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divdiv class=postBody txtWrap section=txt readability=62div class=cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none readability=1img class=cnet-image src=http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/04/08/35618822-6966_610x435.jpg alt=Samsung Galaxy Note 8 width=610 height=435/p class=image-captionThe Samsung Galaxy Note 8: This tablet comes with a stylus./pspan class=image-credit(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)/span/divpThe tablet market had its breakthrough moment when Apple's iPad arrived sporting a nearly 10-inch screen. Later, much of the significant action among tablets centered on those in the 7-inch realm. /ppIn general, the 7-inch size marks the border between so-called a href=/8301-1035_3-57607209-94/windows-phone-finally-jumps-into-phablet-era-but-is-it-too-late/phablets/a and propera href=http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/ section=luke_topic tablets/a. The group has included the firsta href=http://www.cnet.com/android-atlas/ section=luke_topic Android/a tablet, the original Galaxy Tab from Samsung, the first Nexus-branded tablet from Google (and Asus), and the first Amazona href=http://reviews.cnet.com/kindle-fire/ section=luke_topic Kindle Fire/a, introduced at $199, which represented a new pricing benchmark./ppBut since the introduction of those models, tablet market prices have spiraled down, attracting a glut of 7-inch Android devices. Walmart, no less, has several exclusives. Many of these are available for less than $150 and some for even less than $100. With the range of budget products coming from companies including Hewlett-Packard, Monster Products, and Vivitar, it has been tough to differentiate based on anything but price./pp /p pBut if tablet brands aren't finding seventh heaven, perhaps eight will allow for one-upmanship. Over the years, several companies tried dancing around the 8-inch mark, with Motorola introducing the 8.2-inch version of its Xoom tablet and Samsung unveiling a 7.7-inch Galaxy Tab as part of what once seemed a crusade to leave no third-of-an-inch increment without a tablet representative./ppVariety does seem to have spiced things up, however. Today's selection of Android 8-inchers, while more expensive, are showing more creative differentiation than we're seeing in the 7-inch category. Among the entrants:/ppbThe starter pack: E Fun/b. One of the companies that's slugging it out at Walmart in the 7-inch category, E Fun has long offered tablets in larger sizes as well. The Premium 8HD edition of its a href=http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/tablets/efun-nextbook-8hd.aspxNextbook tablet/a was one of its first to support Google Play, a huge improvement from the SlideMe store that had previous limited its app selection. Your price of your ticket to this Play, though, leaves no doubt that some 8-inchers are ready to follow their smaller cousins into the bargain basement: $99 at Walmart.com./ppbThe widebody: Acer./b An early entrant into the budget 8-inch space, the a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/acer-iconia-a1-810/4505-3126_7-35657909.htmlAcer Iconia A1/a came to market after Acer had been early to jump on the Android tablet bandwagon with the 10.1-inch A500. Unlike that device but like the Nextbook, the A1 has a display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, the same as the iPad Mini. While the wide bezels make the A1 somewhat hard to handle one-handed, many people prefer this for viewing photos, Web pages, and other documents. That said, the A1 is a significant step up from the Nextbook in terms of performance and support for Bluetooth./ppbThe scribbler: Samsung./b Samsung actually has two 8-inch Android tablets; the 8-inch version of the a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/samsung-galaxy-tab-3/4505-3126_7-35781417.htmlGalaxy Tab 3/a is the middle child of the ho-hum Tab line that includes 7-inch and 10-inch models. The nearly identical 8-inch a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/samsung-galaxy-note-8/4505-3126_7-35618822.htmlGalaxy Note/a, though, includes an S-Pen and its optimized apps and gestures for which the handset king is eager to build developer support, landing the 8-inch Note between the large Note 3 smartphone and the very large but high-resolution Note 10.1 or, in other words, nearly the perfect size for one-handed padlike applications./pp /pdiv class=cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none readability=1img class=cnet-image src=http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/10/28/Lenovo-Yoga-8-Inch-5413_610x407.jpg alt=Lenovo Yoga tablet width=610 height=407/p class=image-captionThe Lenovo Yoga tablet takes a stand./pspan class=image-credit(Credit:James Martin/CNET)/span/div pbThe standup: Lenovo./b After dabbling in the 7-inch Android tablet space, Lenovo has bridged the worlds between the pancake-flat iPad Air and the kickstand-equipped Microsoft Surface with the a href=http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/lenovo-yoga-tablet-8/4505-3126_7-35831137.htmlYoga Tablet/a. The device, also available in a 10-inch version, includes a cylindrical side that can be rotated to reveal a kickstand suitable for movie watching, and the company throws in Dolby Digital audio processing to augment that task. The Yoga Tablet's roll bar makes for great battery life and provides a bit of tilt for typing and a handle for reading. Lenovo has attempted to extend the Yoga brand by saying this extends the tablet to a number of modes (including a dubious hold mode), but putting all the battery on one side of the device does allow the rest of it to be quite svelte./ppAs the Nextbook Premium 8HD shows, these step-up tablets aren't necessarily high-end goods, but there's significant pressure to step up the game even at the lower end of the size spectrum. The 8-inch tablets must justify their premium over the cheaper 7-inchers. They also have to compete against the smallest tablet size for (real, x86-based) Windows tablets that include Microsoft Office. /ppAnd of course, there's the king of the tablet hill, the iPad, which is available in an 8-inch Mini version. Apple's latest lineup leaves plenty of room to maneuver around between the original, now at $299, and the new Retina Display-equipped model mocking the iPad 2 at $399. When it comes to Android, though, a smaller screen doesn't have to equate to a smaller number of options./p /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center