The gap between the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and the company’s current flagship has narrowed slightly with an official announcement from Samsung stating that the Mini will start shipping in the UK complete with its own NFC chip from today.
The new S3 Mini with NFC will support standard NFC functionality like pairing, file transfer and audio connections, including Android Beam and S Beam: Samsung’s in-house NFC technology which is designed to work explicitly with other Samsung handsets like the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2. This S3 Mini is now one of the most affordable Samsungs with S Beam functionality and as we discovered in our S3/S3 Mini comparison, already emulates much of the functionality of its bigger brother well.
January 21st, 2013
Samsung is clearly aiming this Mini Galaxy at people who may have been put off by the 4.8-inch screen on the Galaxy S3 and may instead have considered Apple’s new smartphone.
Simon Stanford from Samsung comments:
“The award winning Galaxy S III has been extremely well received globally since it launched earlier this year so we are thrilled to be able to offer our customers the same revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence in a mini version.“
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini looks like an interesting phone, but the change of specs means it’s not really a mini version of the Galaxy S3 at all – it’s got more in common with the Samsung Galaxy S Advance.
The Samsung Galaxy smartphone range consists of nine current Galaxy devices (and we’re not including the original Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Y or Galaxy W from last year) which we think is extremely confusing for the consumer. Although based on the one (so far) SIM-free price of £299, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini will certainly appeal to people who want a phone that looks – rather than performs – like a Samsung Galaxy S3.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini review.
What specifications does the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini have?
Processor: Dual-core 1GHz
Screen: 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED
Operating System: Android 4.1: Jelly Bean
Camera: 5-megapixel LED flash/front-facing VGA
Storage: 8/16GB, microSD card slot
Battery: 1500mAh
Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS
Dimensions/Weight: 121.55x63x9.85mm/111.5g
Where does the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini sit in Samsung’s range?
Despite bearing the ‘Mini’ moniker the Galaxy S3 Mini is far removed from the entry-level Samsung Galaxy Mini 2. The specifications obviously position it under the Samsung Galaxy S3, but also the Samsung Galaxy S2, which comes with more storage and has a larger resolution screen and camera.
How much does the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini cost?
The S3 Mini typically retails for around £269 – a similar price to the HTC One S or Sony Xperia P.
When does the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini launch?
The S3 Mini is available now online and in stores.
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