Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review: Specs of the 8-inch Android phablet remains to be one of the best in the industry and according to a recent report, it’s rumored that the South Korean tech giant may release a 2014 refreshed model of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Based on what the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 2014 may look like, it could be an iPad Mini 2 killer.

Ancel Lim, who says that the new Android phablet will have an Exynos 5 Octa processor and will be available in black and white variants, showed the concept for the refreshed Samsung Galaxy Note 8 model.

The futuristic idea for the next Samsung Galaxy Note 8 includes a design that fuses the look of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1, where the casing for the unit will be made of leather and it will have a rectangular shape.

Speculations about an updated Samsung Galaxy Note 8 are already circulating. In a forum post on Android Central, one user noted that the new line-up for the Note line would be the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (2014) and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014). Another user commented that the Note 8 (2013) edition is already dropping in inventory, a sign that retailers are waiting for a new version to come out.

According to CNET, it has the “best-looking small tablet screen” and writing with S-Pen feels natural. CNET further says that the Note 8 is a stunning tablet with a truly useful stylus. The International Business Times has billed the device as one of the best tablets to come in 2013.

Phone Arena praises the unit’s quad-core processor and the fact that it has lots of RAM. It also supports special active stylus for input. Some of its notable features are its extremely thin body, expandable storage and lightweight frame.

Specs of the current Samsung Galaxy Note 8 available include a TFT capacitative touchscreen, 16M colors that offers 800 x 1200 pixels, 8-inch display with a 189 ppi pixel density. The device also has a microSD card, enabling storage to go up to 64GB. Immediate storage size for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes in 16 and 32GB; system memory is at 2GB RAM. Battery life could be up to eight hours and the tablet includes a 5MP camera and an Exynos 4412, Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 processor.

An added plus for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is its access to an Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update. The rollout for the device’s update, both Wi-Fi and LTE, began months ago and users of the device are expected to have had the update in their hands by this time. The update brings a a new set of features for the already popular tablet.

Once the latest update is installed on Galaxy Note 8.0, users will have an improved level of performance through superior S Pen support, the daydream function and a lock-screen widget.

According to CNET, in terms of design, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is comfortable to hold. The device has a Watch On feature that has potential to become a universal remote/video content hub. The design of the Note 8 is not as simple or as elegant as the Mini’s, but the tech site noted that what it lacks in simplicity, it makes up for in utility.