The Galaxy S4 is still making headlines, after it was confirmed for its U.S. debut on May 1 by T-Mobile, and all UK networks putting the phone up for pre-order with an April 26 release date. However, a lengthy report on Samsung’s rise to dominance published by Bloomberg has given us a clue as to what could be next on the company’s agenda – a Galaxy S4 Mini. It explicitly mentions the unofficial phone after singing the praises of the Galaxy S4, calling it “another huge hit for Samsung,” before going to to say, “as will the S4 Mini that will go on sale soon after.”
You may remember the Galaxy S3 Mini, which was announced in October last year, to almost universal disdain. The device has a 4-inch screen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, a dual-core NovaThor processor and a 5-megapixel camera. Compared to the Galaxy S3, it was terribly ordinary, but it did keep the S3’s winning design. Despite the hatred, the Galaxy S3 Mini is correctly named, as everything about it is smaller than the full-size Galaxy S3.
So, a Mini spin-off from the Galaxy S4 is highly likely, as it allows Samsung to trade on the S4’s good name in countries where cheaper phones are more popular. A shameless cash-in? Yes, but hardly a surprise.
This isn’t the first time the Galaxy S4 Mini has been discussed. Previous rumors suggest the phone will have a 4.3-inch display, a dual-core processor and Android 4.2.2 as its operating system. We’d also expect it to share a similar design to the Galaxy S4. According to SamMobile, the S4 Mini will be announced in early summer.
If these specs are accurate, the Galaxy S4 Mini won’t be winning many fans either. Don’t despair though, as ultimately, if you want a Galaxy S4 with a little less power, a slightly smaller screen and a considerably lower price tag, then just buy the Galaxy S3.
