It became the most successful Samsung smartphone during the entire presence of the Korean company in the telecommunications market. The Galaxy brand has become well recognized among users, but the presence of the letter S in the name followed by a number adds even more attractiveness to the model.
Samsung's desire to exploit the Galaxy S III brand is understandable. Just think - the word mini appeared. The main thing is that the potential buyer sees the same flagship, only more compact and cheaper. Is this really a full-fledged modification of the older model with a minimum number of changes, or is it still a mid-level device with a set of functions familiar to such devices?
Of course, the photo module of the smartphone we are considering today does not reach the quality of the Galaxy S III. The usual matrix, which is installed in many mid-level phones, is not surprising and offers what you expect from it.
The camera can shoot HD video, an example of which can be seen below.
Interface
The smartphone works under Android control 4.1 with proprietary TouchWiz shell. The device's interface is very similar to that of the Galaxy S III. Many of the “chips” of the older model migrated to the younger one. For example, it also features eye tracking to prevent screen locking. It is possible to change the image scale by tilting the smartphone, you can pause the track playback by placing your hand on the screen, etc.
There are few built-in applications, the most useful of them is Chrome browser. This web browser is much more convenient to work with than the standard Android browser. Work with tabs and page navigation is organized more logically, and there is the possibility of synchronization with the desktop application.
There is nothing new in the software functionality of the Galaxy S III mini. The main thing is the fact that the smartphone initially runs Jelly Bean, while many competitors will have to wait a long time official update. The system interface works noticeably faster, without annoying slowdowns characteristic of previous versions of Android.
Productivity and time battery life
Deja vu again: Galaxy S III mini is built on the NovaThor U8420 platform with a 2-core gigahertz processor, Mali-400MP graphics and 1 GB random access memory. We saw something similar during Galaxy preparation S Advance. There was also a NovaThor chip, albeit labeled U8500. The differences between the two models are minimal, except that the new product has more RAM. Judging by the tests, the U8420, despite the lower numerical index, is slightly superior in performance to its “colleague”. The difference, however, is minimal.
conclusions
As you can see, as the review progressed, we gradually moved away from comparing the mini with the Galaxy S III. In fact, the “new” smartphone is a familiar one, only in the same body and with Android 4.1 out of the box.
When the first rumors about the Galaxy S III mini appeared online, many thought that it was a smaller version of the flagship with similar specifications. Everything turned out to be even simpler. This is a regular mid-range model with the design of its older brother. Besides trademark And appearance, the two devices have nothing in common anymore. Why did Samsung need to give the smartphone the name of a top model? The Korean manufacturer’s calculation is clear and simple: the power of marketing and a well-known brand will help not only sell outdated components, but also make good money on it.
Today we present to your attention a wonderful device Samsung Galaxy S3 mini. We have previously written a review of a device from this line, namely
, which is designed for 2 SIM cards. Why is it remarkable? this phone? We can say right away that it is suitable for those who are looking for a basic smartphone for work without any bells and whistles. Average price in retail stores varies around 10,000 rubles, but you can find it cheaper.
The smartphone is packaged in a white thick cardboard box. On the front there is an image of S3 mini, the inscription of the model and the company name. On the back of the box are its technical specifications.
The package includes primarily a smartphone. The color range is not wide - black and white. The outline of the gadget resembles a stone - small, but also very beautiful. All this adds to the stylishness of the device. By weight Samsung galaxy s3 mini easy. It is comfortable to use even with one hand. But glossy back panel I want to immediately put it in a case to protect it from scratches, traces of dirt and dust. Removing the back panel is scary, as there is a feeling that one awkward movement will crack.
In addition, in the box you will find quick guide user and other useful documentation; good quality micro USB cable; charger with an output current of 700 mA. In the kit you can also find headphones with a headset that has a volume control and a power button. They come with additional ear pads for headphones.
Behind Samsung galaxy s3 mini There is a 5 megapixel camera peephole with a diode flash. The speaker is also slightly offset compared to the S3. I would like to note that it is excellent - the sound quality is good and loud enough. The speaker is not much different from the original S3 version, despite the fact that it is the Mini version.
At the top there is a jack for a standard 3.5 mm headphone input and a connector for opening the back cover. On the right is the on/off unlock button, which is a little misaligned, making it a little inconvenient to use, but perhaps this is a matter of habit.
At the bottom there is a connector for a micro USB cable and regular microphone. On the left side you can find a solid rocker for adjusting the volume, which is also somewhat inconveniently located.
Specifications
The device runs on a dual-core NovaThor U8420 processor (clock frequency 1 GHz) and a Mali 400 graphics accelerator (coprocessor), so there are no problems with video. The base is Android 4.1.2 “Jelly Bean”, which works great. No slowdowns were noticed behind him. To the owner Samsung Galaxy S3 mini you should count on 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB internal memory, which can be expanded using memory cards up to 64 GB. Of the 8 GB, perhaps 5-5.5 GB will be available.
The weak point is the 1500 mAh battery, which is objectively small, although the manufacturer claims that the phone will work for 470 minutes in 3G mode. In fact, everything is still better than AnTuTu Tester showed. In video playback mode Samsung galaxy s3 mini gives 7 hours, naturally, at maximum brightness in HD quality. This is a very good indicator, since its larger brother Galaxy S3 plays 7.5 hours. There are absolutely no problems with the lifespan of this phone, despite the small battery. Extending the charge for two days is more than realistic.
S3 mini vs S3
If we compare the S3 mini with the regular S3 original version, we will see the following difference between them:
- With 3 mini the thickness is a little thicker, although this does not affect the convenience in any way.
- But at the same time, S3 mini is smaller in width.
- The diagonal has decreased - from 4.8 inches to 4 inches.
- The LED flash is located below the main camera.
Otherwise, of course, there can be no complaints regarding ease of use, since all forms are preserved and even the corners are smoothed; the controls are in the same places and the dimensions are preserved.
Screen
The smartphone has a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen that displays 16 million colors. The expansion due to the size of the device is not so large 480*800 pixels.
- Oblique lines appear ugly, which is visible during normal use at normal distances. This fact really spoils the impression.
- The quality of the display leaves much to be desired.
- Very inconvenient keyboard due to very small buttons.
- Color rendition is good.
- Super AMOLED.
Camera
The camera in the C3 mini is the most common - HD 5 megapixels with autofocus. Video is recorded in 720p resolution (30 frames per second). The front camera is 0.3 MP, which can also record video.
Unfortunately, photos with LED flash don't look very good, but you need to remember that this is not a smartphone for high-quality photos. It is taken for other purposes.
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy s3 mini is a device worth the money you spend on it, but it has its pros and cons, which we will discuss below.
- Display.
- Lack of light sensor.
- Some may not like the materials on the rear glossy case.
- Camera.
- Ease of use.
- Compactness.
- Stylish appearance.
- Great time of life.
- The hardware will allow you to play more or less difficult games.
Video
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini Review
- Description Characteristics
- Test Reviews Articles
First look at the Samsung Galaxy SIII mini smartphone: a flagship for midgets?
It can be called “mini” in relation to its parent device – the Galaxy SIII itself. Because SIII is a “shovel”, and his “Mini-Us” are really much smaller in size.
Earlier
Until now, the prefix “mini” on smartphones has really lived up to its grammatical meaning: usually “mini” smartphones, although there are few of them, have a screen size of 3.0-3.5 inches, low resolution and low power. They were bought by people who did not want to bother with large and sophisticated gadgets, that is, they had their own audience and still have it.
Now
If we take more prosaic reasons, then it is probably clear to anyone that the release is primarily related to the marketing component. “Big Brother” is one of the most expensive smartphones on the market (it is clear that it is also the most powerful) and not everyone can afford it, or even need it. Such high power (for comparison, let’s just say that in AnTuTu Benchmark SIII, as we remember, had about 15,000 points) is simply not needed by most and is in demand primarily by gamers and developers (and even then not by everyone).
Therefore, the release of a less powerful, but looking almost the same smartphone for Samsung was, presumably, a matter of time. They could call it anything, but the allusion to the most powerful pocket device clearly plays into the hands of the Korean company.
Mini display
It is clear that he is not mini at all. It can’t reach the three-inch “old mini” ones, since the screen diagonal of the new product is a healthy four inches diagonally. The display type is, of course, Super AMOLED, but the resolution is WVGA, that is, 800x480 pixels. And this is quite sad, because similar diagonals are already being mass-produced with a resolution of qHD (960x540 pixels) - 800x480 is somehow not enough, this resolution is left for budget models and smartphones with smaller diagonals. And WVGA in the SIII mini is accompanied by a not very high pixel density: only 233 ppi. Of course, Super AMOLED saves the situation, but not much. Above the display you can see light and proximity sensors. And inside, according to our sources, there is an accelerometer, a digital compass and a gyroscope. In general, the set is not small at all, and this is a plus of the new gadget.
Display resolution Samsung Galaxy SIII mini is quite low
Mini processor
NVidia Tegra 3 or Samsung Exynos 4412 did not become the heart of the younger brother of the flagship of the 2012 line. Instead, Samsung recently announced that the Galaxy S III mini is equipped with the NovaThor ModAp mobile platform of the U8420 family called STE. The processor consists of two ARM Cortex A9 cores operating at 1 GHz, a Mali 400 graphics coprocessor, DDR2 memory, an HSPA+ Release 7 module, a new, improved audio codec and proprietary energy-saving technologies.
In general, even despite the fact that one of the most powerful processors did not become a full participant in the mini-project, the non-standard processor at least arouses interest. Game lovers will also be pleased, since Mali 400 is designed specifically for them. The frequency is not the highest, as you can see, but overclocking fans will probably also find a use for their abilities.
All this newness is accompanied by 1 GB of RAM and 8 or 16 GB of internal memory. The manufacturer does not say how much specifically is allocated for applications. Additionally, you can load up to 32 GB of data on a microSD card if you buy it separately.
Mini cameras
Compared to megapixel numbers and number additional features, which have the cameras of smartphones in 2012, the Galaxy SIII mini is truly “mini”. Firstly, its rear camera is only five megapixels without any additional functions (which, by the way, competitor HTC has succeeded in - just look at the impressive list of additional “goodies” in at least the latest model HTC One X+), secondly, the front camera, although present, will not produce more than 0.3 MP even if desired. Only in interpolated form.
Samsung Galaxy SIII mini is smaller than its “big brother”, but not so small in itself
And even the fact that the rear camera shoots HD video doesn't save it. As well as the presence of a digital stabilizer and all other useful little things by default (like geo-tagging or a smile detector - all this is already available almost everywhere). And, of course, led flash, from which there is usually not much benefit.
In general, in the cameras of this device we see a reflection of 2010 and partly 2011, no later - it was then that such a pair of cameras (5 MP + 0.3 MP) was popular among smartphones in the mid- and high-price range. Of course, the SIII mini should not be as expensive a model as the SIII, but such savings on camera modules are a little disappointing.
Mini trivia
What about wireless protocols?
We see a full set of WiFi protocols IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n, extended WiFi protocol HT40, aGPS/GLONASS chip for navigation, protocol wireless transmission DLNA multimedia data; and NFC modules(with S Beam software support for instant data sharing with others Samsung phones) and Bluetooth version 4.0 (LE).
Decreases Samsung Galaxy SIII mini touched not only the size, but also the camera resolution
And pay special attention to Bluetooth: the abbreviation LE in this case does not mean “light edition” (“light version”), as one might think, but Low Energy - that is, a module with ultra-low peak power consumption. This is also one of the newest technologies that we see in this device. Well, we have already written about HSPA+ support in 3G. In general, from this point of view, the Korean new product can be praised in the best words.
But the battery capacity, alas, is small and is only 1500 mAh. It is quite possible that soon after the device enters the market, the battery can be replaced with a more powerful one. capacious model from a third-party manufacturer, but for now we have to admit that the smartphone will last about the same amount of time on a single charge as others - that is, no more than a day.
But the space it takes up is not mini at all. The Galaxy SIII mini measures 121.55 x 63 x 9.85 mm and weighs 111.5 grams. Although, by the way, the weight can be considered small compared to its competitors.
Mini programs
A serious advantage of the new product is the operating system Android versions 4.1. Despite the fact that this version was announced back in the summer, its implementation in gadgets is proceeding at a very slow pace and therefore new devices in which this operating system is immediately installed are attracting attention. After all, if you remember from our review article about Jelly Bean (codename Android 4.1), in it the user receives several very convenient and tangible updates. Well, since the new device came from the pen of Samsung, the new owners of the smartphone will have at their disposal all the inherent “goodies”, such as the proprietary TouchWiz UX interface and a proprietary set of applications, including one of the new products – the Kies 2.5.0 application for synchronizing with a PC and Mac with as many syncing options as possible. In addition, the new device contains those innovative technologies that we have already seen in the “big brother” Galaxy SIII. For example, gesture recognition, which provides a lot of possibilities with appropriate software support. For example, the Smart Stay function, quoting a press release, “uses the phone’s front camera to record eye movements and keeps the screen backlight on as long as the user is looking at the screen.”
Samsung Galaxy SIII mini is a faithful assistant to the older model in establishing market dominance
And if you are reading an SMS and want to call its owner, the Direct Call function will come to your aid: it allows you to dial the number automatically by simply holding your smartphone to your ear. The Smart Alert feature is not as innovative, but nevertheless, it warns about missed calls or messages as soon as the user picks up the phone. As well as another proprietary technology, S Voice, which allows you to unlock the phone with your voice and carry out voice control.
In general, the smartphone's software support is impressive.
Mini design
Externally, which is quite logical, the design of the SIII mini almost completely copies the design of the SIII in a smaller form factor. True, now the smartphone has become similar to an ordinary “point-and-shoot” thanks to its rounded shape. This is especially noticeable in the rear part, since plastic is everywhere and there are no design delights.
Maxi-outputs
According to preliminary data, the Samsung Galaxy SIII mini will occupy the shelves in November, and its price will be about 16 thousand rubles. Taking into account traditional quality Samsung and the abundance of software capabilities, this price seems adequate. You can also take into account the fact that this is the cost of the smartphone when it appears, and closer to the New Year or after it, it should quite expectedly decrease.
Of course, competition in this segment is high - new Samsung product devices from HTC, Huawei and Sony with better technical characteristics and comparable software support will compete. Therefore, the emphasis in sales, as we see it, will be with an eye on the older brother Galaxy SIII.
Case color options Samsung Galaxy SIII mini repeats the older model
And this - strong point new items, since the “younger brother” borrowed a lot from the “elder”. The downsides, of course, are the irrelevant screen resolution and average battery. However, we still don’t know the behavior of the new processor with its mysterious energy-saving technologies (and Bluetooth, by the way), so perhaps everything won’t be so bad. But the software part is exactly where the SIII mini is strong, standing out among others. But serious competition is expected - Samsung will not be the only player in this field, since the price segment of smartphones “about 15 thousand rubles” is one of the most popular.
Best sellers: smartphones January - February 2013
January is traditionally a month of surprises. Two exhibitions mobile technology in a row, where gadgets are announced that set the tone for the entire industry throughout the year. But - this is at exhibitions. And in stores they buy devices that were either released at the end of last year, or have already been tested and proven.
The statistical data was transferred to Zoom.CNews for analysis by the MediaMarkt chain of stores, and today we will divide the devices not into three groups, as was previously the case, but into four. The first group traditionally includes budget smartphones with an average price of up to 12 thousand rubles. The second group consists of gadgets priced from 12 to 15 thousand rubles: this is the middle segment, and it can be considered the most widespread.
Which smartphones are selling like hot cakes?
The third group of smartphones represents the premium segment with an average price of 15 to 20 thousand rubles. And we will call the last segment “uncompromising” - that is, the highest, luxury and even “elite”. In fact, in this segment there is virtually no upper ceiling (the lower limit is 20 thousand rubles), since this is where the most innovative models with the most advanced technical characteristics are located. But, nevertheless, everyone already knows very well that any innovative devices will cost much more when they appear.
Budget models
Inexpensive smartphones today are completely different from, say, six months or one year ago. Today in the “up to 12 thousand rubles” category you can find very advanced gadgets that would previously have been in the premium segment. This is due, first of all, to the massive expansion Chinese smartphones into the world in general and MediaTek platforms (MT65xx) in particular. And, secondly, high-speed multi-core models have moved to more expensive categories, and by the end of last year a fairly decent number of them had already appeared. Less powerful single-core and dual-core even with the same gigabyte of RAM with good screen have already firmly established themselves in the budget segment (for example, the new HTC Desire series smartphones), not to mention the mid-range.
HTC Desire V
5th place
The smartphone closes the top five budget models and in terms of technical characteristics is very similar to most of the other participants, although in some ways it is inferior to them.
At a price of around 9 thousand rubles, we see a classic “point-and-shoot” from HTC on a single-core Qualcomm MSM7227A platform with a gigahertz core (by the way, the platform is almost the same as the first “Ace”), Adreno 200 graphics coprocessor and 512 MB of RAM . Of course, the 4 GB of permanent memory and a slot for microSD cards, standard for budget smartphones, have not gone away.
But the screen, at first glance, is still average: it’s the same 480x800 pixels at four inches diagonally, but the type of matrix is Super LCD, and the ppi number will be higher - as much as 233 units. The smartphone has one camera, 5 megapixels with autofocus, intelligent LED flash, F2.8 aperture and 34 mm lens. There is no front camera, but it does have the ability to work with two SIM cards in standby mode. Only one of the SIM cards works with 3G networks; there are Bluetooth 4.0 protocols with Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n that are standard even for an inexpensive smartphone.
The operating system of HTC's brainchild is not so bad - it's Android 4.0 with a proprietary shell HTC Sense 4. Actually, in the next category, the first two devices can also boast the same thing. Least.
Samsung Galaxy Ace
4th place
We will continue our budget table, according to good tradition, with devices from the Samsung Galaxy Ace family. This truly unsinkable (in a figurative sense) smartphone has been at the top of the charts of budget gadgets from various sellers for many months. Moreover, we are not just talking about one model: Galaxy Ace ranks in our chart inexpensive models four lines out of five, and all these are different modifications. The middle line is occupied by the second incarnation of this gadget.
Ace, in general, is nothing particularly interesting. This is very budget Android smartphone, and its Android version can only be updated to maximum 2.3.6. You won't see any Ice Cream Sandwich in it.
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
And it is very inexpensive for a smartphone on Android based(if we generally assume that the version of this OS with index 2.2, used in the Galaxy Ace by default, is in principle viable today). “Ace” has a rather frail screen with a diagonal of 3.5 inches and a resolution of 320x480, and the pixels per inch is 165 ppi. The platform used is Qualcomm Snapdragon with a single-core MSM7227T processor operating at a frequency of 800 MHz and a built-in Adreno 200 video accelerator. The device has 384 MB of RAM and 180 MB of permanent memory. As you can see, these figures are very, very modest. But at least the consolation is that the user has the ability to install micro-SD cards up to 32 GB, and in models with the “i” index (as, for example, in La Fleur), the processor is overclocked to 832 MHz (and overclocking even to 902 MHz is possible !).
Samsung Galaxy Ace La Fluer
However, even despite such a weak configuration, Ace can boast of support for most 3G HSxPA standards, a five-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+A2DP (although this is not something to boast about) , as well as aGPS and DLNA.
3 - 1 places
In third place, as mentioned earlier, is the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2. That is, the successor to the Galaxy Ace that insidiously surrounded it in the Mediamarkt table. And it actually has quite a lot of differences.
“Ace” has become larger: now its screen diagonal is 3.8 inches, the WVGA screen resolution is 480x800 pixels, and the ppi indicator is 248 pixels, which is very good. The platform has also grown significantly: it now uses a dual-core ST Ericsson U8500 with a frequency of 800 MHz per core and a Mali-400 MP gaming video accelerator. For budget smartphone this is a very decent indicator.
Samsung Galaxy Ace DUOS
The smartphone now has 768 MB of RAM, 4 GB of permanent memory, and there is no support for microSD cards up to 32 GB. Support for wireless interfaces remains at the same level, only Bluetooth is now the third version, and in addition to GPS, GLONASS support has appeared.
Top sellers in the group of budget models
| Rank, model |
permission |
Processor used |
Memory |
Platform/OS | Price |
| 1 | Qualcomm QCT MSM7227 | Android 2.2 |
7 300 | ||
| 2
|
Qualcomm QCT MSM7227 | Android 2.2 | 7 300 | ||
| 3 | NovaThor U8500 | Android 2.3 |
8 900 | ||
| 4
Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos |
Broadcom BCM21553 832 MHz |
RAM 512 MB 4096 MB |
Android 2.3 | 6 500 | |
| 5 | 1000 MHz |
Android 4.0 | 9 500 |
website
Among the positive differences, we should also note the appearance of a front VGA camera in addition to the rear five-megapixel one (which can now shoot HD video), and the opportunity to buy a Galaxy Ace with an NFC chip.
Middle segment
5th place
Fifth place went to the only representative of the Finnish concern Nokia on our list with its Lumia 800 model. It can also be noted that this is the only device discussed in this article on Windows platform Phone. What’s even more interesting is that none of the devices from the family Nokia Lumia on the new OS Windows Phone 8 was not included in the list of bestsellers at all.
Nokia Lumia 800
So, an AMOLED display is fitted into a very stylish black case, but its resolution is only 480x800, because it’s no longer possible (but at least 252 ppi). The processor is single-core (not allowed anymore), Qualcomm MSM8255 with a frequency of 1400 MHz, built-in memory – 16 GB, no slot for micro-SD cards.
The smartphone has only 512 MB of RAM, and not because more is not possible, but because there is no special meaning in it: Windows Phone has its own RAM management system with intelligent unloading of little-used and simply unnecessary applications. The Lumia 800 has a 1450 mAh battery, which should last for a couple of days.
There is no front camera, like all new WP smartphones.
4th place
The fate of the next test subject, standing in fourth place, is to be, although an average smartphone, but with support for two SIM cards in active mode.
Samsung Galaxy S DUOS
The processor in this device is Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7227A with a frequency of 1 GHz and an Adreno 200 graphics accelerator. This smartphone will not have enough RAM - only 512 MB, but in combination with a low-power processor everything turns out quite harmoniously. Internal memory is 4 GB, it can be expanded with microSD memory cards (up to 32 GB).
Its display is also quite simple; don’t expect Super AMOLED: it’s a 4-inch TFT LCD with a WVGA 480x800 resolution. Samsung Galaxy S DUOS comes with optimized Android 4.0 ICS OS.
The situation with cameras is also good: the smartphone has a rear five-megapixel photo and video camera with LED flash, and a front camera with VGA resolution will be used for video calls. It is worth noting that, according to the manufacturer, the rear camera can shoot video not only in a resolution of 480x800 (WVGA), but also in 480x854 (FWVGA) with thirty frames per second.
HTC Desire X
Wireless interfaces are represented by modern Bluetooth protocols 3.0, 3G (up to HSDPA 7.2 Mb/s), aGPS and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz. In general, everything a modest average smartphone needs.
Samsung's strength Galaxy Duos can be called the presence of a proprietary Samsung TouchWiz interface, which is a shell for the OS Google Android 4.0 ICS, and will be the same for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean when this gadget receives it.
The dimensions of the new product are 121.5 x 63.1 x 10.5 mm, weight – 120 grams. These are also completely average indicators, and the smartphone does not present any surprises here. The battery offers an average capacity of 1500 mAh.
3 - 1 places
Our presentation is closed by two models from HTC in three variations - and. The first of them is in the top, and the second takes not only second, but also third place - the latter went to this model for the white color of the case.
HTC Desire X
HTC Desire X is one of the most modest smartphones on our list, in all respects. And it’s impossible to say whether this is good or bad, since all people need different things from smartphones - some people need the Internet, some people need to play with toys, and some people use them purely as a work tool.
The HTC Desire X uses a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with gigahertz cores, 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory.
Its screen is four-inch, but already Super LCD and with an average WVGA resolution of 480x800 pixels. Wireless technologies are also supported on modern level: These are Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, DLNA and 3G HSxPA.
There is no front camera, there is only a rear five-megapixel camera with F2.0 aperture, autofocus and LED flash, geotagging and several proprietary services are supported.
There is also Beats Audio stereo panorama expansion technology and a 1650 mAh battery. The operating system installed is the usual one today - Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.
HTC Desire SV
But the HTC Desire SV, which is in first place, snatched some elements from the models of the previous segment. Although the platform is the same as the Desire X, the new dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with gigahertz cores and 768 MB of RAM. The amount of internal memory is standard, it is 4 GB, and up to 32 GB can be obtained using a microSD card. The screen of the smartphone is simple, 4.3 inches diagonal and 480x800 resolution, which is where its advantages end. Although we can also mention large viewing angles, this statement remains on the conscience of the manufacturer. The set of wireless interfaces is the same as in other smartphones and includes modern Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n.
The gadget has only a rear camera; it has 8 MP with autofocus and a backlight sensor for better shooting in low-light conditions, F2.2 aperture, a 28 mm wide-angle lens and an intelligent flash that automatically selects one of five power levels.
As in the last device of the previous one price segment, Desire SV offers two microSIM cards that work in standby mode. Plus free 25 GB of Dropbox online storage for two years.
Top sellers in the mid-range model group
| Rank, model |
Screen size, permission |
Processor used |
Memory |
Platform/OS | Price |
| 1 | Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon | RAM 768 MB | Android 4.0 |
12 000 | |
| 2
(black)
|
1000 MHz | RAM 768 MB | Android 4.0 | 10 900
|
|
| 3 (white) | 1000 MHz | RAM 768 MB | Android 4.0 |
10 900
|
|
| 4 | Qualcomm MSM7227A Snapdragon 1000 MHz |
RAM 768 MB 4096 MB |
Android 4.0 |
11 000 | |
| 5 | Qualcomm MSM8255 1400 MHz |
MS Windows Phone 7.5 | 12 500 |
website
Premium segment
5th place
The “latest” in this category is a newcomer to the market. But the fact that it has already become a bestseller suggests that the market was waiting for it, preparing for it and selling it out almost immediately. By the way, the Galaxy Ace 2 is a direct competitor to the model in question, since even despite the premium segment, the technical characteristics of the S III Mini are very budget-friendly.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini
Let's say the platform is a modest dual-core NovaThor processor with a frequency of 1 GHz, 1 GB of RAM and Maili-400 gaming graphics. 8 GB of internal memory are installed (about 5 GB are available to the user), there is also a slot for microSD cards (up to 64 GB). The average in AnTuTu Benchmark is about 6500 units, which is quite acceptable for a smartphone of this type.
Of course, there is more of a brand influence here: the Galaxy S III mini is greatly overpriced. Although it also has its advantages: for example, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, 3G HSPA networks are supported, and the display is Super AMOLED. Albeit a four-inch one with a resolution of 480x800. The smartphone also has a VGA front camera and a 5 MP rear camera with LED flash.
Well, in terms of design, it’s a pure Galaxy S III, only small.
4th place
The fourth place is occupied by the first in modern history"shovel" (smartphone with big screen, aka “phablet”, aka “plafond”, aka “shovel”). Moreover, unlike these iPhones of yours and the Galaxy S III, which captured all the lines of the latest price segment, the Note turned out to be black, not white. Why is this interesting? Well, at least because this device was originally produced in pure white.
Samsung Galaxy Note I
Why the world unexpectedly fell in love with him in December 2011 was his giant screen. Samsung gave this Android smartphone a Super AMOLED display with a diagonal of 5.3 inches with an HD resolution of 1280x800 (and ppi - 285. Next is a powerful processor, dual-core, Samsung Exynos 4210 with a clock frequency of 1400 MHz, based on Cortex-A9 with a gaming graphics coprocessor Mali- 400 MP. The RAM capacity is 1 GB, the internal memory is 16 or 32 GB, and it can be expanded with microSDHC cards up to 32 GB. Of course, all this must be powered by a very serious battery, and its capacity is 2500 mAh, although, however, due to the large and bright screen, it doesn’t last that long.But, by the way, larger batteries have been on sale for a long time, more than 5000 mAh.
Note also has two cameras: a rear 8 MP and a front 2 MP. Among other things, the main feature of the “shovel” is its own stylus, which allows you to draw on the screen. And this is generally distinguishing feature devices of the Note family.
One can even conclude that this smartphone has become legendary and spawned new fashion to smartphones – now releasing a phablet is considered good form.
3rd place
Third place goes to another product from the Taiwanese manufacturer HTC called . It is already slightly outdated morally (considering that it appeared more than a year ago), since it was once one of the top ones, but from a technical point of view it is still more than modern. For example, its Super AMOLED screen with qHD resolution (960x540 pixels) has a diagonal of 4.3 inches and is covered with protective glass. Gorilla Glass and is housed in a thin 7.8 mm unibody case. The platform used is good, Qualcomm MSM8260A with a dual-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz per core. The device has 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of permanent memory, plus the buyer is given 25 GB in Dropbox for 2 years.
HTC One S
One of the advantages of this smartphone is a very fast eight-megapixel camera that starts up in FullHD mode in less than a second, and video shooting is activated simultaneously with video recording. And, of course, the beats audio stereo panorama expansion system has not gone away.
1 - 2 places: Best-selling smartphone in Russia according to Media Markt
And our first two places are occupied by two modifications of a very popular smartphone in Russia (their difference is only in color: black in first place, white in second). Interestingly, its more “advanced brother” of this device, the iPhone 4S, also ranks first in the next segment, and we will also mention it.
In general, there is not much that can be said about the “four,” mainly because there is nothing to compare it with. For example, we can say that it has a previous generation processor, Apple A4 on ARM Cortex 8 with a PowerVR SGX 535 graphics coprocessor, 512 MB of RAM and from 8 to 32 GB of internal memory. And, by the way, it is not expandable in any way - just like on Windows Phone devices. And all this will not say anything. The screen of the fourth iPhone is 3.5-inch with a resolution of 960x640, a pixel density of 326 ppi and a contrast ratio of 800:1. The performance is very good, and it’s not for nothing that buyers love this device so much. The rear camera is five megapixel and allows you to shoot HD video, while the front camera is only VGA, but also allows you to shoot 480p video at up to 30 frames per second. HTC One S Samsung Galaxy S III. It offers a quad-core Samsung Exynos 4412 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz per core and a Mali MP-400 graphics accelerator, 1 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal memory (plus micro-SDXC cards up to 64 GB). The screen of the gadget is made using Super AMOLED HD technology with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (at a density of 306 pixels per inch), 4.8" diagonal and with protective glass of the new generation Gorilla Glass 2. The resolution, it should be noted, is no longer the most cutting-edge, but for last year it can be called actually the best on the market.
Samsung Galaxy S III
Galaxy S III has two cameras: a rear 8 MP and a front 2 MP, and the rear one can also record FullHD video. Of course, all existing 3G standards up to HSPA+, dual-band Wi-Fi according to 802.11 a/b/g/n standards, Bluetooth version 3.0 and aGPS/GLONASS satellite receivers are supported. In general, this device has everything and even more: for example, voice control of a smartphone using a natural speech recognition system (which even answers questions), gesture recognition technology, a dual microphone, unusual colors (blue and white), AllShare Cast technology for connecting to “smart TVs” and so on. By the way, this is one of those smartphones that are literally on the border of two segments - a small price reduction occurred not long ago, and only due to mass demand for the Galaxy S III.
As with the iPhone, Desire X, and Samsung Galaxy Ace, the difference in placement on the Galaxy S III is due to the color of the case. Fifth place is occupied by a cheaper blue device, fourth – which indicates its greater popularity – is a white “shovel”.
Samsung Galaxy S III
The third and first lines are occupied by a small modification of the iPhone 4 called iPhone 4S, which everyone predicted to be called iPhone 5, but in the end it turned out to be what we see now. He has an updated iOS system 6, an 800 MHz Apple A5 hybrid processor inherited from the iPad, 512 MB of RAM, from 16 to 64 GB of internal memory (there is no possibility of using micro-SD cards) and a new Retina display with a resolution of 960x640.
The rear camera of the iPhone 4 is five megapixel and allows you to shoot FullHD video, and the front camera is only VGA, but it can also shoot video with a resolution of 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second. This is where the differences end, and this difference in the positions of the list is due only to the color of the case. In first place, naturally, is the black model, in third place is the white one.
Apple iPhone 4S
Well, in honorable second place - who would you think - is the Apple iPhone 5. The new generation of the iPhone family is based on Apple platform A6 on two ARMv7 cores operating at 1.3 GHz, with a PowerVR SGX543MP3 graphics coprocessor. RAM – 1 GB (which is called “finally”), and internal memory – from 16 to 64.
Apple iPhone 4S
Apple iPhone 5 already has a rather small Retina screen by the standards of the end of the year with a diagonal of 4 inches and an aspect ratio of 16:9. It has a non-standard resolution of 1136x640 pixels with an excellent pixel density per inch of 326 ppi, a contrast ratio of 800:1 and a brightness of 500 nits. There are two cameras: a rear one with 8 megapixels (with support for shooting FullHD video) and a front one with 1.2 megapixels.
Apple iPhone 5
Everything is fine with wireless interfaces: there is dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth version 4.0, GPS and GLONASS receivers, and fourth-generation LTE networks are also supported along with all third-generation protocols.
Top sellers in the luxury model group
website
The battery in the iPhone 5 has a capacity of only 1440 mAh. But the dimensions and weight are very impressive: 123.8x58.6x7.6 mm (pay attention to the thickness!) and only 112 grams, respectively. Operating system – iOS 6.
Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is by no means a device for the technically concerned part of the audience. Rather, for those who want to trust brands and not delve into details.
Specifications
Launched at the end of 2012, the Galaxy S III Mini received a fresh version of the operating system. Android systems 4.1 Jelly Bean, and with it new useful features.
Unlike the most technologically advanced Samsung smartphone 2012, the mini S III has a dual-core processor. Despite having half the number of cores, it (namely the NovaThor U8420 chipset) provides high performance and also has a better effect on battery life. But under average loads, the battery capacity is enough for two days of work. Despite all this, the Galaxy S III Mini falls short of the title of flagship model for fans of small screen diagonals: its screen resolution is only 480x800 pixels, and a five-megapixel camera is by no means a flagship figure for today.
| Specifications Galaxy S III Mini | |
|---|---|
| operating system | Android 4.1.1 |
| Dimensions and weight | 121.6 x 63 x 9.9 mm, 111.5 g |
| Display | Super AMOLED, 4 inches, 800x480 pixels (pixel density 233 ppi) |
| CPU | dual-core, NovaThor U8420 (clock frequency 1 GHz) |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM, 8/16 GB, micro SD support |
| Camera | 5 MP (2592x1944), flash, autofocus, HD video recording |
| Communications | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, A-GPS, Bluetooth |
| Battery | 1500 mAh |
The performance of the smartphone is ultimately quite good high level, however, in tests it is inferior to some of its competitors. In particular, Acer CloudMobile S500 is in both Vellamo and AnTuTu, and Huawei P1 is only in AnTuTu.
Appearance
The camera also copes quite well with video shooting.
Example of a video taken Samsung camera Galaxy S III Mini
Competitive environment
Among smartphones for 4000 UAH, the Galaxy S III Mini looks tiny. Its closest competitors, Acer Cloudmobile, Huawei Ascend P1 and last year's flagship Samsung Galaxy S II are equipped with 4.3-inch displays, and the first two also have a decent screen resolution. They also surpass the Galaxy S III Mini in performance, but are inferior to it in battery life. Also, Acer and Huawei cannot boast of their own shell - but this is a matter of taste. Some people prefer bare Android, some prefer Samsung TouchWiz, some prefer HTC Sense.
If the average screen size is an important criterion for choosing a smartphone, then the Galaxy S III Mini will only have to compete with the Sony XPERIA P for the buyer’s wallet. Both smartphones have displays with a diagonal of 4 inches, although Sony got better resolution(screen and camera) and even a metal case with a very interesting design. XPERIA smartphone P was released on the almost prehistoric version of Android OS 2.3, but should have already been updated to 4.0.
A comparison table of smartphone capabilities in the UAH 4,000 category looks like this.
Bottom line
In essence, the Galaxy S III Mini is a cocktail of the flagship name and design, a fresh version operating system, high performance, and other fillings - at the middle class level. At the same time, the device is characterized by enormous charisma, the origins of which, as it seemed to me, are in the very successful shape of the body and the polished TouchWiz shell. And the highlight of this model is Android version 4.1, which is not yet available to competitors and, of course, the name with which the smartphone, as they say, will go far. At the same time, the price tag of 4,000 UAH eloquently hints that the buyer will have to pay part of this amount just for the “S III” in the name, and not for tangible technical advantages. After all, the same Acer Cloudmobile or Huawei P1 with better performance, screen resolution and camera will cost the same amount.
4 reasons to buy Galaxy S III Mini:
- very natural body shape;
- Android 4.1 and high performance;
- autonomy is above average;
- It's also a bit of an S III.
3 reasons not to buy the Galaxy S III Mini:
- low screen resolution for its price category;
- the screen lock and Home keys are faintly visible on the body;
- Low camera resolution for its price category.
Samsung decided to use the Galaxy S III brand to the fullest. In this regard, a large number of mobile phones with this name appear on store shelves. True, in technical terms, they all have nothing in common with the original. Here is our test Samsung Galaxy S III mini from the same number. Why is it interesting and is it worth the attention of buyers?
Samsung Galaxy S III mini is presented to us as a smaller version of itself popular smartphone 2012. In fact, the device, other than design, has nothing in common with . In technical terms, we have a completely different device. Processor, chip, memory - everything here is an order of magnitude lower.
The compensation for such a pseudo can only be the price, but the new product is only 4,000 cheaper than the original.
Dimensions. Contents of delivery
id="sub0">The dimensions of the Samsung GS III mini do not look excessive, and it cannot be called miniature either. They are rather optimal: 121.55x63.00x9.9 mm. Weight - 120 grams. The device fits well in the hand and does not tend to fall out or slip out. You can easily carry your smartphone in your trouser pocket, jeans pocket, shirt pocket or bag.
The scope of delivery includes:
- Phone Samsung i8190 Galaxy S III mini
- Battery 1500 mAh, lithium-ion
- Charger(microUSB)
- Stereo headset with 3.5 mm mini-jack connector
- Cable for synchronization with computer
- Instructions
Design, construction
id="sub1">The appearance of the smartphone fully matches the design. Here you can see the rounded corners of the body. The decor has a minimalist feel. There is a lot of gloss on the front, as well as the back. The back cover is plastic. It comes off quite easily.
Samsung i8190 is available in two variants: sea pebbles and white marble.
Almost the entire front part of the device is occupied by a touch display. Above it is the speaker hole. To the left is a camera for video calls and various sensors: motion sensor, light sensor, G-sensor.
Below the screen there is a menu button - in the center and two touch keys context menu and return to one level. Everything is standard here. In terms of ease of use, the controls are no different from those in other Samsung smartphones.
The back surface is made of plastic, stylized as brushed metal. This prevents fingerprints, scuffs and cuts from being visible. It contains a 5 megapixel camera, an LED flash that can be used as a flashlight, and a speaker for external calls and music playback.
On the right side there is a button to turn on, turn off and lock the phone, and on the left there are volume keys. There is no camera button here; the camera application for shooting can only be launched from the menu.
At the top end there is a 3.5 mm headphone output. The standard microUSB connector is on the bottom edge. There's a microphone there too.
The lithium-ion battery is located under the battery cover. We also have a mount for a SIM card and a slot for microSD memory cards.
The build quality of the Samsung i8190 is good. During the test, no external defects were detected. The impressions are extremely positive. Galaxy S III mini is assembled at a factory in South Korea.
Screen. Graphics capabilities
id="sub2">Samsung Galaxy S III has an excellent Super AMOLED screen with a 4-inch diagonal and a resolution of 480x800 pixels (233 ppi). However, the device has been harshly criticized for its relatively low resolution. However, the display has high contrast, brightness and color reproduction.
The existing matrix provides viewing angles close to maximum. When exposed to direct sunlight, the screen fades a little, but remains easy to read.
The display of the Samsung Galaxy S III mini supports multi-touch.
In fact, we are dealing with a screen that a couple of years ago was installed in the top models of the Korean company, but today has dropped into the segment of mid-price devices.
Keyboard and information input
id="sub3">Entering information, as well as writing texts and dialing numbers, occurs using a touch screen.
There are two options for typing text in the Samsung Galaxy S III mini: vertical and horizontal QWERTY keyboard. In the first version of the button small size, and therefore typing text is not very convenient.
But in horizontal orientation the buttons are large and allow you to type text without any problems. Changing the language occurs by pressing the space bar, only you must first select the main languages in the settings.
Menu. Interface and navigation
id="sub4">Samsung Galaxy S III mini runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The software can be updated via the Internet.
In standby mode, the user has access to up to seven desktops. To remove or add them, you need to click contextual button and select “Change”. After this you can work with desktops. In addition, there are “live” wallpapers.
In turn, the user can add to any of the desktops additional shortcuts programs, bookmarks or widgets. To do this, just click the context button and select “Add”. In the future, individual programs can be grouped by meaning, for example, photos, videos and YouTube on one screen, and a calendar and notes on another. The speed of access to these services increases several times.
Long continuous press on top part screen activates the notification panel. It displays the current date, operator name and other supporting information. The notification panel on the Samsung Galaxy S III mini reports new voice messages, messages Email, Gmail and much more. Here you can quickly enable functions such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, sound, auto-rotate.
The menu can be accessed by tapping the "Applications" option at the bottom right of the screen. The menu of the phone under test is presented by default with three screens that can be scrolled through. These are all different applications. Long pressing an application's shortcut will move it to the desktop. To remove a shortcut from the desktop, you need to do the opposite. There is also a “Widgets” tab, from where you can add useful information directly to your smartphone’s desktop.
The lock screen in the Galaxy S III mini is implemented in the same way as in the SGS III. To unlock the device, you just need to swipe your finger across the screen. In addition, there are intelligent control functions.
If activated, the device will not go into sleep mode as long as the user is looking at it. The front camera is used for facial recognition. The manufacturer honestly warns that “Intelligent Waiting” may not work in the dark. However, under normal conditions the function also does not always work correctly. It seems that an eye icon appears on the notification panel (that is, the camera recognizes that the screen is in this moment look), but sometimes the display backlight still turns off after a specified period of time.
Telephone features
id="sub5">First of all, these include “Phone”, “Contacts”, “Messages”. They are all at the bottom of the main Galaxy screen S III mini.
The Contacts application stores detailed information about telephone numbers and subscribers. A specific record can have two dozen fields, be it last name, first name, patronymic, mobile number, home phone, email address, date of birth or personal ID, Skype, etc. The search in contacts occurs immediately across all fields of the client, that is, you can dial the number, first name, last name, etc. Each subscriber’s profile can now be linked to his social media accounts.
During an incoming call, the screen displays a photo and the caller's number from phone book, or, if the subscriber is unknown, a picture of a green man.
Text and multimedia messages are grouped by subscriber. By clicking on a specific contact, you can view the history of correspondence with this person.
Internet and Google services
id="sub6">The standard browser uses updated Webkit and JavaScript. In addition, the browser supports Adobe Flash and does everything a progressive browser is supposed to do.
The device is fully integrated with Google services such as Gmail, Picasa, Google Talk, Google Maps, YouTube and, of course, Google search. The user only needs to provide his/her details account Google and that's it.
Work tools include Google Calendar. It allows you to view events by date, time and action. The service is a high-quality planner-organizer, all in one. All events can be divided into groups with corresponding fields. All information is stored on a Google server.
Multimedia capabilities
id="sub7">The “Music” item is a music audio player. You can view and listen to audio tracks. The following file formats are supported: MP3, AMR, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+. There is support for OMA DRM. There is sorting by artists, albums, genres, composers.
The standard headset is included in the package. Thanks to the 3.5 mm jack, you can choose any headphones.
The “Video” item displays videos made both by the device’s camera and downloaded from the Internet.
A unique thematic browser for photo and video files is the “Gallery” item. All files are divided into folders: photos and video clips, music.
For ease of management, the settings are divided into several sections: “ Wireless network» (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile network and data network), “Device” (setting up applications, power, personalization), “Personal data” (setting up social services and accounts), “System”.
Camera. Photo and video capabilities
id="sub8">The main camera allows you to take pictures with a resolution of up to 2592x1944 and record HD video at 30 frames per second.
The camera has a standard set of settings. The volume buttons are responsible for zooming in/out of the image. There are also improvements compared to previous models. They mainly affected the color rendition of pictures, as well as the ability to select the focus point on the screen by touch.
Automatic contrast allows you to achieve good quality pictures. In manual mode ISO settings Available values are 50, 100, 200, 400, 800. The following shooting modes are available: single shot, smile detection, continuous, panorama, vintage, portrait, landscape, night mode, sports, indoor, beach/snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks, text, twilight, against the light.
The quality of the pictures is quite average. It is much inferior to SGS III.
The settings also have special shooting effects a la a crooked mirror, which are applied directly in the process. That is, the image is processed in real time, and the smartphone thereby demonstrates its computing power.
The phone supports video recording in mpeg4 format for maximum resolution, and in the settings you can specify whether the video will be recorded with or without sound. All settings are comparable to those for photographs, but the video resolutions are different, plus effects are supported. The camera can shoot videos with a resolution of 1280x720, 720x480 pixels (30 frames), or a resolution of 640x480 pixels (30 frames). Two additional resolutions - 320x240 and 176x144 pixels.
The recorded video is not bad. It looks adequate on a phone screen, and it looks more or less on a computer.
Photos and videos can be viewed from the Multimedia menu. Photos and videos are displayed as thumbnails, the list opens very quickly, there are no delays even with a large number of photos or images. In the gallery, you can scroll through photos by tilting the phone in one direction or another. All this became possible thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Memory and speed
id="sub9">A version of the smartphone with 8 GB memory is currently available in stores. This volume can be expanded through the use of microSD memory cards.
The performance of the Galaxy S III mini is quite comfortable. The device runs on the NovaThor U8420 platform with a 2-core gigahertz processor, Mali-400MP graphics and 1 GB of RAM. There is enough RAM to ensure that no application feels left out. In addition, multitasking is supported for all applications.
Communication capabilities
id="sub10">In addition to the standard connection to a computer via microUSB, the Galaxy S III mini supports Bluetooth 3.0. Bluetooth provides wireless connection peripheral devices: For example, A2DP/AVRCP stereo headsets.
When connected to a USB port, there are several connection options: Media, Charge only, Storage, Samsung Keis. In Storage mode, the device is picked up perfectly without additional drivers, and you can copy the necessary data.
As for Kies, it’s an analogue of iTunes, only very, very crude. The program is inconvenient, and most importantly, it often crashes due to errors, or simply refuses to perform this or that action. In general, Kies is something that you should never install on your computer.
Returning to the communication capabilities, it is worth noting the support for packet data transfer using GPRS and EDGE class 32 technologies, as well as third generation networks with HSPA+ support. The phone can be used as a modem, which provides an incoming traffic speed of 21 Mbit/s.
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