You’d think Samsung’s stylus-equipped Note lineup would translate well to tablets — but the disappointing Galaxy Note 10.1 showed that lackluster hardware can easily ruin a good idea.

Now with the Galaxy Note 8.0, it looks like Samsung is aiming to make amends. The company announced today that the Wi-Fi version of the Note 8.0 will be available in the U.S. on April 11 for $400.

I’ve only had a few days to test out the Note 8.0, but at this point it definitely feels like the best tablet Samsung has ever produced. It’s still made out of plastic, but it feels more high-quality than Samsung’s past devices. Design-wise, it shares a lot with the Galaxy S IV, especially the attractive trim around its edges. Best of all, it’s fast – there’s none of the slowdown I initially saw with the Note 10.1, and Samsung’s TouchWiz skin doesn’t get in the way.

Yes, it’s $70 more than Apple charges for the iPad Mini. You only need to look at the specs to see why: Instead of the aging hardware in the iPad Mini (a dual-core A5 CPU and 512MB of RAM), the Note 8.0 sports a modern 1.6 gigahertz quad-core CPU and 2 gigabytes of RAM. The Note 8.0 also features a sharp 1,280 by 800 pixel display, while the iPad Mini relies on a much lower resolution 1,024 by 768 screen.

The Note 8.0 will likely be a tough sell for most consumers — despite the older hardware, I’m still in love with the iPad Mini — but some may appreciate Samsung’s push towards productivity.

Check back later this week for a full review of the Note 8.0.

Samsung just can’t get enough of styluses.

After its disappointing Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, Samsung is trying again with the Galaxy Note 8.0, a smaller stylus-equipped tablet with a completely new design.

The new tablet aims to bring the best of the recently released Galaxy Note II smartphone and the previous Note 10.1 into a single device. At first glance, the tablet’s design seems free of the gaudiness from the Note 10.1, with a minimalist style that’s been noticeably absent from Samsung’s devices so far. It’s poised to be a direct competitor to the iPad Mini (though Samsung is quick to point out it originated the small tablet market with its first 7-inch Galaxy Tab slate).

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is powered by a 1.6 gigahertz quad-core processor, 2 gigabytes of RAM, and Android 4.1.2 “Jelly Bean.” It features the same S Pen stylus technology as the Galaxy Note II, and an 8-inch screen with a 12800 by 800 pixel display.

It’s worth paying close attention to the Note 8.0′s refined style — the most recent Galaxy S IV rumor points out that Samsung’s next flagship phone may share some its design elements. The Galaxy S IV is also expected to debut at a March 14 event in New York City.

Judging from the pictures of the Note 8.0, it looks like Samsung is still sticking with plastic cases, instead of introducing more metal into the design. That’s a shame, as I’ve found that solid metal cases, like the iPhone 5′s and HTC’s most recent lineup, tend to feel much better than plastic.

The Note 8.0 comes equipped with an improved version of Chat-On, Samsung’s multimedia messaging client, and Awesome Note, a new note-taking app. It also supports Samsung’s multitasking Dual View feature, which lets you run two videos at once, and there’s a new Reading Mode, which lowers the brightness and makes the Note 8.0 more comfortable for reading e-books.

Samsung hasn’t yet officially confirmed the Galaxy Note 8.0, but the plethora of leaks online have pretty much blown the surprise. The latest leaked photos from the French site Frandroid finally give us a way to measure the Note 8.0′s relative size by placing it alongside to the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 smartphone.

Galaxy Note 8.0′s design doesn’t hold many surprises — it simply looks like a blown-up version of the Note 2. That’s a good thing, since Samsung is avoiding the gaudier design of the larger Galaxy Note 10.1, a tablet that failed on many levels. The Note 8.0 is poised to be Samsung’s iPad Mini competitor, which is somewhat ironic since Samsung has been making small tablets for years.

Just like the rest of the Note family, the Note 8.0 will come with Samsung’s S-Pen stylus. I’ve been eager to see a tablet that truly takes advantage of the S-Pen’s capabilities, and after the Note 10.1 was such a disappointment (mostly due to running a slower processor than the Note 2), Samsung has a lot to prove with this entry.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is rumored to sport a quad-core processor, Android Jelly Bean, 2GB RAM, and a 1,280-by-800 pixel display (a far higher resolution than the iPad Mini’s screen). Samsung is likely gearing up to officially reveal the tablet next month at Mobile World Congress.

Via TechCrunch