Surprising absolutely no-one, Samsung has launched the Galaxy S5 Mini, a shrunken down version of the Galaxy S5. Rumors have been gathering about the device since the S5’s introduction during Mobile World Congress, but now we have the official word on its shape and specs from Samsung itself.
Like previous Galaxy S Mini phones, it takes much of its design inspiration from its big brother. Here, that means a perforated rear panel, which Samsung says adds style and has an easy to grip surface, plus the same bevelled edging. The S5 introduced a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate monitor, and these two standout new features are also fitted to the S5 Mini. The heart rate monitor is also joined by the S Health app, which comes pre-installed on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.
Samsung has opted for a 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED touchscreen on the S5 Mini, which is just over half-an-inch smaller than the Galaxy S5’s display. The resolution is 1280 x 720, which matches its direct competition, including the LG G2 Mini, and the HTC One Mini 2. The camera has 8-megapixels on the rear, along with an LED flash, while the front camera has 2.1-megapixels.
Powering the S5 Mini is an unnamed quad-core, 1.4GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM, plus there’s 16GB of internal storage, and a MicroSD card slot too. Both a 3G and a 4G LTE model will be released, the latter also coming with NFC. The S5 Mini meets IP67 standards for water and dust resistance, comes with a 2100mAh battery, Samsung’s Ultra Power Saving Mode to extend the battery life, and will be sold in a selection of colors.
Russia will be first to get the Galaxy S5 Mini, and it should be on sale very soon, but Samsung also promises the phone will eventually make its way to most other countries around the world.
CONTINUE TO PAGE TWO FOR RUMORS LEADING UP TO THE GALAXY S5 MINI’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Last month, SamMobile reported that the Galaxy S5 Mini would launch shortly after the Galaxy S5. This continues a pattern that started with the Galaxy S4, which was announced with a similar mini, small version.
Updated on 06-10-2014 by Malarie Gokey: A new report from SamMobile confirms the Galaxy S5 Mini’s full specifications.
So far, there has been no official word regarding a release date. However, a leak from Samsung’s own website hints that the device may be coming soon. A screenshot photo posted by @evleaks shows a device called the Galaxy S5 DX on Samsung’s official UK page. It’s not confirmed that it’s the S5 Mini, but it looks very similar. It even has the same plastic back cover as the Galaxy S5.
The leaked photo shows that the Galaxy S5 DX, or Mini, however you want to call it, comes in more color variants than its premium predecessor. The color options are black, blue, yellow, white, and gold. The photo also hints that it will be compatible with the Gear 2.
According to a new report from SamMobile in June, the Galaxy S5 Mini will be powered by a new Samsung Exynos 3 Quad processor with a clock speed of 1.4GHz. It will also feature a quad-core Mali-400 MP4 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Luckily, you can expand the storage with a MicroSD card. Samsung also included an 8-megapixel camera on the back of the device and a 2.1-megapixel camera on the front. Both cameras are capable of recording 1080p video.
The S5 Mini is also expected to feature a a 4.5-inch 720p Super AMOLED display made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. According to this tipster’s info, it should have a fingerprint scanner and heart rate sensor, just like the full-size S5. However, it’s unknown if the Mini will be waterproof, too, although that doesn’t appear to be the case. In terms of connectivity, the S5 Mini will have LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, GPS, and GLONASS. The smartphone comes with a MicroUSB port, too. The Galaxy S5 Mini is expected to run Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Samsung’s TouchWiz UX on top.
There is still no word on a release date, but seeing as we already think we know all the specs, it seems likely that the Galaxy S5 Mini will be announced sooner rather than later.
Article originally published on 05-07-2014
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