Thursday, October 11, 2012

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini vs. iPhone5: Which One is Worth Buying?

samsung galaxy s3 mini vs iphone5
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is on its way. Samsung launched it on October 11th. It is a smaller version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 which hit the world in May and is the best selling smartphones besides iPhone. Now, the apperance of Galaxy S3 Mini must bring another competition between Samsung and Apple. Recording to the existing specifics, we can compare the two devices first.
  • Display
  • 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini (GT-I8190) will has a WVGA 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display and and Samsung says the screen has a curved design, while iPhone5 owns a 4-inch (diagonal) Retina 1136x640 display. Though the pixel-dense is less than the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3, the Mini's screen resolution is still well within range for a 4-inch screen.
  • Size
  • The mini version stands 4.8 inches by 2.5 inches by 0.39 inch and weighs 3.9 ounces, an equivalent to 121.55mm by 63mm by 9.85 mm, and 111.5 grams. Compared with iPhone5, 123.88mm by 58.6mm by 7.6mm, S3 Mini looks a little "fat".
  • Processor
  • To make S3 Mini a different phone from previous ones, it deliberately sports a smaller 1GHz dual-core processor rather than the quad-core processor of the global S3 variety and the 1.5GHz dual-core LTE model in the U.S. The phone should still perform well for most users; it just won't clock the tip-top speeds. iPhone5 update its processor to 1.02GHz dual-core A6 chip, and it says that iPhone5 processor clocked at 1.3GHz, faster than previously reported.
  • Camera
  • Samsung has replaced the 8-megapixel rear-facing shooter of the original Galaxy S3 with a 5-megapixel camera in the Mini. It still comes with an LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera (down from the 1.9megapixel camera in the S3 original.) Obviously, iPhone5 with 8 megapixel AF with flash and f/2.4 aperture is much stronger than S3 Mini.
  • Operating System
  • As the same as Samsung Galaxy S3, S3 mini will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. iPhone5 runs the latest Apple OS - iOS6, which was released with iPhone5.
  • Storage
  • On both Galaxy S3 Mini and iPhone5, you will find 1GB of RAM. Recording to Samsung, the Mini will release 8GB and 16GB versions, along with a microSD slot compatible with up to 32GB cards. iPhone5 still has 3 versions, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.
  • Connectivity
  • Connectivity of S3 Mini includes Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, and microUSB, along with triband HSPA (900/1900/2100) and quadband GSM/EDGE. The details of iPhone5 can be found on its official website: GSM model: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS.
  • Price
  • Although Samsung didn't announce pricing or availability with this worldwide announcement, the asking price is sure to come in lower than its larger, more powerful cousin. Some rumors said S3 Mini may around 250 euros, as compared to the iPhone 5 at 650 euros. Meanwhile, Samsung will launch a Galaxy S3 Plus, which is coming with a 300-400 euro price tag. If this is true then Samsung is definitely planning to undercut iPhone on pricing.
Galaxy S3 Mini vs. iPhone5

 Galaxy S3 Mini   iPhone5 
Display 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA resolution display 4-inch (diagonal) Retina display
Resolution 800x480 1136x640
Size 121.55mmx63mmx9.85mm 123.88mmx58.6mmx7.6mm
Weight 111.5 grams 112 grams
Processor 1GHz dual-core processor A6
Camera 5-megapixel rear-facing 8 megapixel AF
Operating System Android 4.1 Jelly Bean iOS6
Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0,
WiFi,
USB,
HSPA,
GSM,
Bluetooth 4.0,
Wi-Fi,
GSM,
HSPA,DC-HSDPA,
CDMA,
4G LTE,
GPS,
GLONASS
Storage 8GB/16GB 16GB/32GB/64GB
RAM 1GB 1GB

In a word, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is weaker than the previous one - Galaxy S3, but of course, it's much easier to operating in one hand, just like iPhone5. The high price of iPhone5 may push someones to Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. Let's waiting for the result of the 4-inch phone war between Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and iPhone5.

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