Fly Or Die: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, while having a numerically challenging name, is a slick little guy that’s not too big, not too small, but just right.

Still, is that enough to compete with not only the iPad mini but also Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 8-inch tablet?

To start, the specs on this bad boy are sure to please. John Biggs felt that the 8-inch 1280×800 display was beautiful, which is no surprise considering Samsung manufactures some of the best displays in the industry. The tablet comes in 16GB and 32GB options, and starts at a perfectly reasonable $299 price point.

But without any 4G/LTE connectivity (which isn’t an option in the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0), the tab itself is inherently limited. Moreover, neither of us are particularly pleased with the plastic build materials or the Galaxy S 3-style design language.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to argue with Samsung as a whole, which has risen to be the undisputed market leader in mobile computing. The company very strategically offers a variety of products in each category, with different uses and price points for each. The GalTab 3 8.0 is yet another sheep in the Samsung-flavored herd, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t help you get to sleep at night.

If you’re part of the Apple ecosystem already, it’s hard not to justify the extra $30 for an iPad mini. If not, however, the GalTab 3 8-inch is a reasonable consideration, especially alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of tablets.