Samsung Galaxy S III Mini Pops Up, Hands-on Video

Galaxy S3 miniGalaxy S3 mini

When word first started trickling out that Samsung planned to make a mini version of the Galaxy S III, it had the air of plausibility — we’ve heard from many a person about the too-large size of that phone for their hands. Then, a press invitation confirmed that “something small” was in the works, and finally mobile chief JK Shin confirmed that a smartphone of that name would be announced today in Frankfurt, Germany.

Now Samsung’s spilled all the beans, and revealed the new Galaxy S III mini, a slightly paler version of its bigger brother in specs as well as screen size. Our own short time with the phone certainly revealed that its pushing all the same “inspired by nature” buttons of the original Galaxy S III (and the Galaxy Note II), with the same exact rounded pebble shape and layout. The German marketing rep we spoke to said his company’s research found that users wanted the same phone design as the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III, but in a smaller form factor — to more easily fit smaller hands and pockets. Samsung said those folks don’t necessarily need or want the most powerful phone they can get their hands on and are content to have mid-level specs — so the mini carries a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, a 4-inch, WVGA AMOLED screen and 32GB max of memory.

It remains to be seen if those specs will dilute the Galaxy S brand, but in any event, we found the phone certainly doesn’t cramp our regular-sized hands like its older brother can (let alone the Note II), and the comfortable shape of the original works even better in a mini size. The button placement is identical to the larger handset, and the phone will come out of the box with nearly identical Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean functionality — with the added Samsung TouchWiz twist, of course. That includes new niceties like the multi-screen option, and a brief play with the phone shows the same butter factor, even with the lesser dual-core processor. So might this mini-me Galaxy S III model sway you over to the Samsung Galaxy family if you disdain the giant screen of its predecessor? Check out the gallery below to see how the size compares with the rest of the family, and a hands-on video and interview with Samsung Germany rep Mario Winter, both after the break.

Have a look at the hands on video here.

Via: Engadget

 

Prateek Panda

Prateek is the Founder of TheTechPanda. He's passionate about technology startups and entrepreneurship and enjoys speaking to new founders every day. Prateek has also been consistently regarded as one of the top marketing experts in the region.

Recent Posts

‘The DeepSeek moment is a reminder that accepting status quo is a wrong strategy’

As DeepSeek disrupts the global power of AI with a cheaper yet efficient model, it’s…

3 days ago

DeepSeek AI: ‘We have a hedge fund manager releasing a model that beats the big daddies of GenAI on all parameters’

China’s DeepSeek launch of DeepSeek-R1, an MIT-licensed, fully open-source reasoning model, a strong contender to OpenAI’s o1, has…

3 days ago

The rise of digital health solutions: Why small businesses are turning to tech-driven health insurance

India’s health insurance landscape is undergoing a quiet revolution, driven by the confluence of technology…

3 days ago

{Startup watch: GauravGo Games} A Battle Royale game launched by a group of BTech students from a tier-2 college in Odisha

India's gaming and esports scene has exploded in recent years, transforming from a niche hobby…

4 days ago

CFOs of 2025 will need to set a new standard for efficiency

In 2025, more than ever before, CFOs are setting a new standard when it comes…

5 days ago

PNB first Bank in India to launch Clari5’s real-time NCRP Integration Solution with I4C

Punjab National Bank (PNB) became the first bank in India to go live with Clari5’s…

6 days ago