Became the most successful smartphone Samsung for the entire time of the presence of the Korean company in the telecommunications market. The Galaxy brand has become well recognized among users, but the presence of the letter S followed by a number in the name adds even more attractiveness to the model.
Samsung's desire to exploit the Galaxy S III brand is understandable. Just think - the word mini has appeared. The main thing is that a potential buyer sees the same flagship, only more compact and cheaper. Is it really a full-fledged modification of the older model with a minimum amount of changes, or is it still a mid-range device with a set of functions familiar to such devices?
In the Galaxy S III mini review, we compare the smartphone with a full "Troika" and find out if the differences between the two models are so great.
Appearance
The design of the Galaxy S III and its mini-version is identical - this cannot be taken away from the novelty. The same glossy plastic, the same imitation of roughly processed metal at the ends, the same smooth curves. The differences are minimal, and those that exist are not functionally justified. For some reason, the designers wanted to place the sensors and the front camera not to the right, but to the left of the earpiece grille. Button "Home" became slightly wider and longer. The flash has moved under the camera's peephole, the design of the speaker has changed. All these are cosmetic changes, they did not make the device more ergonomic, but they did not spoil it either.
All three hardware keys of the smartphone are pressed clearly and do not dangle, as in some Chinese handicraft. In terms of ease of use, the controls do not differ from those in other Samsung smartphones.
Of the frankly unsuccessful solutions, it is worth noting the strange location of the memory card slot. Many Korean devices (including the Galaxy S III) suggest "Hot" replacement of external drives, in this case, this number will not work. To get to the slot, you will not only have to remove the cover, but also take out the battery. So it's better to immediately stock up on a capacious flash drive - the built-in 8 GB (or 16 GB in the older model) will not be enough at one point, and you will get tired of quickly changing 2 GB cards.
I liked the ergonomics of the device very much. Even the large Galaxy S III fits well in the hand, and the Galaxy S III mini even feels very natural in the palm of your hand. True, in the case of the flagship, thanks for this is the very thin profile of the smartphone - the thickness of the device is only 8.6 mm. The novelty is almost 1.5 mm thicker, but due to the reduced length and width, it fits well. Due to the convex rear panel, the smartphone is extremely pleasant to hold during a call. The light weight of about 110 g (the model is 20 g lighter than the older brother) adds a few points to "Karma" devices.
Galaxy S III mini just got better convenience "Progenitor", although he could not be blamed for the discomfort during work. Significant disadvantage- a slot for a memory card hidden under the battery. Apparently, it was not possible to completely constructively repeat the features of the Galaxy S III due to the more compact dimensions of the novelty.
Display
The screen is the most controversial part of the Galaxy S III mini when compared to the older device. The device got a 4 ″ Super AMOLED matrix, the resolution of which is 480 × 800 pixels (233 ppi). Compare: the display resolution of the Galaxy S III reaches 720 × 1280 pixels, which, with a 4.8 ″ diagonal, gives a pixel density per inch of 306.
There can be no complaints about the size of the matrix. In the end, the novelty is just positioned as Galaxy versions S III with a relatively small screen. Such a model will be deliberately chosen by those who, for one reason or another, do not need or do not need a giant display.
Resolution is another matter. Much depends on personal perception. If you have little experience with HD-screens or don't expect the "printing" quality of the Galaxy S III matrix from the device, then the mini display will not disappoint. On the other hand, since the smartphone was named after the flagship model, then you initially expect similar characteristics from it. When compared to the Galaxy S III, the mini's pixelation, which is usually overlooked, is clearly visible. The PenTile technology, of course, hasn't gone anywhere. Move the flagship away, do not peer, with your nose buried in the screen, at the small details on it, and the Galaxy S III mini will look passable.
According to subjective impressions, the new product uses the same matrix as in the Galaxy S Advance, which, in turn, inherited the screen from the founder of the series - the very first Galaxy S. In fact, we are dealing with a display that was installed a couple of years ago in the top models of the Korean company, and today it has dropped into the segment of devices in the middle price range.
Camera
The situation is similar with the 5-megapixel camera. The photo module mini resembles the Galaxy S Advance in terms of image quality. Here, too, they want to disguise the noise as unnecessary. "Obscurity", as a result of which the detail and clarity of photographs suffer. At the same time, noise in low light conditions does not disappear anywhere. As a result, some frames are obtained not only "Cloudy" but also noisy.
Of course, the photomodule of the smartphone under review is not up to the quality of the Galaxy S III. The common matrix found in many mid-range phones is not surprising and offers what you expect from it.
The camera can shoot HD video, an example of which can be seen below.
Interface
The smartphone runs Android 4.1 with the proprietary TouchWiz shell. The interface of the device is very similar to that of the Galaxy S III. Many "Chips" the older model migrated to the younger one. For example, it also has an eye tracking feature to prevent the screen from locking. It is possible to change the scale of the image by tilting the smartphone, you can pause the playback of the track by putting your hand on the screen, etc.
There are few built-in applications, the most useful of them is Chrome browser... This web browser is much more convenient to work with than the standard Android browser. The work with tabs, navigation on the page is more logical, it is possible to synchronize with the desktop application.
Nothing new in software Galaxy functionality S III mini no. The main thing is the very fact that the smartphone is initially running Jelly Bean, while many competitors will have to wait a long time for the official update. The system interface works noticeably faster, without the annoying slowdowns typical of previous versions of Android.
Performance and time autonomous work
Deja vu again: Galaxy S III mini is built on the NovaThor U8420 platform with a 2-gigahertz processor, Mali-400MP graphics and 1 GB random access memory... We saw something similar during preparation Galaxy review S Advance. There was also a NovaThor chip, albeit labeled U8500. The differences between the two models are minimal, except that the new product has more RAM. Judging by the tests, the U8420, despite the lower numeric index, slightly outperforms in performance "Colleague"... The difference, however, is minimal.
The Galaxy S III mini's interface is noticeably faster than Advance, but this is due to the more recent version of the OS, and not "gland"... Demanding games feel surprisingly great too.
And again, remember the Galaxy S Advance, which is equipped with a 1500 mAh battery. Our today's "experimental" has the same battery. The battery life of the two devices is almost identical. Smartphone Galaxy S III mini in Full HD video playback mode with off communications was enough for 7 hours and 20 minutes of battery life. The Advance model lasted 10 minutes longer. In daily use, both devices work for a day and a half.
conclusions
As you can see, throughout the review, we gradually moved away from comparing the mini to the Galaxy S III. In fact, the "new" smartphone is the well-known Galaxy S Advance, only in the case from Galaxy S III and with Android 4.1 "from the box".
When the first rumors about the Galaxy S III mini appeared on the web, many thought it was a smaller version of the flagship with similar specifications. Everything turned out to be even simpler. This is a regular mid-range model with older sibling design. In addition to the brand and appearance, both devices do not have anything in common. Why does Samsung need to name the top model for the smartphone? The calculation of the Korean manufacturer is clear and simple: the power of marketing and a well-known brand will help not only sell outdated components, but also make good money on it.
The cost of the Galaxy S III mini in Belarus is still unknown. Recently, sales of the smartphone began in Europe, where the device can be purchased for about $ 450, which is about $ 50 more than Advance. For this money, the buyer receives new version Bluetooth (4.0 instead of 3.0), different body and Android 4.1 "from the box"... That's all the difference. Whether they are worth the extra $ 50 is up to buyers. It is possible that in Belarus the price difference will be even greater.
Sourse of information:
Samsung has decided to take full advantage of the Galaxy S III brand. In this regard, a large number of mobile phones with this name appear in store shelves. True, in technical terms, they all have nothing to do with the original. Here is our test Samsung Galaxy S III mini from the same number. Why is it interesting and is it worth the attention of buyers?
Samsung Galaxy S III mini is presented to us as a scaled-down version of the most popular smartphone of 2012. In fact, apart from the design, the device has nothing to do with. In technical terms, we have a completely different apparatus. Processor, chip, memory - everything is much lower here.
Compensation for such a pseudo can only be the price, but the novelty is only 4,000 cheaper than the original.
Dimensions. Contents of delivery
id = "sub0">The dimensions of the Samsung GS III mini do not look excessive, and it cannot be called miniature either. They are rather optimal: 121.55x63.00x9.9 mm. Weight - 120 grams. The device fits well in the hand, it does not tend to fall out or slip out. You can easily carry your smartphone in a pocket of trousers, jeans, a shirt or a bag.
The delivery set includes:
- Samsung i8190 Galaxy S III mini phone
- Battery 1500 mAh, Li-Ion
- Charger(microUSB)
- Stereo headset with 3.5mm mini-jack
- Computer sync cable
- Instructions
Design, construction
id = "sub1">The appearance of the smartphone is fully consistent with the design. Here you can see the rounded corners of the case. The decor is minimalist. There is a lot of gloss on the front, as well as on the back. The back cover is plastic. It can be easily removed.
Samsung i8190 comes in two flavors: sea pebbles and white marble.
Almost the entire front part of the device is occupied by a touchscreen display. Above it is a speaker hole. To the left is a camera for video calls and all kinds of sensors and sensors: motion sensor, light sensor, G-sensor.
Below the screen there is a menu button - in the center and two touch keys context menu and go back one level. Everything is standard here. In terms of ease of use, the controls do not differ from those in other Samsung smartphones.
The back surface is made of plastic, stylized as brushed metal. Thanks to this, fingerprints, scuffs and cuts are not visible. It houses a 5 megapixel camera, an LED flash that can be used as a flashlight, and a speaker for external calls and music playback.
On the right side there is a power on / off and phone lock button, and on the left side there are volume keys. There are no camera buttons here, the camera application for shooting can only be launched from the menu.
At the top there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack. A standard microUSB connector is on the bottom. There is also a microphone.
The lithium-ion battery is located under the battery cover. We also have a SIM card holder and a microSD card slot.
The build quality of the Samsung i8190 is good. During the test, no external defects were found. The impressions are extremely positive. Galaxy S III mini is assembled at a factory in South Korea.
Screen. Graphic capabilities
id = "sub2">Samsung Galaxy S III has an excellent Super AMOLED screen with a 4-inch diagonal and a resolution of 480x800 pixels (233 ppi). However, the device is harshly criticized for its relatively low resolution. However, the display is characterized by high contrast, brightness and color reproduction.
The available matrix provides viewing angles close to maximum. When exposed to direct sunlight, the screen fades a little, but remains easy to read.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini display supports multitouch.
In fact, we are dealing with a screen that a couple of years ago was installed in the top models of the Korean company, but today it has dropped into the segment of mid-range devices.
Keypad and information input
id = "sub3">Entering information, as well as writing texts and dialing numbers is done using the touch screen.
There are two options for typing texts in the Samsung Galaxy S III mini: a vertical and horizontal QWERTY keyboard. In the first version, the buttons are small, and therefore it is not very convenient to type text.
But in the horizontal orientation, the buttons are large and allow you to type text without problems. Changing the language is done by pressing the "space" key, but you must first select the main languages in the settings.
Menu. Interface and navigation
id = "sub4">Samsung Galaxy S III mini runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The software can be updated over the Internet.
In standby mode, up to seven desktops are available to the user. In order to delete or add them, you need to press the context button and select the "Change" item. After that, you can work with desktops. In addition, there are "live" wallpapers.
In turn, the user can add additional program shortcuts, bookmarks or widgets to any of the desktops. To do this, just click the context button and select the "Add" item. Further individual programs can be grouped by meaning, for example, photos, videos and YouTube in one screen, and calendar and notes in another. At the same time, the speed of access to these services increases several times.
A long continuous press on the top of the screen activates the notification panel. It displays the current date, operator name and other supporting information. Notification panel on Samsung Galaxy S III mini informs about new voice messages, messages Email, Gmail, and more. There is also an opportunity to quickly enable such functions as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, sound, auto-rotate.
The menu can be accessed by clicking on the "Applications" item at the bottom right of the screen. The menu of the tested phone is represented by default with three screens that can be scrolled. These are all diverse applications. Long press on an application shortcut will move it to the desktop. To remove a shortcut from the desktop, you need to do the opposite. There is also a "Widgets" tab, from where you can add useful information directly to your smartphone desktop.
The lock screen in the Galaxy S III mini is implemented in the same way as in the SGS III. To unlock the device, you just need to slide your finger across the screen. In addition, there are intelligent control functions.
If you activate them, the device will not go into "sleep" mode as long as the user is looking at it. The front camera is used for face recognition. The manufacturer honestly warns that “ Intellectual waiting»May not work in the dark. However, under normal conditions, the function also does not always work correctly. It seems that an eye icon appears on the notification bar (that is, the camera recognizes that the screen is in this moment look), but sometimes the display backlight still turns off after a specified period of time.
Telephone functions
id = "sub5">First of all, these include "Phone", "Contacts", "Messages". They are all located at the bottom of the Galaxy S III mini home screen.
The Contacts application stores detailed information about phone numbers and subscribers. A specific record can have two dozen fields, be it the last name, first name, patronymic, mobile number, home phone, email address, date of birth or personal ID, Skype, etc. The search in contacts occurs at once in all fields of the client, that is, you can dial the number, first name, last name, etc. The profile of each subscriber can now be linked to his social media accounts.
During incoming call the screen displays a photo and a subscriber's number from the phone book, or, if the subscriber is not known, a picture of a green man.
Text and multimedia messages are grouped by subscriber. By clicking on a specific contact, you can view the history of correspondence with this person.
Internet and Google services
id = "sub6">The default browser uses updated Webkit and JavaScript. In addition, the browser supports Adobe flash and does everything a progressive browser should do.
The device is fully integrated with Google services such as Gmail, Picasa, Google Talk, Google Maps, YouTube and of course google search... The user only has to specify the data of his account google records that's all.
Work tools include Google Calendar. It allows you to view events by date, time and action. The service is a high-quality planner-organizer, all in one. All events can be divided into groups with corresponding fields. All information is stored on a Google server.
Multimedia capabilities
id = "sub7">Item "Music" - music audio player. You can view and listen to audio tracks. The following file formats are supported: MP3, AMR, AAC, AAC +, e-AAC +. There is support for OMA DRM. There is a sorting by artist, album, genre, composer.
A regular headset is included in the package. Thanks to the 3.5 mm jack, you can pick up any headphones.
The "Video" item displays videos taken both by the camera of the device and downloaded from the Internet.
A kind of thematic browser of photo and video files is the item "Gallery". All files are divided into folders: photo and video clips, music.
The settings for ease of management are divided into several sections: “ Wireless networks"(Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile network and data network), "Device" (setting up applications, power, personalization), "Personal data" (setting up social services and accounts), "System".
Camera. Photo and video capabilities
id = "sub8">The main camera allows you to take pictures with a resolution of up to 2592x1944 and record HD video at 30 frames per second.
The camera has standard set settings. Volume buttons are responsible for zooming in / out of the image. In comparison with the previous models, there are also improvements. They mainly touched on the color reproduction of images, as well as the ability to select the focus point on the screen with a touch.
Auto contrast allows you to get good picture quality on a bright sunny day. Manual ISO settings are 50, 100, 200, 400, 800. The following shooting modes are available: single shot, smile detection, continuous, panorama, vintage, portrait, landscape, night mode, sports, indoor, beach / snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks, text, dusk, against the light.
The quality of the images is quite average. It loses much to SGS III.
The settings also have special shooting effects a la crooked mirror, which are applied directly in the process. That is, the picture is processed in real time, and the smartphone thereby demonstrates its computing power.
The phone supports video recording in mpeg4 format for maximum resolution, and in the settings you can specify whether the video will be recorded with or without sound. All settings are comparable to those for photos, but the resolution of the clips is different, plus the effects are supported. The camera can shoot videos with a resolution of 1280x720, 720x480 pixels (30 frames), or a resolution of 640x480 pixels (30 frames). Two additional resolutions - 320x240 and 176x144 pixels.
The video recorded is not bad. It looks adequate on a phone screen, and it looks more or less on a computer.
Photos and videos can be viewed from the Multimedia menu. Photos and videos are displayed in the form of thumbnails, the list opens very quickly, there are no delays even with a large number of pictures or images. In the gallery, you can flip through photos by tilting the phone in one direction or another. All this became thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Memory and speed
id = "sub9">A version of the smartphone with 8 GB memory is still available in stores. This volume can be expanded by using microSD memory cards.
The performance of the Galaxy S III mini is quite comfortable. The device runs on the NovaThor U8420 platform with a 2-gigahertz processor, Mali-400MP graphics and 1 GB of RAM. There is enough RAM to ensure that no application feels left out. In addition, multitasking is supported for all applications.
Communication capabilities
id = "sub10">In addition to the standard connection to a computer via microUSB, the Galaxy S III mini has Bluetooth 3.0 support. Bluetooth provides wireless connection peripheral devices: for example, stereo A2DP / AVRCP headsets.
When connected to a USB port, there are several connection options: Media, Charge Only, Storage, Samsung Keis. In the Storage mode, the device is perfectly picked up without additional drivers, you can copy the necessary data.
As for Kies, this is an analogue of iTunes only very, very raw. The program is inconvenient, and most importantly, it often crashes due to errors, or simply refuses to perform this or that action. In general, Kies is something that you don't need to install on your computer.
Returning to communication capabilities, it is worth noting support for packet data transmission using GPRS and EDGE class 32 technologies, as well as third generation networks with HSPA + support. The phone can be used as a modem with up to 21 Mbps downstream traffic.
In mid-October, she announced new smartphone Galaxy S III mini, indexed i-8190. This model is outwardly a reduced copy of the flagship device Galaxy S III - the same design, body materials, location of the control keys. But this is where the similarities end, the characteristics of smartphones differ dramatically.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini measures 121.55x63x9.85 mm, which resembles the dimensions of the original Galaxy S. As we already mentioned, the new model will have a design similar to the Galaxy S III. Thus, the South Korean company decided that the consumers of this gadget will be those who need a more compact size and a lower price.
As in the flagship model, almost the entire front surface of the device is occupied by a display, above which there are a front camera, light and proximity sensors, a speaker and a company logo, and below it is a control key. On the back cover you can see the main camera with LED flash. Speaker and logo slots.
The assembly of the device is done very well: there are no squeaks and backlash during operation.
Galaxy S III mini weighs 111.5 grams.
Performance and software
Samsung Galaxy S III mini is based on a 2-core ST-Ericsson NovaThor ModAp processor of the U8500 / U8520 family with a clock speed of 1 GHz, a Mali-400MP graphics accelerator and 1 GB of RAM.
These specs are, of course, inferior to those of the original Galaxy S III, but still provide good performance and help keep costs down. Below are some tests that will help you evaluate the capabilities of your new smartphone.
The Benchmark Pi test allows you to determine the performance of the CPU (the lower the points, the better), here the gadget outstripped such smartphones as Xperia go, Sony Xperia sola and Samsung Galaxy S Duos.
In the rest of the benchmarks Vellamo, NenaMark 2, AnTuTu and Quadrant, the new device also showed average results.
The Samsung Galaxy S III mini has 16 GB of permanent memory, which can be expanded using cards.
Out of the box, the smartphone will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which, of course, is a big plus.
Galaxy S3 mini comes with the following preinstalled apps: browser, audio player, video player, Play Market, integration with, navigation software, mail client, other programs and games.
The gadget supports Wi-Fi operation(hotspot + Direct), GPS / A-GPS and, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, and 3G networks.
Screen
The pixel density is 233 ppi, but since the generation uses a PenTile matrix, you will be able to detect the familiar dot. While it doesn't really matter, it's one of those things that you just notice and it won't leave your head. The Samsung Galaxy S 3 mini uses a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800x480 pixels and a color reproduction of 16 million shades. It is identical to the screen used in Galaxy smartphones S and Galaxy S Advance, so the image quality is the same.
With all this in mind, the display can be said to have more than decent image quality for a mid-range device. Colors are rich, blacks are as deep as other AMOLED screens, and viewing angles are very wide.
Camera
Galaxy S III mini is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus function. The novelty allows you to take pictures with a maximum resolution of 2592x1944 pixels.
The photos look good enough, especially considering that this device is not camera-oriented.
You can see examples of photos below.
The camera can record HD video at 30 frames per second, which makes the motion smooth during playback.
An example of a video shot with a Samsung Galaxy S3 mini camera.
The smartphone also has a 0.3-megapixel front camera for video calling.
Battery
The device has a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh, which will last for 6-7 hours of intensive use (games, Wi-Fi and 3G networks, videos, music and conversations).
Price
Samsung Galaxy S III mini video review:
The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is by no means a device for the technically preoccupied segment of the audience. Rather, for those who want to trust brands and not go into details.
Specifications
Born at the end of 2012, the Galaxy S III Mini received a fresh version of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, and with it new useful features.
Unlike the most technologically advanced Samsung smartphone of 2012, the mini S III is powered by a dual-core processor. Despite half the number of cores, it (namely the NovaThor U8420 chipset) provides high performance, and also has a better effect on battery life. But with average loads, the battery capacity is enough for two days of work. Despite all this, up to the title of the flagship model for lovers of small diagonals Galaxy screens S III Mini falls short: its screen resolution is only 480x800 pixels, and the 5-megapixel camera is by no means the flagship indicator for today.
| Technical Galaxy characteristics S III Mini | |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Android 4.1.1 |
| Dimensions and weight | 121.6 x 63 x 9.9 mm, 111.5 g |
| Display | Super AMOLED, 4 inches, 800x480 pixels (pixel density 233 ppi) |
| CPU | dual-core, NovaThor U8420 (1 GHz clock speed) |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM, 8/16 GB, micro SD support |
| Camera | 5 MP (2592x1944), flash, autofocus, video recording in HD-resolution |
| Communications | Wi-Fi a / b / g / n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, A-GPS, Bluetooth |
| Battery | 1500 mAh |
As a result, the performance of the smartphone is at a fairly high level, but in tests it is inferior to some of its competitors. In particular, the Acer CloudMobile S500 is in both Vellamo and a AnTuTu, and the Huawei P1 is only in AnTuTu.
Appearance
The camera also copes with shooting video pretty well.
Sample video captured with Samsung Galaxy S III Mini
Competitive environment
Among smartphones for 4000 UAH, Galaxy S III Mini looks tiny. Its closest rivals, Acer Cloudmobile, Huawei Ascend P1 and last year's flagship Samsung Galaxy S II, have 4.3-inch displays, with the former two also having a decent screen resolution. They also surpass the Galaxy S III Mini in terms of performance, but inferior to it in battery life. Also, Acer and Huawei cannot boast of their own shell - but this is already a matter of taste. Someone prefers naked Android, to whom serve Samsung TouchWiz, to whom - HTC Sense.
If the average screen size is an important criterion for choosing a smartphone, then only Sony XPERIA P will have to compete for the consumer Galaxy S III Mini wallet. Both smartphones have 4-inch displays, while Sony got the best resolution (screen and camera) and even metal case with a very interesting design. XPERIA Smartphone P was released on an almost prehistoric version of Android 2.3, but had to be updated to 4.0.
A comparative table of smartphone capabilities in the 4000 UAH category looks like this.
In the dry residue
In fact, Galaxy S III Mini is a cocktail of a flagship name and design, a fresh version of the operating system, high performance, and other middle-class stuffing. At the same time, the device is characterized by tremendous charisma, the origins of which, as it seemed to me, are in the very successful shape of the case and the refined TouchWiz shell. And the highlight of this model is Android version 4.1, which is not yet available to competitors and, of course, the name with which the smartphone, as they say, will go far. At the same time, the price tag of 4000 UAH eloquently hints that the buyer will have to pay part of this amount just for the “S III” in the name, and not for tangible technical advantages. After all, the same Acer Cloudmobile or Huawei P1 with better performance, screen resolution and camera will cost the same amount.
4 reasons to buy the Galaxy S III Mini:
- very natural body shape;
- Android 4.1 and high performance;
- autonomy is above average;
- this is also a little S III.
3 reasons not to buy the Galaxy S III Mini:
- low screen resolution for its price category;
- the screen lock and Home keys, which are poorly visible on the body;
- low resolution camera for its price category.
This model, everything about it was great except for the price. Reduced copy flagship smartphone they called it uncomplicated - Samsung Galaxy S III mini, and hung a price tag of 4299 hryvnia. And it would be fine if the S III mini was really a miniature copy of the Samsung i9300, but it is not. The characteristics were significantly inferior to the top model, only the design and interface were common. We decided to find out what impressions the younger S III leaves behind and whether he is worthy of being evaluated in an amount commensurate with the original.
Considering the fact that with each new Samsung device more and more blurs the line separating one model from another, the Samsung Galaxy S III mini could also be called the Samsung Galaxy S Duos. It is also similar to the S III, and you can distinguish between S III mini and S Duos only by the presence of an inscription on the upper part of the latter's case. If you still look at the device from all sides, you really find a lot in common. This is the design of the sides, the shape of the rim around the lens of the main camera, the location of the notch for removing the rear panel, the Micro-USB connector, the shape of the hardware key and the earpiece mesh and, in fact, the materials used. Among the differences: a different arrangement of proximity sensors, lighting, front camera, flash and multimedia speaker, and, of course, dimensions. If the original has a 4.8 "display, then the reduced copy is some 4". Another feature that unites the models, here it is true that you need to immediately make an amendment - this concerns most Samsung devices, is the build quality - it is at a good level. There are no creaks or backlash. Gorilla Glass is coated with an oleophobic layer to prevent fingerprints. The rear removable panel is made in the same style as in, that is, from glossy plastic. Scratches and greasy stains from fingers quickly appear on it. Looking under the removable panel, you can find a battery of modest capacity of 1500 mAh, under which there is a slot for memory cards, a slot for SIM-cards of the usual mini format, and that's all.
Due to its small size, the smartphone fits comfortably in the hand. The power button is located on the right side, while on the opposite side there is a double volume rocker. The bezel on the sides of the display is much smaller than devices with a similar diagonal, but here, as in the latest models of LG smartphones in the white color of the case, they went to a trick - there is a small distance between the edge of the bezel and the display, which is imperceptible when the display backlight is off.
Interface and software
Samsung Galaxy S III mini - one of the few devices running on the operating room Android system 4.1.1 out of the box. Paired with the current one (except for Android 4.2, which so far is only on Nexus devices) operating system installed in the smartphone latest version the proprietary shell - Nature UX - is the same as in the Samsung Galaxy S III. With this in mind, the smartphone user really gets a smaller copy of the original interface.
The only thing that seemed to us not entirely convenient was the keyboard. Perhaps the whole point is that we are accustomed to devices with a larger display. Given the fact that the smartphone is designed for young people and women, this drawback cannot be considered serious. In addition, there were no complaints from the girl who passed with the smartphone for several days. There were no complaints about the quality of the connection either. The speaking and call speakers are loud, but with musical abilities, not everything is so simple. The sound output is only slightly "simpler" than what we heard in the HTC Desire SV, but their volume is on par. And here and there, its level is insufficient to enjoy music in the subway without extraneous noise from the outside, even taking into account the presence of good earplugs.
Hardware platform
Even before the appearance of official information, there were rumors that the smartphone would have a quad-core processor, a capacious battery and other delights that could arouse interest not only from young people, but also those users for whom performance is important. The reality turned out to be somewhat different. The Samsung Galaxy S III mini uses a NovaThor U8500 system-on-a-chip with a 1GHz dual-core processor, Mali-400 MP graphics chip and 1GB of RAM. All this allows the smartphone to perform well in performance tests.
The most important thing is that with a 1500 mAh battery, the smartphone showed excellent results in operating time, gaining 810 points in Antutu Tester, thereby climbing to the second line of the rating. The operating time at maximum load was 4.5 hours. The user can count on 8 hours of video viewing or two or three days of work with a less intensive load, which includes several tens of minutes of calls a day, an hour of listening to music and work in a 3G network.
Display and camera
As good as Super AMOLED displays can be, they can be just as bad. The smartphone has a Super AMOLED matrix with all the ensuing consequences, including the reference black color, rich shades, good viewing angles and PenTile. You don't need a microscope to spot the latter. A person with good eyesight sees it from a familiar distance. I was somewhat surprised by the lack of automatic brightness control, because physically, judging by the number of holes on the case, the light sensor is present.
The quality of the camera is comparable to the first generation of the Galaxy S family, in fact, the capabilities of the camera are exactly the same. The maximum image resolution is 5 MP, the maximum resolution of the recorded video is 1280x720 pixels. The same characteristics are in the flagship of bada smartphones - Samsung Wave III. Interestingly, these three devices use not only a similar camera module, but also the type of display, including diagonal and resolution. Probably, in this way, Samsung decided to give another life to the "oldies", collecting stale components, placing them all in a new case.
You can evaluate the quality of the camera using the following examples.
An example of 5 megapixel photos taken with a smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III mini
Outcomes
Despite all the advantages, a close acquaintance with the Samsung Galaxy S III mini did not reveal to us the secret of such a high price. Probably, Samsung already feels so good in the world market that now the only thing left is to increase the perception of its brand as a manufacturer of expensive but high-quality equipment. With this, the smartphone is doing well. It is well assembled, has good characteristics and is ready to please the owner with a relatively considerable operating time. The camera will not disappoint, if you do not expect results comparable to the original from it. The most important thing is that all this together leaves a good impression and it is likely that as soon as the price for it falls from heaven to earth, its popularity is simply guaranteed.
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