Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s the usual saying, especially if you’re at the top. In the smartphone industry, however, no one stays at the top for long. So, despite massive sales of its flagship Galaxy S3, Samsung has decided to release the Galaxy S3 Mini. At first glance it seems the Mini is simply a smaller version of the Galaxy S3. Here’s a comparison of the two smartphones.

The Mini has a smaller screen than the S3. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Personally, the humongous S3 looks and feels unwieldy despite its thinness. Putting it in your pocket is not an option because it sticks out like a sore thumb. The Mini aims to address the need of those who want a more pocket-friendly device. But it does come with compromises.

The Mini is less powerful than the S3. The quad-core processor in the S3 is downgraded to a dual-core, 1-GHz processor with 1 GB of RAM. The Mini does not have the S3’s brilliant camera. It only has a mediocre 5-megapixel snapper. The Mini does not have the LTE capability of the S3. The Mini has a lower-capacity battery–a mere 1,500 mAh.

The silver lining, however, is that the Mini comes with Android’s Jelly Bean. Despite this and its pocket-friendly size, however, some buyers might find the underwhelming specs too much of a sacrifice.