Flashback: Samsung's Galaxy S minis were small but hardly deserving of the S-branding

08 October 2023
The Galaxy S III mini started an interesting experiment - is there are market for a smaller phone that looks just like the pricey new flagship? We think you know the answer.

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  • A
  • Andy
  • Ik2
  • 08 Oct 2023

I'm still using S4 mini with Android 11 and I'm happy!

    S3 mini was so popular in my country... What an overrated phone haha. Battery life was mediocre, same as performance. Plus the storage was easy to fill up and mant people has issues with that. Back then I used a Moto E and I had a better experience that many of the people I knew with that device.
    The S4 mini though, that was good.

      So the minis have always had this "less than flagship" reputation. If that's the case, then wouldn't they be better positioned in the midrange/upper midrange price segment? An iPhone SE based on the 13 mini could get buyers who want a compact phone but are not willing to pay flagship price for it in addition to the hardcore iPhone SE fans who are sure buyers. I mean, there isn't any midrange compact android phone in the market either so I can see that possibly convincing some to finally jump ship.

        It's pretty much pleasant when you could use your phone with one hand, pretty sad that Asus is now the only player in the Mini phone market, even if It's a small market, it's still great when it comes to accessibility. I just wish Apple had one more try with Mini phones, so Asus can have a real competitor, but I guess having a heavier and larger form factor was better than having hardware that doesn't strain your hands.

        (and no, soyes doesn't count.)

          S10e was perhaps the last mini, although without the word in the name.

            • s
            • shun
            • ucv
            • 08 Oct 2023

            Xperia Ray was my fav mini phone, 3.3" with a nice and unique design :)

              The failure may be because of compromised specs
              The same year as these Samsung mini flagships, apple had the iPhone 5 series
              Which sold like hot cakes
              So people cared more about premium feel and uncompromised specs

                Anonymous, 08 Oct 2023XZ1 Compact is far better than both. Except plastic backSince it got worse camera, CPU, GPU and battery life i dont think so.

                  An article with images straight from the gsmarena database, that's lazy more so because these images tell nothing about the size difference between the full versions and the mini's. Save the article and put in images that tell the story way better?

                    • D
                    • Dave.7
                    • PX0
                    • 08 Oct 2023

                    It's funny that the Android system worked so well with little RAM, and now the system alone already sucks up more than 2GB.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • nyc
                      • 08 Oct 2023

                      I totally forgot that these phones existed.. so kudos to this one, gsmarena

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • 3SI
                        • 08 Oct 2023

                        swap, 08 Oct 2023The only company to do proper mini variants of its flagship... moreRemember iPhone 12/13 mini?

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 3SI
                          • 08 Oct 2023

                          justasmile, 08 Oct 2023Mini phones are useless. There's too small space for b... moreNot everybody needs multiple-day battery endurance. Also, battery life of phones gets better with every generation. A mini phone today would have better battery life than most flagships or even Plus-sized phones from some years ago.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 3SI
                            • 08 Oct 2023

                            A S6 mini would have been so cool

                              It's always good to have a compact device, but as obvious as it seems, mini isn't working out great, sure some do prefer smaller devices but in the end of the day the demand for bigger displays outweighs the smaller display not by a margin or gap, but literally a chasm in between, there's a reason why companies opted out the mini in favour of what the majority of users demand, we know how this works

                                Hemedans, 08 Oct 2023What about Z1, z3, XZ1 and all other previous compact? Or Z... moreFor the Xperias, they're just as tall as a Samsung galaxy S23.
                                And for the zenfones, they're thick, of course they can fit a huge battery with good battery life.

                                Okay, you proved me wrong, but I'm sure that it won't be possible for such small phones to be thick and have good battery life too.

                                  justasmile, 08 Oct 2023Mini phones are useless. There's too small space for b... moreIt depends on people. You shall respect someone preferences..

                                    justasmile, 08 Oct 2023It is at the size of a 6.5" phone, literally.What about Z1, z3, XZ1 and all other previous compact? Or Zenfone 9 and 10?

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 0p}
                                      • 08 Oct 2023

                                      Cpt.Power, 08 Oct 2023Last (mini) device which were good and i remember was Z3 an... moreXZ1 Compact is far better than both.

                                      Except plastic back

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0p}
                                        • 08 Oct 2023

                                        Now compare :

                                        S4 Mini x Z1 Compact
                                        S5 Mini x Z3 Compact

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