Samsung is gearing up to launch its Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet at the upcoming MWC 2013 in Barcelona this February. The 8-inch tablet will look to throw the gauntlet to competing devices in the smaller tablet space, including the best-selling ASUS-made Nexus 7 tablet from Google.

With two budget-friendly Android-powered tablets set to battle it out for top honors, the competition in the smaller tablet space is slowly heating up.

Who will be the victor and who will be vanquished? We take a look at how the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note 8.0 tablets face off against each other in the battle for Android supremacy.

Processor

The Nexus 7 packs in a 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor. By contrast, the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet will allegedly feature a powerful quad-core processor that is clocked at 1.6GHz.

Display

The Nexus 7 sports a 7-inch HD IPS display, whereas the Galaxy Note 8.0 will likely have a bigger 8-inch TFT Super Clear LCD screen. Nexus 7 display has 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to feature the same resolution.

The Nexus 7 has a pixel density of 216 pixels per inch (ppi), whereas the pixels density for the Samsung offering is currently not known.

Form Factor

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is said to measure 8.31 x 5.36 x 0.31 inches, making it taller, wider, and thinner than the Nexus 7, which measures 7 .81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches.

Weight-wise, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to be slightly lighter than the Nexus 7, reportedly weighing 0.72 pounds vis-a-vis 0.75 pounds (Wi-Fi version).

Storage and Memory

The Nexus 7 is available in 16/32GB versions with no option to expand the memory further. The Galaxy Note 8.0 is also speculated to come with16/32GB of internal storage. It is also expected to have the option to expand the storage (up to 32GB) using a microSD card.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to have 2GB of RAM, double of what the Nexus 7 offers (1GB).

Software

The Nexus 7 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and Google rolled out the Android 4.2.1 upgrade in October last year. The Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet is expected to come pre-loaded Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Camera

The Nexus 7 features a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera and no rear-facing snapper. The Galaxy Note 8.0, on the other hand, is expected to have a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing snapper.

Battery

A 4325mAh battery fuels the Nexus 7 and offers 10 hours of usage. By contrast, a slightly bigger 4600mAh battery is expected to power the Galaxy Note 8.0. The usage support offered is currently not known.

Availability and Price

The 7-inch Nexus 7 is available via the Google Play Store in three variants 16GB (Wi-Fi), 32GB (Wi-Fi), and 32GB (Wi-Fi and HSPA+) for $199, $249, and $299, respectively. The Galaxy Note 8.0 will be unveiled at the MWC 2013 in February and is rumored to cost between $249 to $299.

Both the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note 8.0 pack in features that will entice consumers; however, the Samsung offering will feature the S Pen stylus, which could tilt the scales in its favor.