Samsung Galaxy S4 mini gets hands-on vid, is it better than the S3 mini?

Three UK has posted a hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, officially announced just yesterday by Samsung.

In the video Brendan Arndt, Device Portfolio Manager for Three UK, describes the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini as a device that brings the best features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in a smaller package.

“Some of you have told me you don’t want to carry around a 5-inch phone because it’s simply too big” Brendan Arndt tells us in the video.

Samsung Galaxy S4 tips and tricks


Watch the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini video here:

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. The 8GB of internal storage can be bumped up by a further 64GB via microSD. It runs Google’s latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and features the new TouchWiz UI functionalities including S Translator and S Health.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini features Sound and Shoot, Story Album, S Travel, Panorama Shot and other new photographic options showcased in the Samsung Galaxy S4 but comes with an 8 megapixel rear facing camera as opposed the S4’s 13 megapixel offering.

It is slightly taller than the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, the phone it’s set to replace, but it smaller and lighter in all other aspects.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will launch in White Frost and Black Mist colours but there no official release data has been announced.

Analysis: We weren’t particularly impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini but we will have to wait and see how the Galaxy S4 mini fares when we get our hands on it. It looks a little like a “tick the boxes” upgrade from its predecessor – 4G, slightly better screen resolution, slightly upgraded camera, CPU and battery.  It is a clear step up and the Galaxy S4 mini is a decent contender in the mid-range phone category but much will depend on its price. The S3 mini suffered not because of performance but because it was too pricey when compared to other similarly specced phones. We hope Samsung don’t trade on the Galaxy S4 name's desirability to put a premium price on the S4 mini.