TFT LCD

After lots of leaks, rumors and outright company forecasts,  Samsung today announced the Galaxy Note 8.0, an 8-inch iPad Mini competitor. The 1280×800 pixel display will have a slightly better PPI of 189 than the Mini and match camera specs and a quad core processor. Samsung’s Note 8.0 will also double up the Mini with 2GB of RAM and add an S-Pen for those who need/want it as well as expandable storage via the Micro-SD card slot. Just like the Galaxy Tab 7 2 it has an IR blaster with a rebranded Peel station navigation. On the down side, it won’t have LTE (only HSPA+) and it will run a slightly out-dated 4.1.2 version of Android Jelly Bean. It also weighs almost an ounce more than the iPad Mini.

Oh and it can make calls like a huge phone.

Will this go head to head against the Mini? My gut reaction is no. Samsung’s Touchwiz overlay and pen will keep these out of the hands of mainstream users. No price or launch date is yet planned but the specs tell me (720P TFT display) that Samsung is aiming for a low price. I’d expect to see this at $250 in the US probably just after it launches in the 2nd quarter in a number of Asian and EU territories.

https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/305507515855167489

Press release follows:

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Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and the Samsung Player at their event this evening. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 features a dual-core processor, 6,100 mAh battery, 8.9-inch Gorilla Glass display, and Android 3.1 w/ TouchWiz. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is available for pre-order right now, and will be shipping October 2nd for $469.

Now to the good stuff: Samsung just unveiled their new personal media player, called the Samsung Player. The Player comes in both a 4-inch and 5-inch version, both featuring Android 2.3.5. The Player 4.0’s specs include a 3.2-megapixel rear-camera, VGA front-camera, and a 4-inch TFT display. The 5-inch version packs similar specs, except, well of course a 5-inch TFT display. Pre-orders begin September 27th, and the device will ship October 16th for $229/$269.

Reviews going up in the coming days, but for now check out some more images after the break:

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