Recent rumors indicate that Samsung is preparing to bring Galaxy Note 8.0, codenamed Kona, to compete with the iPad mini in the sub-9-inch tablet space. The Galaxy Note 8.0 looks to target the iPad mini, which has established itself in the tablet market since its launch in October last year.

Let's see what the iPad mini currently offers and what the rumored features of the Galaxy Note 8.0 are.

Form Factor

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to measure 8.31 x 5.36 x 0.31 inches and weigh 0.72 pounds, making it slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad mini, which measures 7.87 x 5.30 x 0.28 inch and weighs 0.68 pounds.

Display

The iPad mini sports a 7.9-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology offering 1024 x 768 pixels resolution at 163 ppi. The tablet has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means that it does not support true widescreen content.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 will likely have an 8-inch TFT Super Clear LCD with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. The ppi of the tablet is not known.

Camera and Battery

The iPad mini is equipped with a 5-megapixel iSight rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD front-facing camera. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to have a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

A 16.3 watt-hour (4440mAh) battery fuels the iPad mini which offers 10-hours of usage. On the other hand a 4600mAh battery is expected to power the Galaxy Note 8.0.

Storage and RAM

The iPad mini is available in 16/32/64GB on-board storage versions with no expansion option. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is speculated to come with16/32GB of internal storage and an option to expand the storage to a further 32GB using a microSD card.

Apple does not confirm the RAM size on its iPad mini's Web page, but a teardown of the tablet suggests that it has 512MB of RAM. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to have 2GB of RAM.

Connectivity

The iPad mini is available in both Wi-Fi only as well as Wi-Fi and Cellular connectivity options. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is also expected to be available in Wi-Fi only (GT-N5100) as well as Wi-Fi and Cellular (GT-N5110) connectivity options.

Processor and Operating System

The iPad mini runs on Apple's custom-made dual-core A5 processor. The processor for the Galaxy Note 8.0 is not yet known.

The iPad runs on Apple's latest iOS 6, while rumors indicate that Galaxy Note 8.0 will run on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Availability and Price

The iPad mini is available for order from Apple and other retailers and has a starting price tag of $329. Rumors indicate that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February, and Samsung is speculated to reveal the pricing and release date at the event.

Stylus

The iPad mini does not feature a stylus, whereas the Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to sport S Pen stylus, which may give the tablet an extra edge over any other smaller tablet available in the market.

Time will tell if the impressive hardware specifications of the alleged Galaxy 8.0 are enough to steal the iPad mini's thunder. However, with the iPad mini 2 lurking round the corner, the tables could just as well swing in Apple's favor.