Samsung today officially introduced the Galaxy S III mini, just like it said it was going to. As one could probably guess by its name, the Galaxy S III mini features a design not unlike that of the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III, but in a shrunken down package. The S III mini touts a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display as well as a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1,500mAh battery, down from the 1.4GHz quad-core chip and 2,100mAh battery found in the international S III. Also included with the S III mini are 5-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, 1GB RAM, 8GB or 16GB storage and HSPA 14.4/5.76 900/1900/2100 connectivity. The S III mini comes preloaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean beneath Samsung's TouchWiz overlay.
When it comes to availability, there's no word yet on when the Galaxy S III mini will be launching or how much it'll cost when it does. Given the device's mid-range specs, though, it seems likely that the device won't be too tough on the wallet. Speaking of specs, it's kind of a bummer that the Galaxy S III mini's feature list isn't another thing that it borrows from the original Galaxy S III. While the S III has been doing pretty well since its debut, I'm sure that there are a number of folks that'd be interested in device with similar specs but a smaller form factor. It looks like those consumers will have to continue their search. For any folks that are interested in the Galaxy S III mini, stay tuned and we'll pass along launch and pricing details as we get 'em.
Samsung Introduces GALAXY S III mini, a Compact yet Powerful Smartphone
October 11, 2012
GALAXY S III’s nature-inspired design and intuitive ease-of-use in one stylish, compact smartphone
SEOUL, Korea - October 11, 2012 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled the GALAXY S III mini, a compact version of the flagship smartphone GALAXY S III. The GALAXY S III mini brings the high performance, intuitive ease-of-use and nature-inspired design of the GALAXY S III to an elegant, compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen. It can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones.
“The GALAXY S III introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world. We’re now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the GALAXY S III mini in a more compact form,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make every effort to provide extraordinary mobile experiences to meet a wide variety of user needs.”
The GALAXY S III mini is powered by Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the latest version of the world’s most popular smartphone operating system. Jelly Bean has fast, fluid and smooth graphics along with a new Google Search™ experience featuring Google Now™, which brings you just the right information, before you even ask.
Stylish and compact, the GALAXY S III mini shares the GALAXY S III’s breakthrough design and simple elegance. Its ultra-minimal curved frame delivers a rich natural feel, which is also reflected on its nature-inspired home screen, wallpapers and ringtones. Its beautiful 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display offers a generous viewing experience that lets you view multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity. Its compact size gives users a comfortable grip and allows a convenient one-hand operation.
The GALAXY S III mini is packed with intelligent technology designed to make interacting with the phone incredibly natural and intuitive. S Voice, Samsung’s advanced natural language recognition software, lets you use your voice to unlock the phone with simple customized commands, or to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, organize your schedule, or automatically launch the camera and start taking photos.
The GALAXY S III mini also understands your gestures to make using your phone easier and more natural: With Smart Stay, the phone’s camera tracks your eyes and keeps the screen lit as long as you are looking at it. When reading a text message from a friend, Direct Call enables you to automatically dial a call simply by lifting the phone to your ear; and Smart Alert conveniently alerts you to missed calls or messages as soon as you pick up your phone.
Content sharing is easy and fast on the GALAXY S III mini: Its S Beam feature lets you share a 10MB music file in just two seconds by simply tapping on another S Beam-enabled device including GALAXY S III or GALAXY Note II, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.
* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
* Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
