The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini isn't supposed to be officially unveiled until tomorrow, but details on this miniature Android marvel are emerging ahead of time.
German site mobilegeeks.de has an image of the upcoming device, which Samsung says it will show off very shortly, alongside a crop of specifications.
Most interesting among the rumours is word that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will come pre-loaded, and the smaller 4-inch display will sport a 800x480-pixel resolution. That's a lower resolution than the Galaxy S3's 720p display, but fewer pixels count equate to a much cheaper mobile.
The processor is supposedly a 1GHz dual-core model -- which is significantly less powerful than the 1.4GHz quad-core chip that's lurking inside the phone's bigger brother.
A 5-megapixel camera is reckoned to be adorning the phone's back, while a 1,500mAh battery and 16GB of storage are other rumoured specs. If you want more storage this mobile is expected to feature a microSD card slot, which should make it simple to bump up the capacity.
The design is exactly as you'd expect: a slightly smaller version of the Samsung Galaxy S3, with the same rounded, pearlescent finish. Based on the hardware though, this phone isn't going to be a shrunken version of the hugely-powerful Galaxy S3 -- these specs paint a picture of a distinctly mid-range mobile that has only its name in common with the Galaxy S3.
Take everything you see here with a pinch of salt until Samsung's big reveal tomorrow -- we won't know for sure what this phone looks like or what it'll feature until the South Korean tech giant lifts the lid itself.
Samsung already makes mid-range Android phones -- the components listed here are similar to those of the 4-inch Galaxy S Advance, for instance. Perhaps Samsung is taking advantage of its flagship phone's recognisable branding to try and flog some cheaper, mid-range mobiles.
What do you think? Are the specs listed above an anticlimax, or are you still excited to see what Samsung has to show off? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
Image credit: mobilegeeks.de
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anonymous 10 October, 2012 17:22
What a let down, If it had the same specs as The original Galaxy S3 then I would have got it instead of the iphone 5 for my next upgrade. I dont want the Galaxy 3 purely because of its size.
anonymous 10 October, 2012 17:30
I was hoping this phone was going to be a direct competitor for the HTC One S, by being to the SIII what the One S is to the One X, but seemingly not. Still, I suppose all will be revealed tomorrow.
CaptainPicard 10 October, 2012 23:05
Is that a front facing camera?? And from what Ive read from these specs theres nothing really special about this phone, the S2 is far better, and is available for under £20 with unlimited data. I hope the specs are incorrect and sammy wants to surprise us.
anonymous 11 October, 2012 13:42
I have got to say I'm very disappointed.
They need a much better screen resolution than that to call it the S3 mini.
480 x 800 is what my 12-month old HTC Desire S is and that's a smaller screen.
I was hoping for a high specification phone without a large screen. It seems the only decent android phone with a screen in the 4-inch range is the HTC One S - yet that is only 16gb and without a MicroSD. So still I see no phone I want as a replacement for my current phone.
anonymous 11 October, 2012 15:20
I reckon that it's the Samsung galaxy ace 3 myself - they will probably reveal the Samsung galaxy s2 plus as a competitor against the HTC one s
anonymous 18 January, 2013 08:51
I guess android user only think about features. How about technology? IPhone5 is ready for LTE congrats. Just waiting for the implimentation.