It's hard to mention the Samsung Galaxy range of smartphones without
mentioning the sheer range of devices that it covers, from the highest
end powerhouses such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, all the way through to the wallet-friendly Samsung Galaxy Fame.
The
Samsung Galaxy S4 may not be proving as popular as the Korean firm had
hoped, yet that hasn't stopped it extending the S4 range, equipping it
with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and the smaller Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini being reviewed here.
Ratings in depth
Being
the baby of the S4 range, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini manages to slide
in at a relatively reasonable price point, depending on where you look.
SIM-free offerings have been seen as low as £360 (around AU$595), and
you can get it for free on UK contracts starting at £21 per month if
you're willing to give up having oodles of data.
This puts the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini right up against the well established Nokia Lumia 820, Sony Xperia SP, and the ageing, yet incredibly popular Samsung Galaxy S3. But its main competitor is the HTC One Mini, the cut-down version of the world's best smartphone.
However, it seems that like with the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini,
the South Korean brand has sliced its handset down from the full-fat
Galaxy S4 even more than its Taiwanese rival - which could explain why
it's slightly cheaper to buy at the moment.
We're also left a
little confused by the need for a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, possibly
something brought on by the way that Samsung's nearest and dearest
rival, based out in Cupertino, handles things. Apple
hasn't, as yet, released a lower powered version of its flagship
handset, instead relying on sales of a previous iteration, but rumours
of an iPhone 5C,
offered at a lower cost, keep wandering around. This begs the question,
does Samsung need the Galaxy S4 Mini, when it already has the Galaxy
S3?
This is something that we shall take a look at, but looked at
entirely on its own, a dual-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz coupled
with 1.5GB of RAM definitely sets the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini off to a
decent start. A 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display adorns the face of the
S4 Mini.
It's also important to note that the Mini name is about as far as Mini goes. The 4.3-inch screen is larger than that of the iPhone 5,
and the whole handset measures in with a smaller yet deeper frame than
the Samsung Galaxy S4, at 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm (4.9 x 2.4 x 0.4
inches).
The plastic chassis is more fitting to a handset of this pricing and helps to keep the weight low at only 107g (3.8oz). Size
of phones is a hot topic, with many people feeling that modern
flagships, and the rise of phablets, are just too large. We were showing
off the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini to friends, and one avid iPhone user
commented that it was a far nicer size than the S4, and a lot easier to
use, especially one-handed.
We're not going to dedicate an entire
section to the screen in this review, like we did on the Samsung Galaxy
S4 review. That's not to say that the screen is a letdown, because it's
leagues above the Galaxy S3 Mini screen. There
isn't any super-fancy-super-charged-hover-over-the-screen tech involved
like there is in the full Samsung Galaxy S4, but the 960 x 540
resolution, while not HD, is bright, clear and crisp.
That said, we found that we were able to operate the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini with a pair of gloves on, which gets it a thumbs up. Behind that screen and the plastic frame sits all the bells and whistles that you might hope for, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, 4G
(confirmed for the UK, with 3G variants in other markets) and an
infra-red blaster. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is also a TV remote.
Design-wise,
the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini obviously follows in the footsteps of the
bigger Samsung Galaxy S4, and every Galaxy phone in recent memory. The
massive screen takes up the majority of the front real estate, a large
home button adorning the base, and the back and menu soft keys sitting
either side. The thinner bezel is vaguely reminiscent of the iPad mini, and something that we thought was very impressive on both the aforementioned Apple device and the Galaxy S4.
Long
gone are the days where phones and tablets had similar designs, square
with chunky black bezels, with the curvier edges and almost edge to edge
display making the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini feel like a premium device. Colour-wise,
the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini comes offering the now standard black and
white, with a metallic band wrapping around the edge of the frame. It is
something we've seen on other models, and it gives the S4 Mini a more
premium feel.
The plastic back wraps around the Samsung Galaxy S4
Mini, and like the S4 and other Galaxy models, is removable. We were
very disappointed with the back plate, however. There is quite a lot of
give in the plastic, as a result of the thinness to keep the depth and
weight of the phone down. Tucked
away is 1900mAh worth of battery, which again is removable. For intense
users, this might prove to be a bonus, because it means secondary
batteries can be swapped easily. In all, we're not overly fussed given
how cheap portable USB charging packs are.
The microSD card is
hidden behind the back cover as well, in one of the most awkward spots
we have seen. It's not only hidden behind the battery (so not
hot-swappable), it's also very fiddly to put the card in. It's
always been a staple of the Galaxy diet, but given that Samsung devices
have a heavy media slant, it's very important that the 8GB (around 5GB
after putting the Android Jelly Bean OS on top) is backed up with up to 64GB external storage.
In
terms of photography, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini obviously doesn't come
close to the prowess of the Galaxy S4 Zoom that was announced alongside
the Mini and the Galaxy S4 Active. That's
not to say that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is lacking in that
department, since it has a 1.9MP front-facing snapper for those pouty
profile pictures, and an 8MP sensor on the back. The rear sensor also
comes with an LED flash, for improved night time photography.
The
1.9MP camera above the screen at the top of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
sits alongside various other sensors, as well as the front speaker and
Samsung logo. The
sensors aren't too noticeable on the black model, but they are heavily
visible on the white. Interestingly, and disappointingly, there is no
notification light to speak of.
The power/lock button sits on the
opposite side of the volume rocker, again following the traditional
Samsung layout. Both buttons were easy enough to hit, even one-handed. The
obligatory ports again sit in their traditional places, the 3.5mm
headphone port (beside the infra-red blaster) at the top and the micro
USB at the base.
In the hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is very
comfortable, being easy enough to use one-handed, and extremely pleasant
for those who use both. The
4.3-inch screen sits in a sweet spot, a lot easier to hit than the
5-inch screens that are increasingly popular (or the 6.44-inch leviathan
on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra).
Design-wise,
the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is unsurprisingly similar to the Galaxy S4, a
phone that we said was a little underwhelming design-wise. The
curvier design sets it apart from the standard squarer smartphone, and
the thinner bezel is a little iPad mini-esque. Samsung's mini version of
its flagship phone certainly makes you want to take a second look.
Thanks to Unlocked-Mobiles for providing our Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review sample.
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