Samsung Galaxy S III mini Pro Reviews

Price is typically the most compelling feature in a budget device, making potential customers more willing to accept mediocrity for the sake of the bottom line. Not so with the S3 Mini. Though it was never high-end, even in its prime (and was never meant to be), it still packages together enough hardware and software features to provide an all-around complete software experience for first-time smartphone owners. I'm thinking especially of teenagers getting a first taste of responsibility and freedom, or really, anyone transitioning from a simple phone to a smartphone. The 99-cent on-contract price does pump up the Mini's value, and its modern Android version gives it an edge over AT&T's other dollar bargains, like the (also good) HTC One VX and last September's Pantech Flex. AT&T is also selling the stylish HTC Windows Phone 8X for the same price, with similar features. These would all be acceptable choices for the price range, though I'd lean toward the HTC and Samsung phones, and this Mini in particular if you're all about software extras.

The AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is a decent entry-level Android smartphone with an affordable price, but it doesn't come close to matching its full-sized namesake.

Not a bad budget phone, but performance is mediocre and the screen isn't brilliant either

Samsung wanted to take a slice of the Christmas trade with a fresh android model and shrunk its flagship model Galaxy S3 to have an adequate model for the smaller purse. The Galaxy S3 mini should combine the advantages of the more powerful big brother with more compact measurements. Samsung is going against the trend of the ever increasing displays. However, if you were looking with the name 'mini' for a small smartphone you will be surprised to be confronted with a sizeable 4 Inch AMOLED-Touchscreen. In comparison to the predecessor Galaxy Mini 2 and to the high end model Samsung S3 corresponds tihs with a growth equal to a shrinkage of 18% each.

The Galaxy S3 mini is a reasonably good mid-ranged Android smartphone with good software and battery life. However, unless you particularly want a smaller smartphone, we can't see any major reason to pick the Galaxy S3 mini over the cheaper but higher spec Google Nexus 4 on a SIM-free basis.

Oh, Samsung, what did you do? We think we know what you thought you were doing. A cheaper phone for those who want a little bit of the Galaxy S III experience, for less money, in a more manageable form. And that's what the Galaxy S III mini actually is. We get that, and what's not to like about that idea? Sure, some people will have taken things a little more literally and expected a flagship device -- in a smaller package -- but that's just not what this is. What you do have, however, is a decent mid-range phone with top end looks. So, for those in search of such a thing, the Galaxy S III mini will be just the ticket, and we're in no doubt that's potentially a lot of people. There was a chance, however, that if done differently, this could have taken the Galaxy S III "brand," in a whole new direction. If this had come with specs similar to its bigger brother, it could have truly been something to behold.

The chances of the Samsung Galaxy S III mini don't look too great, but there might be a place in the company's Android lineup for a device like this after all. With the Premier, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II forming the top of the food chain, the diminutive droid gets to ride on the strong brand image, which is a pretty potent weapon. Plus, Samsung has done a good job of optimizing the hardware and its latest custom launcher Nature UX is arguably the most functional on the market. The price is too ambitious at the moment, but it should come down quite quickly at which point the Galaxy S III mini will be a great mid-ranger to buy. Until then, though, it will remain a niche device for people who love the Galaxy S III design language, but can't pocket the full-size version of the flagship.

There's a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. The range of tweaks that Samsung has layered in is impressive, it looks good and it's a flexible phone with the option to expand the memory and swap the battery if you need to. The software experience visually has plenty of refinement, although there are some things, like the S Planner that don't suit our tastes. But within that we hit the problem. Although there's plenty of enhancement on offer, it's not the additional features like pop-out video that you notice, it's the sluggishness of general navigation. That's something of a problem, because throughout the time we’ve been using the SGS3 Mini, it has been the keyboard, or the lag in navigation, or unexpected delays, that we've really noticed.

The Samsung Galaxy S III mini is a lovely mainstream smartphone. All of a sudden, the Galaxy S III's “nature-inspired” design looks and feels right in your hand. The device is easy to hold and operate, while its 4-inch screen is big enough to provide a comfortable and pleasant experience for smartphone users. We won't really recommend this one if you're a diehard geek who wants the biggest and baddest device possible, but we can certainly recommend it to pretty much everybody else. It's a well-balanced performer with absolutely no major drawbacks. With Samsung being dangerously close to conquering the high-end of the Android landscape, it looks like the South Koreans are now willing to take over the mid-range as well. With strong performers like the Galaxy S III mini, it looks like they will.

Our first impressions are that the Galaxy S3 Mini will be a book to those who find the Galaxy S3 too large and too expensive. However, at 4in in screen size, the Mini isn’t particularly small and there is a significant downgrade in specifications to bear in mind. Look out for our full Galaxy S3 Mini review.