP camera on the front, enabling you to do video calls or some selfies.

Battery Life

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is packing a 4450mAh power battery inside.

This battery capacity may not be as huge as the 9800mAh battery inside Acer Iconia Tab A700 or other 10-inch Android tablets.

But still, with this battery capacity, you’ll be able to use this tablet in around 11 hours for enjoying media contents like HD movies, books, magazines, web pages or games.

And if you happen to love listening to music, you’ll be glad to hear that this tablet will run you more than 4 days or 96 hours in the row if you’re gonna use this tablet solely as a music player only, nothing more.

However, if you’re using this tablet for doing some heavy intense tasks without resting the screen, like for watching HD movies in marathon or playing games in the row, then the battery life of this tablet could probably last around 6 to 8 hours, which is still considered as pretty good for today’s standards.

But the tablet could probably last even more hours if you switch off all the connectivity on this tablet, like WiFi, 3G, LTE and other unnecessary tasks in the background.

My Personal Opinions

In conclusion, i think it’s really easy to say that Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is a great quality tablet, especially for gaming. Period.

I’m actually really impressed a lot with the gaming performance of this device, that could even run many latest graphically demanding games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, GTA San Andreas and Dead Trigger, all in buttery smooth performance and high graphics setting, which is so surprising given that its hardware specs are not considered as powerful in today’s standards.

Besides great for gaming, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is also a perfect media-consumption device.

So if you’re looking for a great tablet for watching HD movies, reading books or magazines, browsing the web, taking photos or listening to music, it’s no brainer, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is one of the best Android tablets you’re looking for.

Compared to its sibling, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is just way better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7-inches.

It has a higher-resolution display (1280x800 pixels VS 1024x600 pixels), higher 5MP camera (as opposed to the 3.15MP camera on Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0), bigger battery, far better gaming performance, bigger screen size and pretty much everything.

The other great thing of Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is definitely its complete package of cellular connectivity.

It has 3G, WiFi and even LTE support if you want have a fast internet experience on a tablet.

So with all of these goodies, then it’s just easier for me to recommend you this tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is definitely one of the best Android tablets around, even the best in its class.
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