As the Samsung GALAXY S 4 makes its way to the United States for release in the next few weeks, the Samsung GALAXY S 4 Mini must be only weeks out from here. The device’s predecessor took the name Samsung Galaxy S III Mini and provided means for those looking for a smaller device to pick up on the brand without getting the same highest-end experience. The GALAXY S 4 Mini is here tipped to be coming with the following specifications:

• 4.3-inch display
• 960 x 540 pixels (qHD)
• 8GB, 16GB and 32GB internal storage sizes
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 8 megapixel back-facing camera
• 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• Removable battery

This device will likely replicate the user interface employed by the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and will have connectivity along the lines of the Mini that came before it. Don’t expect a whole lot of GroupPlay action, but Bluetooth should at least be on the table in some form or another. One should not expect anything larger than a dual-core Exynos processor inside.

Have a peek at our hands-on experiences with the Samsung GALAXY S 4 thus far in the timeline below along with the features on how this next-generation device will be coming your way soon. Stay tuned as SlashGear covers Samsung’s next wave of devices as they come at you full speed!

[via Techtastic]

While this release has not yet been confirmed (nor, according to Engadget, has it been denied), but given the release lineup of the past few Galaxy smartphones, a mini version of this “4″ hero is almost a given. The original suggestion comes from Bloomberg where, in an extended report, say they’re pretty sure the GALAXY S 4 mini will be released rather quickly after the GALAXY S 4 goes on sale.

Inside the GALAXY S 4 mini, the following specifications have been tipped. We’re expecting that the processor will be made by Qualcomm – likely a Snapdragon S4 Pro, similar to the Google Nexus 4.

Samsung GALAXY S 4 mini:

• 4.3-inch display (lower than 1080p)
• Dual-core 1.6Ghz processor
• 8 megapixel back-facing camera
• 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• Plastic body, Gorilla Glass 3 on front
• Removable battery
• microSD card slot capable of using 64GB cards

This machine will follow up on the GALAXY S 4 in markets such as the UK and Japan while the USA will see an off-contract iteration for sure, with carrier possibilities less likely. With the release of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 we’ll once again see a multi-carrier release almost at the same time, while each carrier’s unique release dates are flowing in as we speak. Have a peek at the timeline below for more info!

And don’t forget to check our Samsung GALAXY S 4 hands-on experience for the in-depth action you desire!

With S Beam, the NFC in the Galaxy S III Mini is used to set up an impromptu WiFi-Direct connection between the phone and another compatible device. That’s then used for whizzing across music, video, and other content; Samsung says a 10MB music file can be shuttled over in around two seconds.

Otherwise, the NFC is expected to be used for the growing range of mobile wallet services, though Samsung is being vague about whether any specific providers will actually be taking advantage of the updated handset’s abilities. Elsewhere, it’s the same – somewhat disappointing – phone as we’ve seen before, borrowing some of the brand cachet of the full-sized Galaxy S III but with altogether humbler specifications.

So, you get a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display and a 1GHz dualcore processor running Android 4.1, clad in Samsung’s own TouchWiz skin. The camera is a 5-megapixel unit (with a VGA snapper up-front for video calls) and there’s WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage.

Samsung isn’t talking pricing at this stage, but online retailers are currently offering the existing Galaxy S III Mini from around £270 ($429) unlocked and off-contract.

Since Samsung is not selling the phone directly in the US, Apple agreed to drop it from the list of accused devices. However, it’s important to note that actions like this are common at this point in time, since both companies are finalizing which devices will be included in the upcoming trial. Plus, the Mini may be put back on Apple’s list if Samsung decides to sell the phone in the states.

Samsung started selling the Galaxy S III Mini in Europe back in October, but in their filing on Friday, Apple said that their lawyers were able to purchase “multiple units” of the Galaxy S III Mini from Amazon.com US site and have them delivered to the US without any problems, despite Samsung saying that the phone isn’t for sale in the US.

Of course, this is only one device out of several that Apple is dropping. They still have a handful of smartphones and tablets on their list, for which they’re seeking sales bans on. Then again, we’re surprised that Apple backed off so easily from Samsung’s claims about the Mini, despite claiming that they were able to purchase such a product from the US.

[via Reuters]

The Galaxy Axiom has specs very similar to the Galaxy S III Mini, but with a few differences. The Axiom has a 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800. Inside, you’ll find a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The cameras are average as well; there’s a 5-megapixel unit on the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front.

The handset runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and features 4GB of internal storage space with an expansion microSD card slot. The device supports Google Wallet, and has Google Chrome preinstalled, as well as Samsung’s S-Voice for utilizing voice commands and S-Beam for all your data-beaming needs. The Axiom supports 4G LTE.

While its big brother, the Galaxy S III, is wildly popular and boasts a variety of high-end specs, the Galaxy Axiom is sadly lacking on almost every front, proving to be an all-around ordinary phone. The specs are mid-range, and don’t stand out in any way. If anything, it is the price and “Galaxy” branding that will likely be this phone’s biggest selling point.

[via Android Community]

Today we found out when the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini will be launching in the UK, and Kim Dotcom’s new website was overloaded shortly after “launch,” though at the moment the only thing you see when visiting Mega is a splash page. Apple has released iOS 6.0.1, and it was confirmed today that the iPad mini uses a 5-watt power adapter. Disney said that it will likely focus on Star Wars mobile and social games moving forward, while Sony’s Q2 2012 financial results are better than Q1′s despite the fact that the company still lost money in the quarter.

The Motorola Electrify M was announced for US Cellular earlier today, and Sony is apparently shipping out new PS4 developer kits that are based on AMD’s A10 Accelerated Processing Units. Time has named Google Glass the best invention of the year, while Amazon launched its Cloud Drive photos app for Android earlier today. Google Drive has gained support for direct sharing to Google Plus profiles, and Google Play carrier billing has popped up at Verizon Wireless. Our old friend OUYA made a new appearance today sporting Jelly Bean, scientists are currently trying to figure out a mystery surrounding Voyager 1, and leaked Grand Theft Auto V pre-order bonuses give away some of the game’s new locations.

Finally tonight, we have a couple original articles for you to have a look at. Chris Burns compares the photo quality of the Samsung Galaxy S III to that of the Nokia Lumia 920, while I go hands-on with the new Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 and give my first impressions of the intriguing new convertible notebook. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!

The smartphone will run Android 4.1, and will use a 1 GHz dual core processor. Other hardware features include support for tri-band HSPA and quad band GSM/EDGE. The smaller smartphone also has integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth along with NFC technology. The camera in the mini version of the phone is a five-megapixel unit.

The front camera runs VGA resolution for video chatting. The smartphone will come with 8 GB or 16 GB of storage and has a microSD card slot for memory expansion. The compact phone measures 121.55 x 63 x 9.85 mm and weighs 111.5 g. We knew Vodafone UK and other carriers would be offering the device, and we knew it would be £249.

What we didn’t know is exactly when you be able to purchase the smartphone. Samsung has announced the official launch date will be November 8. The phone will include free games, including The Sims 3 and Bejeweled 2. Vodafone won’t be the only carrier offering the device, Samsung says it will be available on all major networks in the UK.

If you’ve been waiting for either the DROID RAZR HD or the RAZR MAXX HD, good news: you’ll be able to pick them up from Verizon in just one short week. The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini was officially unveiled today, though its specs aren’t much to write home about, and we learned that the sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has been lifted. Google boss Eric Schmidt expects Android to hit 1 billion activations within the next year, and today Sprint confirmed that it has been in buyout talks with SoftBank.

Apple has released a new iPod ad called “Bounce,” while Nokia was busy delivering prices for its Lumia 920 and 820 accessories in the UK. Apple was awarded an interesting new patent today, and Verizon says that it will keep its 2G/3G service active until at least 2021. Today Acer revealed both the new M5 and V5 lines of Windows 8 notebooks, and we heard that at one point, Nokia was planning to bring an N9 MeeGo tablet to Verizon.

Facebook is looking to improve its apps with stricter Open Graphs policies, and Gearbox announced a new DLC pack for good ol’ Borderlands 2 today. Ubisoft delivered a new trailer showing off the weapons in Assassin’s Creed III, while a new compilation called the Rockstar Games Collection: Edition 1 was announced. Anonymous has apparently gone to war with Facebook, bringing down the social network across Europe today, but thankfully it seems that things are slowly coming back online. Finally tonight, we go hands-on with both the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL and SHADOWGUN: DEADZONE‘s new multiplayer beta, while Chris Burns tells us why the Galaxy S III Mini represents a missed opportunity for Samsung. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, go out and enjoy the rest of your night everyone!

The only redeeming factor present in the Galaxy S III Mini is its inclusion of the newest Android system 4.1 Jelly Bean – and the Google Now system that comes with it. But we all know that the excitement one feels with a new Android system is fleeting – they’ll likely have another newer one in just a few weeks. Also included in this iPhone 4-sized pea-shooter is a 4S-inch Super AMOLED display running at WVGA 800 x 480 resolution, less than the original iPhone 4, and only equal to the original Galaxy S.

Above: the original Galaxy Note sits near the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note 10.1 – the Galaxy Note II alleviates the ugly duckling syndrome going on here, then the Galaxy S III Mini takes it another step by adding another size – but without the specs to back up its relation to the rest of this top-class family.

In fact, given the specifications this device is working with – other than its dual-core processor – we’ve essentially been shown the original Galaxy S all over again – this is a device that was originally shown off several years ago, long outdated by now. You do get Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, S-Beam, and is extremely portable, on the other hand. You’ve got just 111.5g of weight here at 121.55 x 63 x 9.85 mm – perfect for everything except playing games, watching movies, and snapping photos.

I say snapping photos because the back-facing camera here is a 5 megapixel shooter while the front-facing camera is VGA. This phone is clearly aimed at those who haven’t used a smartphone in the past – or if they have, haven’t had the pleasure of working with one of the 8 megapixel cameras that have been in devices mid-tier and upward for nearly two years. The device is able to do this:

That being working with S-Beam (as mentioned above) with the Galaxy S III. It’s not quite clear yet if this device will be working with AllShare Play as the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 10.1, and Galaxy Note II do, but we’re going to go ahead and guess that yes, it will. That’s where the good news starts and ends.

Because even if you take the Galaxy S III Mini and say “this is part of the extended hero series,” you’ve got another device to answer for. It’s called the Samsung Galaxy Premier (without the “e”), and it’s basically kicking the Galaxy S III in the gut. The Samsung Galaxy Premier, a device with a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, a 720p display, and an 8 megapixel camera on its back, is exactly what the Galaxy S III Mini should have been.

Instead Samsung is taking the awesome power it gained with a launch of the same Galaxy S III model across carriers, borders, and seas, and is tossing it in the ocean by taking what was built up and spreading it very, very thin. The hero brand power thins each time a new device comes out with a nature-themed casing by Samsung, I assure you.

Inside there’s triband HSPA and quadband GSM/EDGE, along with WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0; you also get NFC – with support for Samsung’s own S Beam on top of Android Beam – as well as GPS and GLONASS support. An FM radio is included, together with the usual gyroscope, digital compass, proximity sensor, and accelerometer.

Unfortunately, the 8-megapixel camera of the full-sized Galaxy S III hasn’t been included, with the Mini instead getting a 5-megapixel main camera with autofocus and an LED flash. The front-facer is down on megapixels too, running at only VGA resolution.

Two storage versions will be offered, with either 8GB or 16GB of capacity, and there’s a microSD card slot with support for up to 32GB cards. The whole thing measures in at 121.55 x 63 x 9.85 mm and tips the scales at 111.5g with its 1,500 mAh battery.

No word on availability or pricing, but we’re guessing soon and relatively cheap. Update: Vodafone UK confirmed to us that it will be carrying the Galaxy S III Mini, though can’t say when or for how much. UK retailer Clove has priced the phone up SIM-free at £249 (£298.80 inc. tax).