The official launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini is well in accord with rumors and predictions about the existence of the device. The surprise element is that the announcement comes a bit earlier than expected – most predictions pointed to a June 20th launch at the London event.
As expected, the Galaxy S4 Mini is a miniature version of the flagship Galaxy S4, and the launch pattern is similar to that of last year’s Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S3 Mini. The S4 Mini is a budget-friendly option yet harmonious with the high-end design and features of the Galaxy S4. It will be available in black and white colors, and pricing has yet to be announced.
The Galaxy S4 Mini measures 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm and boasts a 4.3-inch screen compared to the 4.99-inch screen of the Galaxy S4. It is still larger than the iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen. Its resolution is qHD 960 x 540 compared to Full HD 1920 x 1080 of the Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy S4 Mini is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, most probably Snapdragon 400 SoC, and 1.5 GB RAM. The 8GB internal storage is expandable to 64GB via microSD. Camera features are impressive – 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera. The 1,900mAh battery is removable.
The S4 Mini runs on Android 4.2.2 OS and comes loaded with many of the features of the S4, such as TouchWiz Nature UI. Android 4.2.2 has a good number of enhancements including better interface and speed. Pre-loaded apps include S Travel, ChatOn, Group Play, S Health and S Translator, among others.
The device will come in three versions namely, a 3G version, 4G LTE version and 3G dual-SIM version. Connectivity features include dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GLONASS and GPS. Will the other Galaxy S4 models wait till June 20th or make it earlier?