Samsung likes to take existing products and offer them in bundles to increase sales, and now it has reportedly launched the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Game Edition.
The company just officially launched its GamePad Controller in Europe. The device was originally unveiled during Samsung's Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone launch back in March. At that time it was called the Smartphone GamePad and was slated to ship soon after the release of the Galaxy S4. The device never saw a release until now, leading many to wonder if the company had canceled it.
Fast forward from March to late December and the company has finally launched the GamePad Controller with a new design. The updated controller is compatible with devices running Android 4.1 and above and is optimized for Samsung smartphones and tablets running Android 4.3. The GamePad connects to devices via Bluetooth or NFC.
The GamePad controller is now reportedly being bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 and has taken on the name Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Game Edition, according to a new report from German website All About Samsung. Since the GamePad Controller only physically attaches to smartphones between 4 and 6.3-inches in size, Samsung is including a Mini HDMI adapter that will allow you to connect the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 directly to your TV, basically turning it into a mini console.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 features an 8-inch 1280 x 800 TFT multitouch capacitive display with a pixel density of 189 pixels per inch (ppi) and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It's powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos 4212 processor and a Mali-400MP graphics processing unit (GPU). It includes 16GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot that will support up to 64GB microSD cards, and 1.5GB of RAM.
Its camera capabilities include a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front facing camera. Its wireless connectivity options consist of dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, GPS, and infrared port. Samsung has also included stereo speakers with Dolby Surround sound enhancement and a non-removable 4,450 mAh battery, which the company claims will provide up to 11 hours of continuous use.
It remains unclear whether Samsung will bring the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Game Edition to the U.S., but we'll keep you updated.
