SINGAPORE - The Galaxy Note 8.0 is Samsung’s latest small form-factor tablet to hit the market, and probably the Korean giant’s finest representative to enter into direct competition with the iPad mini and Google Nexus 7.

The mobile device feels like a Frankenstein Android device, mixing elements of both smartphones and tablets to become a good-looking tablet that performs impressively.

Design-wise, the bezels are generous without being too big: Samsung has found the perfect balance between bezels that are big enough to handle the tablet without triggering an on-screen accident, and not-so-big that it wastes space. Unlike the Note 10.1 tablet, the Note 8 has a home button and runs the smartphone user interface for Android — meaning that you do not get the tablet layout with a notifications bar along the bottom.

As its name suggests, the device has an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels. It also has a pixel density of 189 PPI — which is just slightly more than the iPad mini’s 162 PPI — and, as a result, images show up extremely crisp and reading on the device is a real joy thanks to the pin-sharp text.

The user interface is also nice and speedy; swiping between home screens or turning pages in an e-reader app is smooth and absolutely lag-free. The only hesitation I noticed was when I pressed the Home button to return to the home screen from an application, but even this is negligible.

Another highlight of the Note 8.0 is the S Pen. The S Pen is a pressure-sensitive tool that is perfectly integrated into the software of the device, and actually makes the Note 8 a compelling buy. Little things like taking screen captures, opening an application’s menu, or even navigating the UI can be done by holding the button on the S Pen and making the appropriate gesture against the screen.

Even more useful is how responsive the tablet is between when you touch the S Pen to the screen and when things happen on the tablet. This makes the S Pen perfect for writing or drawing. Software specially built for the S Pen makes it even better, allowing you to write words and converting your handwriting into digital text with stunning accuracy.

Despite donning the plastic shell many users in Singapore dislike, the Note 8.0 looks and feel great and its speed and performance is definitely something to boast about. The brilliant S Pen integration and fantastic display also make this a very good addition to Samsung’s Android arsenal, and probably the best Android tablet on the market now.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is available in stores now. The LTE version costs S$788, while the WiFi version costs S$588.