Galaxy S4 Mini Specs and Features

 A lot of people didn't like many things associated with the Galaxy S4 and it seems like the Galaxy S4 Mini is a perfect answer to the problems a lot of us had with the main flagship. The main problems of course focus on the size and cost of the original device. However, will this Mini device really stand up to its name? The S3 Mini model was quite a failure when compared to its bigger brother, so let us see if this new device will be any better.

Press photo of the new device. Click to zoom.

 The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini looks rather good and it is obviously a lot more compact and portable than the bigger flagship. The display is 4.3 inches and in spite of the bad resolution settings the display quality is quite sharp and impressive. So, without further to do, let us just dive right in to the Galaxy S4 Mini's specs!

General Specs and Design of the S4 Mini

• Smartphone dimensions: 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9 mm (4.91 x 2.41 x 0.35 in).
• The original model had the following body dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 in).
• Weight: 107 g (3.77 oz); this 23g lighter than the larger device.
• Display: 540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches (~256 ppi pixel density); Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen.
• 16 million colors and multitouch support.
• Internal memory: 8 GB, but 5 GB is actually user-available.
• RAM: 1.5 GB for the standard 3G model and 2GB for the advanced LTE device.
• Extra storage: Both models have microSD card support with up to 64 GB expansion.
• Operating system: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
• Colors: White Frost and Black Mist (same as the original).

The White Frost model.

Advanced Specs and Hardware details

• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8930 Snapdragon 400
• CPU: Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait
• GPU: Adreno 305
• Primary camera: 8 MP
• Max format: 3264 x 2448 pixels; autofocus and LED flash.
• Secondary camera: 1.9 MP
• Video quality: 1080p at 30 frames per second.
• Data connectivity: USB v2.0, WLAN, Bluetooth, Infrared, NFC, EDGE and GPRS.
• Networking: 2G and 3G is available, however for 4G you need the advanced LTE model (LTE - GT-I9195).
• Battery: Li-Ion 1900 mAh battery, but stand-by time has not yet been tested by any reviewer.

Price and Release Date

 The details regarding the price and the release date of the Galaxy S4 Mini have not yet been revealed to the general public although we do have some general idea when it comes to the numbers. The Galaxy S4 Mini release date is expected to come somewhere in the first half of July, while the price is expected to be around $400, although most experts and tech savvy users can't really agree with each other when it comes to this.

 We will keep you updated as more news come so make sure your subscribe to us via RSS or via Twitter.

Galaxy S4 Active Review - Water-resistant and Amazing!

 It has been a bit more than 2 months since we had a chance to experience what the original Samsung Galaxy S4 has to offer, but not it is time for the main flagship to get a few interesting updated and the Galaxy S4 Active is brilliant example of that. Just like the Galaxy S4 Red Aurora for AT&T the Active is a device exclusive to AT&T that is available for $199.99 on two-year contract. Other payment options include you paying $449.99 (saves you $145) for a one-year contract and paying straight up-front $594.99 for a month-to-month deal. You can see the full prices and order online here.

Dip it in water - nothing bad is gonna happen!

 So, how exactly is the Galaxy S4 Active different from the regular model? Well, while this isn't the unique Advanced LTE model that people might have been expecting, the S4 is still quite unique on its own. However, the only real changes are on the outside since the internal hardware is pretty much the same. 

The Exterior Changes to the Galaxy S4

 Thus, let me point out right now that the most important difference is that the Galaxy S4 Active is water and dust resistant.

 But just how water-resistant is it? Some are even saying it is waterproof, but as you know that cannot really be true. Still, for the purpose of this Galaxy S4 Active review we can say that this device does show that we are slowly getting close to a an actual "waterproof" smartphone. According to Mashable, the device can be submerged as up to  three feet in water and can stay there for roughly 30 minuets. Apparently, you can even listen to music while swimming, although I am not sure who swims with their smartphone and how they find this practical.

 Another major change is that the camera on the Galaxy S4 Active has 8 MP instead of 13. However, to compensate for this, the camera actually has an Aqua mode for underwater photography which looks rather impressive.

The body is actually thicker!

 The final important change to the exterior of the phone is that the body is a bit thicker. It is hard to notice it until you actually compare the two. This is actually a welcoming change in my opinion as I always prefer smartphones which are a bit heavier in one's hand. Of course, this is a very niche opinion and depends on your style and needs.

 So, do I think that the Galaxy S4 Active is worth it? If I wanted to buy the S4 right now and had access to AT&T then I would certainly opt for the Active. While it has one of the worst names ever, I quite like the water and dust resistant body and the thicker back. I don't plan on putting the phone into the water, but having a device that can work like a charm during the rain is a brilliant feature that is slowly becoming an industry standard on many devices.

Galaxy S4 Production Cut; Galaxy S3 to Retire

 Business reports have been suggesting this for quite some time, but nobody was ready to throw in the towel just yet. ZDnet was the first to post about this and their report confirms our suspicions. So, the short story is this: Samsung is going to retire their Galaxy S3 model and cut the production of their latest flagship device. However, that doesn't make any sense right now - so why is Sammy doing this? Well, let us try get down to the bottom of the answer!

 The report comes from a Korean publication - ET News - who have insight in the South Korean electronics market. According to them Samsung is going to stat their latest program/plan in order to reduce their inventory and stop the production of older models. From what we knew already, the monthly production levels of the Galaxy S4 were rather high, but it is expected that it will be reduced by 10 - 15 percent! That's a really major production cut and it seems that the S4 wasn't such an amazing success as we first thought.

 Next, the report says that it is not just the production that is falling behind, but obviously the demand for the product. This of course makes complete sense, if the demand for the product is low, Samsung will obviously have to cut the production. One could say that they could try and push the device more, but honestly Samsung has already used every single marketing trick ever invented!

There are too many parts in Samsung inventory...

 Once there was a shortage of Galaxy S4 device, but these days are now long gone. The July Galaxy S4 order is currently only 6.5 million handsets, which is only half of the S4 units Samsung sold last month. The month before that was even more successful which just illustrated Samsung's slow fall. However, this is nothing overly exciting and it is something that was to be expected. After all, technology advances at a very fast rate and we can't expect a single device to rule over the market for an entire year.

 However, JP Morgan cited poor European consumer demand as the reason for lower-than-expected shipment rates. If the market in Europe was more open to Samsung's flagship device then perhaps things would have been much better. 

 Also, in the report it is stated that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be pulled off the production line which came much sooner than expected. To combat these events, Samsung will have to think of a new strategy to once again completely dominate the market. We can expect this sooner rather than later as Samsung is preparing three new devices: Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Zoom and the Galaxy Note 3.

Galaxy S4 Aurora Red at AT&T

 It seems that AT&T is once again the first to score a very unique device, this time it is the Galaxy S4 Aurora Red, a beautiful smartphone that will surely win the hearts of many. The exclusive new device was launched today by Samsung and AT&T and it comes with 16GB of storage. So, how much does the new Galaxy S4 Aurora Red cost exactly? Well, the device is actually fairly priced which is an odd thing to see considering that these special models are usually more expensive. The Aurora Red will cost $639.99 if you decide to purchase it from AT&T off contract or you can choose to pay $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

Do you like the Galaxy S4 Aurora Red. Is it a "girl thing" or is the new design unisex? Click on the product photo to zoom by the way!

 This is not the only new color that the S4 will come in, but these will get introduced over time and via different carriers. Samsung pulled a similar "trick" last year with their previous model and it proved to be a success. Experts are saying that Sammy will need every sale that they can get though since the latest flagship isn't doing so well on the charts anymore. While it is still selling well, it is becoming obvious that sale figures are dropping. The Galaxy S4 Aurora Red and similar unique models are just one of the strategies for Samsung to boost sales and get ahead in the game.

 Of course, many see this in a different way. Fans will argue that nobody really makes their choice based on the color on the phone. It's not like one would choose a bad two-year contract just to get a phone in a different color than what other carriers are offering. People feel as this is just Samsung telling AT&T: "you guys are special, we love you". Still, one would be surprised how important color can be to some people and how much impact the design leaves on their decision. Devices such as Galaxy S4 Aurora Red are designed with such people in mind of course and this is a very niche device.

 If you wish to check this device out in more detail, then feel free to visit the official AT&T website!

 

Advanced Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE Model In The Works?

 It has been a long time since I posted on this blog and I do apologize for this. However, I am back in full glory ready to report about the latest Galaxy S4 and Android trends. The hot news on the wire today are those surrounding the rumored release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE model, an advanced device that could boost the sales of the product. Currently, experts are expecting a major drop in sales for Samsung as it has been quite a while since the S4 was released and many other manufacturers have come-up with a lot of brilliant phones. Even though the Galaxy S4 is a dominant force on the market it is hard to say how long we can expect this to stay so.

 As you know, LTE is a very powerful data transfer protocol and in theory this would allow the Galaxy S4 to get data download speeds up to 1Gbps (30 bits per Hz) and 500Mbps uploads (16 bits per Hz). However, 4G is not a wide spread service in the world and the Galaxy S4 LTE would thus be a very niche device in most countries. For example, in the UK only one network (Everything Everywhere) has 4G services while the first 4G network in Russian appeared just last year.

 The problem is mostly in the fact that there are very few LTE devices on the market for users to actually invest money in this service and this is why most network provides in Europe have not implemented this service in their package. Thus, we can assume that the advanced Galaxy S4 model will be aimed at the North American market as it makes the most sense for it to succeed.

 Regarding the issue the head of the firm’s mobile biz, JK Shin, said to Reuters on Monday that his team is currently in discussion with several overseas carriers (he did not say which). He did not give much details and did not even mention the region, but we can expect that he was referring to the United States and perhaps even Canada.