Samsung Galaxy S4 mini review: Little droid that could

16 July 2013
In Samsung's playbook, a mini version of the top smartphone is typically the first new addition to a flagship's fleet. Sticking close to a proven formula, the Galaxy S4 mini is a downsized and down-priced edition...

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  • T
  • Tigerman
  • n4v
  • 17 Jul 2013

Anonymous, 17 Jul 2013Guys what should i buy galaxy s3 or s4 mini? I was thinking... moreIt depends on what you want. One of my main criterion was pocketability and that is why S3&S4 were not an option. On the other hand, I'm sure the performance of S3 is better than that of S4 Mini and of course it has an HD screen. S3 does also have that Wolfson DAC for audio quality that at least S4 did not have. If you can cope with the size, I'd say go for the S3.

    • T
    • Tigerman
    • n4v
    • 17 Jul 2013

    Anonymous, 17 Jul 2013Tigerman: WHAT the hell are you doing putting your phone in... moreAren't phones meant to be kept in pockets? Of course nowadays people use their phones for other purposes (of course some buy 700 dollar phones and then just call, text, surf and play occasional games) and I guess that's why it is not insane to buy a 5" or bigger phone. Anyway, I always use tough cases with my phones (which I have kept 4.3" or below) and have had zero problems with keeping them inside pockets of tight jeans. Would I keep a S4 or a HTC One inside a pocket? No way! Not even with a tough case. First of all, there would be a significant bulge in my pocket (no pun intended) and, second of all, I would constantly be afraid of cracking due to the high price and the fact that bigger screen phones are more prone to crack.

      • -
      • -DaMasta
      • 3Xy
      • 17 Jul 2013

      1900mAh battery = fail. sorry. Good thing is that it is replacable

        • D
        • AnonD-202
        • MjA
        • 17 Jul 2013

        So does it have noise cancellation or not?

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • v0X
          • 17 Jul 2013

          Guys what should i buy galaxy s3 or s4 mini? I was thinking of s4 mini since it has the name of "s4" compare to s3, and its much newer than the s3., what do you think guys?

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • 0pm
            • 17 Jul 2013

            Tigerman: WHAT the hell are you doing putting your phone in a tight jeans pocket??? if you had been given an valuable antique encased in glass, would you casually put it in your pocket and groan that it got cracked??? If it was a gift from your GF, I am sure she would leave you...

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • pWQ
              • 17 Jul 2013

              AnonD-80440, 17 Jul 2013one mini coming soon with high quality , better design and ... moreBut there's no SD-card slot and you can't replace the battery. Design isn't enough to beat those features.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • ajU
                • 17 Jul 2013

                Anonymous, 17 Jul 2013I didn't know HTC One Mini is already available. LolIt has the same camera as the One, so we can judge on its quality already.

                  • r
                  • ronan
                  • vfx
                  • 17 Jul 2013

                  Better wait for Sony Honami Mini, 4" display with Snapdragon 800.

                  I want mini phone but without spec compromise.

                    • T
                    • Tigerman
                    • n4v
                    • 17 Jul 2013

                    AnonD-132373, 17 Jul 2013It's a poor man galaxy S4, tiger man.. LOLActually I would probably have been a poor man had I bought S4. There have been many reports on the S4 cracking by itself when inside a pocket. It is just logical that a 5" screen takes a lot more pressure (especially when inside a pocket) than a 4-4.3" screen. If I wore baggy pants all the time or wouldn't mind keeping my phone in a pouch/bag, I would've bought HTC One or S4. However, I wear normal to tight pants and move (run, dance, whatever) a lot so I with S4 Mini I have a good phone that is less likely to crack than a 5-incher/top-of-the-line phone.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • KgV
                      • 17 Jul 2013

                      Anonymous, 17 Jul 2013HTC One mini is worse than the S4 mini in at least one feat... moreI didn't know HTC One Mini is already available. Lol

                        • D
                        • AnonD-80440
                        • dQK
                        • 17 Jul 2013

                        one mini coming soon with high quality , better design and soo many better features.
                        s4 mini failed.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • ajU
                          • 17 Jul 2013

                          X, 17 Jul 2013The problem with the Lumia design is that it does not look ... moreSo basically they want to live in the year 2002, because the iPhone offers very few features.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • ajU
                            • 17 Jul 2013

                            Anonymous, 17 Jul 2013Uh oh. The frequency response and stereo crosstalk. Samsung... moreHTC One mini is worse than the S4 mini in at least one feature, namely the camera. Use photo compare tool.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • UD}
                              • 17 Jul 2013

                              Uh oh. The frequency response and stereo crosstalk. Samsung could have done better. :sigh:

                              Come on HTC One Mini.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-132373
                                • sEJ
                                • 17 Jul 2013

                                Tigerman, 17 Jul 2013I don't understand comments like "You should get Note/... moreIt's a poor man galaxy S4, tiger man.. LOL

                                  • a
                                  • alex
                                  • 0Uh
                                  • 17 Jul 2013

                                  shame samsung with your marketing for this model ... is too expensive ... shame

                                    • T
                                    • Tigerman
                                    • n4v
                                    • 17 Jul 2013

                                    I don't understand comments like "You should get Note/S3/Xperia etc. instead". Guys, almost the whole point of this MINI phone is that it is POCKETABLE even with skinny jeans of today. I bought S3 Mini (which in my country is a huge success) and now this phone because one major criterion is that it needs to disappear in my pocket (even with a tough case installed). Anyway, I think this GSM Arena test showed that the performance is there and, honestly, most of us do not need air gestures or some of the other goodies that are in S4. The design is good because A) the plastic can take more hits and bend inside a pocket than a metal design (not the mention the better GPS reception) and B) it's better to have round corners than sharp corners when you put your phone inside a pocket. Finally, the battery life is awesome and I think the lowered resolution of the screen is a factor there. I have my Retina iPad for looking HD pics so why would I want a super HD screen on a 4.3" display that would only drain the battery more.

                                    I think the best thing about S4 Mini is its usability in real-life. It's got a good-enough screen, great battery life (due to the fact that they didn't use an awesome HD screen) and great performance (for a mid-range phone), and it's small enough to disappear inside any normal pocket. While a bit overpriced (I got a good deal), I'd like to see any other phone in the market to outdo the Mini in this regard.

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-161447
                                      • uvy
                                      • 17 Jul 2013

                                      Get real!, 17 Jul 2013Still, it shouldn't be listed at all under "Cons"... moreMany people may like the season,but we don't know if they prefer a different design unless Samsung designs a device differently.
                                      Its listed under cons because,that design already has been cited as the main con of Galaxy devices .

                                        • X
                                        • X
                                        • mSu
                                        • 17 Jul 2013

                                        AnonD-5533, 17 Jul 2013Why can't you do much with the design. And what's wrong wit... moreThe problem with the Lumia design is that it does not look classy. No self respecting CEO or official will use a brightly coloured plastic body bulky phone. That's why most of them still use the iPhone(even iPhone 4S).