If a 4.3-inch phone is considered “mini”, god help us all. Samsung has just announced that the Galaxy S4 Mini is real, and it’s still bigger than an iPhone 5. In fact, last year, it would be considered mid-range. Compared to the 5-inch monsters we have now, however, 4.3 inches is small, I guess.
As you might expect, it looks like a Galaxy S4 just smaller, with a touch of Galaxy S III for good measure. Packing a dual-core 1.7GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, the Galaxy S4 Mini is decidedly on the budget side. Still, it has a microSD slot, a 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED screen (read a low-ish res 960×540) and an 8MP shooter on the back. The front-facing chat cam is 1.9MP, so at least you should appear human rather than a blocky mess in Skype, and Jelly Bean 4.2.2 means you’re up to date on the Android front for now.
Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, GPS with GLONASS support, NFC, LTE and an IR blaster round out the Mini, with a 1900mAh battery to power the lot. Pricing is sadly lacking, but we’ll probably find that out at the London event next month. While you and I might covet its much higher-specced bigger brother, you’ll probably find this sells like hotcakes basking in the reflected glow of the Galaxy S4 proper.
