It’s finally official: Say hello to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0, the definition of a phablet

Yesterday we saw a photo of it at Samsung’s booth, and today the press release has finally gone live. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the newest member of the Galaxy family, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0.

Design wise, you’re looking at a jumo Galaxy S3. Sure, the Note 8.0 has a stylus like all the other Note devices, but the bezels around this thing are way too wide for us to say the Note 8.0 looks like a Galaxy Note II.

As for what’s under the hood, the rumors were right: Exynos 4 quad clocked at 1.6 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, HSPA+ 21 megabit per second cellular radio, an incredibly large (non-removable) 4,600 mAh battery, and it runs Android 4.1.2. When will it get updated to 4.2? We don’t know.

The worst part about this thing, which we’re saving for last, is the screen. It pushes 1,280 x 800 pixels. That would have been fine in 2011, but come on now! Rumor has it that the sequel to the Nexus 7, which will also be made by ASUS, will have a full HD screen. Why then would anyone want the Note 8.0? Because it makes phone calls?

Yes, you read that right, you can hold the Note 8.0 up to your face to make a phone call. This writer used to think that talking on a tablet was ridiculous, but then he saw enough people doing just that in Asia that he no longer feels it’s “weird” or “out of place”.

Now for the two most important questions: How much is it and when can I buy it? Forget about the price tag, because we have no idea. As for timing, Samsung says Q2, but doesn’t specify which countries will get it first. As soon as we know something, we’ll let you know.

And make sure to come back here in a day or two for some hands-on coverage!