Last week I reported that Samsung had sent out invitations for a press event to be held in Germany tomorrow for the release of a “mini” device. There were rumors surrounding the event, such as what the latest gadget actually was and what its specs would be. The rumors are true. The gadget in question, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini release date will be, tomorrow which means–as is the case with many devices–that somehow the specs have been leaked prior to the event.
From a previous report, it was assumed that Samsung’s latest creation would boast “a simple 480 x 800 4-inch display, a dual-core processor, and a 5 megapixel rear camera. Surely, it will run on Android’s latest 4.1 operating system, the Jelly Bean OS.”
German website MobileGeeks seems to have gotten its hands on some details just before tomorrow’s event. If the website is correct, the S III Mini will have a 4-inch WVGA 480 x 800 super AMOLED touch-screen display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of memory, and 16GB of storage. It will sport a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1,500mAh battery, and it will have NFC capabilities. If the latest leakage is correct, it will run on Android’s 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.
The leak also takes a stab at a price saying it will likely go for €399, or roughly $514. The bottom of the page does note that none of the information is confirmed, though it seems likely as many leaks and reports make similar speculations.
Tech news website The Verge reports that JK Shin, head of Samsung Mobile Communications, hasn’t revealed “many details about the device, though he said it was spurred by increasing demand for 4-inch devices in Europe. He also noted that it won’t be an entry-level handset, telling reporters it will have ‘full form factor.’ This would make it an unusual addition to the Android landscape, where high-end devices tend to be 4.5 inches or larger.”
Taking that into consideration, it doesn’t seem that the S III Mini brings a whole lot to the table other than it’s updated operating system and convenient size. However, NFC is a pretty coveted feature these days especially with an increase in mobile sharing and mobile payment systems. Many critics feel that one of the biggest blunders by Apple with its latest smartphone, the iPhone 5, is that it doesn’t have NFC.
It will be interesting to see how the S III Mini fairs, though there’s no word yet on when it will hit the retail shelves. But we’re interested in seeing what you all think. How will the S III stack up? How will it compare to its soon-to-be rival, the iPad Mini which similarly has a release date right around the corner? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
