The saying goes for the product as well. You may get a tab from cheaper brands with similar specs but the similarities end as soon as you start using them. It is the hardware integration and the software customizations done by Samsung which makes all the difference to your tablet experience. Evey day I use my Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 I am reminded of the money well spent and the frustrations saved. Design and form: The tab optimizes screen space by having a slim bezel and 16:10 screen format which makes it slightly less wide and more manageable than other 8 inch android alternatives available currently.
Also most android apps are customized for this screen format and not the 4:3 format being offered by cheaper 8 inch tabs. After holding the tab in one hand for an hour Its 316g weight becomes an obvious advantage against 400g something. Screen: At 189ppi its screen is much better than mini’s 160ppi. Although on this day and date a retina display would have been more appropriate. Initially didn’t think it makes much of a difference but it does. A higher resolution screen can be held closer to the eye and makes it easy to read finer text with much less strain. Even at 189ppi pixilization is apparent but not as much as at 160ppi. Performance: The hardware/software integration shines here. Despite having a dual core processor it easily outpaces cheaper quad core tabs.Decent RAM and internal memory helps a lot. The Samsung UI is silky smooth though apps do crash sometimes. Battery: This is the star of the show and can go on for a whole day. Really the strongest point of this tab.
There are a lot of useful features like a split keyboard, multi window, S Voice, GLONASS(which helps triangulate your position much faster than GPS) etc. Things that make the Samsung experience worthwhile. Alternatives: The only real android alternatives to Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 are yet to arrive in India. They are the Nexus 7(2013) and LG G Pad 8.3.