When consumers got hold of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 in Europe the tablet doubled as a phone as well, but now the device has gone to the US the radios has been removed, making it just another 8-inch tablet.

So how does the Galaxy Note 8.0 stand out in a small 8-inch tablet market? The simple question is because the hardware is far newer than many of the other tablets in the same market, which is one of the reasons Samsung can get away with charging $399. However, this is still going to be a tough tablet to sell, so Samsung will have to do some clever marketing.

There have been several Galaxy Note 8.0 reviews, which looked at many of the tablets features, such as its hardware, display, software and its camera. However, what we are more interested in is a Galaxy Note 8.0 performance and battery life review, and thankfully Engadget has looked at these areas extensively.

The Note 8.0 packs a 4,600mAh, and while this is pretty big, it’s still not as big as it could be, which is evident when compared to the iPad 4, iPad mini, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and most other tablets come to that matter. To give you an idea just how bad the battery life is, check out the table below.

As for performance Engadget was unable to compare it next to the iPad, but they were able to compare the performance of the Galaxy Note 8.0 to other Android tablets. Again there’s a diagram below for you to see how Samsung’s latest tablet compares.

Overall, this is one of the best tablets Samsung has to offer, but they have spoiled things a little by taking out the HSPA+ radios for the US market. Although if they had not, imagine how poor the battery life would have been then?

A couple of days ago during MWC Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 8.0, and on that day we thought we would compare the new tablet against the iPad mini and the Nexus 7, as these will be its main competitors. However, we did suggest that the Note 8.0 fills a gap between the Note 2 and the 10.1, so it was only fair that we should compare this new tablet against the 10.1 but also the Tab 7 2.0 as well.

In the first comparison video you will get to see the Galaxy Note 8.0 and the 10.1 side-by-side, and it does not take a genius to see that the former is a lot more compact, which makes it thinner, lighter and much easier to carry around with you. However, it still has all the functionality of the larger tablet, although the 10.1 does have a 1.9-megapixel camera and also a flash, which the 8.0 has a 1.3-megapixel camera and lacks a flash.

In the second video we get to see how the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 compares to the Tab 7 2.0. However, we need to point out that the latter is a lot cheaper and a different kind of tablet, but we still feel that the two should be compared against each other.

Seeing the two together really gives you an idea of how they cater for different markets, but we just hope that the price difference between the two is not that great, which would make it a much easier decision when you are in the market for buying a new tablet.

As yet Samsung has not announced the price or final release date for the Galaxy Note 8.0, but we do expect it to be in Q2, 2013.

We have some more information on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 to bring you now and it is good news. Samsung has confirmed that the device will be unveiled at MWC 2013 and after a recent outing of some early pictures of the device, we now have some more eye candy to show you – with the picture revealing a major feature of the device if confirmed to be legit.

Unlike the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 which may not come with a physical home button, the image we have to show you above appears to suggest that Samsung’s 8-inch Galaxy Note 8.0 will come with a home button in tact. Along with a home button, we also see what the included S-Pen looks like up close, since previous shots of the device in the wild appeared to hide the S-Pen slot from view.

The big talking point though is the inclusion of a Phone application, which appears to suggest that the Galaxy Note 8.0 with its large screen will still come with phone capabilities. It goes without saying though that this will be only be appealing to a select few, as consumers won’t be making a habit of holding the tablet up their ears to take a call in public.

It’s nice to see Samsung include the feature though if it turns out to be true. You can also see the nice multi-window feature in action that Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 users are currently enjoying. For a device that is rumored to be costing around $400 dollars though, is it still on your shopping list this year or not?

We still have a while to go until the MWC festivities kick off in Barcelona, so we have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more Galaxy Note 8.0 leaks before then. Take a look at the new shot and let us know if you are tempted by this device or not – are you surprised by the Phone application?