Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini ~ Be Small

The announcement that Samsung has sold the most phones, and in particular more than double the amount of iPhones, will no doubt be of little shock.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was the most popular selling smartphone in Q3 2012, following in the footsteps of its older brother, the now 18 month-old Samsung Galaxy S2.
One of the secrets of Samsung's success has to be the quality of its devices, but another is that it has targeted every corner of the market. The Samsung Galaxy range has hit every price point, from the super-budget Galaxy Y to the highest end phablet Galaxy Note 2, and the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini here falls somewhere in the middle.

Samsung will look to the success of the Galaxy S3, as the Galaxy S3 Mini - also referred to as the Galaxy SIII Mini - comes up against the newly launched LG made Google Nexus 4, that has completely rewritten the book for mid-priced smartphones.
It also faces some stiff competition from more established handsets such as the HTC One S, and the ageing yet still very popular Samsung Galaxy S2.
Remarkably, like the Nexus 4, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini comes in with a similar spec sheet as the iPhone 5. But it hits the price point of the two years older iPhone 4, at £315 (around AU$460/US$480) SIM-free, or free on monthly contracts from around £25 (around AU$38/US$40) per month in the UK.

Design and feel

After a quick glance at the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for its larger, higher end brother, and that is in no way a bad thing. The plastic feeling that we mentioned wouldn't appeal to all on the S3 feels right at home on the S3 Mini.
It even comes in the same Pebble blue and Marble white variants that the Samsung Galaxy S3 launched with.
Measuring 122.55 x 63 x 9.9mm (4.82 x 2.48 x 0.39 inches), the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is by no means the largest phone, and it sits very comfortably in the hand. The 120g (4.23oz) weight also means it's not very noticeable in the pocket, even if it is a whole 1.3mm thicker.

There's no doubting that the Galaxy S3 Mini looks superb, its size being the only initial indication that it wasn't intended to be a market-leading phone. In fact, we are left wondering where the compromises have been made.
The two main areas are the processor and the screen, with the dual-core 1GHz chipset and a 4-inch WVGA resolution screen being a lot less spectacular than the Samsung Galaxy S3.
We can forgive minor details like this, but given the 1.5GHz dual chip in the HTC One S, and the quad core power behind the Google Nexus 4, we're a little more sceptical.

Elsewhere, Samsung has provided the Galaxy S3 Mini with the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating system, as well as a 5MP rear camera with flash, and a VGA front camera.
As we mentioned, the Galaxy S3 Mini sits very well in the hand, its smaller size meaning that it is a lot more comfortable to hold than the Samsung Galaxy S3.

The lock/power button sits on the right side, with the volume key directly opposite on the left. The phone's small size makes them all very easy to hit one handed.
The capacitive soft keys are out in traditional Samsung style, the Back and Menu buttons sitting either side of an elongated Home button just under the screen. Samsung has kept this layout since the original Galaxy S, and we are big fans, since it means that unlike the newer Nexus phones - the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 4 - there is no searching for the on-screen keys.
Elsewhere on the front of the Galaxy S3 Mini are the speaker and the front-facing VGA camera for Facebook profile pictures, as well as video chats through the likes of Skype.

The two main ports sit at opposite ends of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, with the micro USB sat at the bottom (next to the microphone), and the 3.5mm headphone port on the top. This again follows the standard Samsung layout shown on other Galaxy devices, and we've never had a problem with it.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini comes with an advantage over other mid-range devices, since it has a removable battery cover, the Google Nexus 4 being the most notable exception. The battery cover makes up the entirety of the back of the Galaxy S3 Mini, and sits tightly on the back, so there's no chance of it popping off accidentally.
The back of the phone is a smart white (or blue) affair, housing the 5MP camera sensor, a small flash, the loud speaker and the obligatory Samsung branding.

Hidden behind the cover is the 1500mAh removable battery, which many heavy users will consider essential. Elsewhere is the SIM port (standard, not microSIM), and the microSD slot.
Unfortunately the microSD isn't hot-swappable, which was a little frustrating. It's located behind the battery, and isn't a pop-in slot. This means needing to lay the microSD card flat against the Galaxy S3 Mini, and pushing it in, which can get a bit fiddly.
In all we were very impressed with the design of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, but we were more impressed with its more powerful predecessor, the Galaxy S3. The curved design sits very comfortably in the hand, and the smaller stature makes it easier to hold, with every part of the phone accessible one handed.
For those looking for a stylish phone, who don't want a massive screen, a massive weight or a massive price tag, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini makes a more than promising first impression.

Building the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini's interface upon the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating system means that Samsung has tweaked its Touchwiz overlay yet again.
We've always been fans of Touchwiz, and anybody that has any experience of previous Samsung phones will feel almost immediately at home.

Starting from the lock screen, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini has continued the 'inspired by nature' theme that was present on the Galaxy S3.
Taking cues from other custom UIs such as HTC Sense, the lock screen provides quick access to up to three applications.
By default these are ChatOn - Samsung's answer to BBM and iMessage - as well as the Google Now search engine, and the Camera app. If you'd prefer other options, these can be customised.
Interestingly, it is possible to access the camera app by holding the lock screen and rotating the Galaxy S3 Mini to landscape. We found this a little difficult to work out initially, but we soon got the hang of it.
Touching the screen brings ripple effects, and swiping across to unlock brings small ripples akin to skimming a stone.
This is accompanied by an annoying water drop sound, which you also get when pressing the varying buttons on the Galaxy S3 Mini. Thankfully these can be turned off within the settings.

It could well be the Project Butter of Jelly Bean, but after our initial concerns over the Galaxy S3 unlock and wake up speed, we didn't find any slow down on the less powerful Galaxy S3 Mini.
The whole device wasn't lightning fast, the compromise of having less cores, but only once did we find any real hindrance, during initial set up as all our apps downloaded and synced from Google's cloud.
The latest Touchwiz brings across the same icons and the same feel that we found on the Samsung Galaxy S3, and we were happy to say that it felt a lot more simplified than it had on older Samsung devices.
To make it even simpler, the settings menu enables you to change the Home screen mode, between Basic and Easy mode.
We were a little bemused as there was no Advanced mode, but the idea behind Easy mode is that it makes it easier for first time users. We don't think even the most inexperienced should need it though.
Touchwiz also brings along Samsung's vast array of widgets to the Galaxy S3 Mini.

From Android Honeycomb, the widgets can be accessed via a tab in the app drawer, enabling you to preview the widgets, as well as providing the widget size so you know whether it'll fit on your selected screen.
The main widget, as for just about every modern smartphone, is the clock widget. Samsung's clock is a very smart offering, with a landscaped background reflecting the time and weather conditions of your position.
Some widgets are resizable, however there is no indication as to which these are, which is more than a little frustrating.
We might have mentioned it before, but we're glad that the latest Touchwiz dock has been expanded.
Android has long had the ability to have five icons in the dock, yet previous iterations of Touchwiz only allowed for four, and that included the app drawer itself.
Another useful feature is the ability to put folders in the dock, freeing up more room. Folders can be made throughout the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, although they don't have the same intuitive feel that has become prevalent on other devices, most notably in iOS.

On a Home screen, pressing the menu button or long-pressing a blank spot on the screen gives you the option to create an empty folder, and from there you can drag and drop apps into it.
Thankfully, it is a similar experience in the app drawer, and means that you can be very organised; we've managed to get all our apps onto one screen.
Another feature we're pleased to see is the ability to hide apps, done by accessing the app drawer menu.
We're big fans of this as often there are preinstalled apps that can't be removed without rooting your device, and we know this isn't for everyone. Having them hidden helps make the app drawer seem a lot more organised.
To display your many folders and widgets, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini permits up to seven home screens. This is a big plus in our eyes, especially as the Google Nexus 4 infamously allows only five.

Moving around home screens was smooth, no hint of any slowdown from the less powerful processor.
The infinite scroll loop is something we're fans of, as is the scroll bar.
It's one of Touchwiz's less obvious features, but the dotted screen indicator on the home screens and app drawer turns into a scroll bar for even faster screen switching.
The app drawer has also had some customisation, with the ability to sort apps in any way you choose, so you can dedicate certain screens to certain apps, alphabetically or in a list.
We're not massive fans of the custom screen, mainly because uninstalling apps then leaves a gap.
One of the key features of any Android experience, emulated on later iOS versions, is the notifications bar.

We liked the notifications experience on the Galaxy S3, but having Jelly Bean behind the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini means it has had another lick of paint.
Surprisingly, it is accessible from the lock screen.
Swiping the bar down gives access to the notifications screen, complete with the quick settings that Samsung has put in every Touchwiz iteration.
There are a lot more options than you may previously be used to, and as we mentioned before, it moves across every time you open the bar.
We could list all the available power saving options, but needless to say they cover GPS and Wi-Fi, as well as the Mobile Data and an interesting setting known as Blocking Mode.
Blocking Mode disables notifications, including calls from people other than on a set list. It can also be set to a timer, making it ideal for when you're asleep.
Elsewhere in the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini notifications bar is a brightness toggle, as well as the very smartly laid out clock and date in the top left, opposite access to the phone's settings.

We're extremely disappointed that Samsung has included a brightness toggle, mainly because it is their compensation for the lack of an auto brightness setting, something we cannot get our heads around.
We really like the contrast of the greens, blues and blacks, giving a very professional finish, and the fact that the little bar at the bottom only lights up when you are swiping the bar up and down show Samsung has given it a lot of thought.
The Jelly Bean experience with swiping away notifications, and expanding notifications is also present making it easy to dismiss the spam emails, or a Facebook message that you "don't want" when you're at work...
The S3 Mini also has Android's superb multi-tasking pane, accessed by long pressing the home button. From there you can open, or swipe away, all your recently opened apps, the Google Now engine or the 'Recycle Bin' that removes all recent apps.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini also includes Samsung's Smart alert feature; pick up the phone with a missed call or text and it vibrates gently to let you know.

Samsung has also included a whole set of other features, such as the ability to have the battery percentage in the notifications bar, and the Smart stay eye-tracker.
While we're sure this helps the battery life, we found it a little inconsistent.
Maybe it was the poor sensor on the front of the device, but we found that even while looking at the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini head on, the little Smart Stay Icon didn't always appear, yet it sometimes appeared while it was sat a few feet away on the table.
The Korean firm has also upped its motion control throughout certain apps, which we will go into more detail later, but the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini enables you to mute calls or music just by flipping the phone over. It's not a new feature, yet is very handy.
In all, Samsung has really paid attention to the UI, in order to differentiate itself from the other Android manufacturers. The customisation has always helped Samsung stand out, and the dual core processor coupled with Android Jellybean rarely suffered.

Finally to the bit that we've all been waiting for, our final Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini verdict. If you've stayed with us throughout, thank you from the bottom of our heart, if you've skipped... well we might have done the same thing once upon a time.
We've put the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini through its paces, and we're pleased to say that it has coped. We might have been a tad sceptical over certain issues - if you don't know what we mean, you haven't been paying enough attention - but we're pleased to say that it manages to hold its own.

We liked

Given that the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is based upon the Galaxy S3, and we loved the design of that, we can safely say we really liked the design of the Galaxy S3 Mini. Its smaller stature than its bigger brother means it sits a lot more comfortably in the hand, and is more than operable one handed.
MicroSD support is something that we thought would be almost second nature to modern smartphones, but notably Apple and Google have omitted it from their latest devices - it's one of the reasons the Google Nexus 4 failed to garner our coveted five-star rating.
Samsung has also worked its way through Touchwiz, with the UI now being of the most popular on the market. It more than holds its own against HTC's Sense, which we have been known to wax lyrical about on more than one occasion.
We also love that the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini ships with Android Jelly Bean right out of the box. Yes we could mention that the Nexus 4 has a later version, but the HTC One S still ships with the older Ice Cream Sandwich. The S3 Mini is also one of the most connected devices we have ever tested.

We disliked

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Samsung has yet to create an amazing keyboard, with its current offering being functional, yet nothing spectacular. It might be to Samsung's credit that the first thing that we thought of when writing this section was the keyboard, but the Korean firm should really take a few cues from HTC and SwiftKey.
We also disliked the Samsung Hubs. We can see why they would be put there, yet given that the Play Store is going from strength to strength, and is a fantastic alternative to iTunes, we don't ever envision a time where you'd choose to open the Samsung Hub instead.
We're also going to mention the screen resolution. Samsung has put a fantastic screen onboard, but the WVGA resolution is a downer in our eyes. It makes things seem a little less crisp, and while we'd usually gloss over this, the Nexus 4 has rewritten many books.

Final verdict

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We really liked the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. It ticks all the right boxes, and comes in at a very decent price. The truth of the matter is, though, that it's launching right smack bang against the Google phone, the Nexus 4.
Every time we looked at the Galaxy S3 Mini we were impressed. It beats the Nexus 4 in many areas, it has microSD support and a fantastic interface, but the Nexus has the impressive stock Android.
If you looked right at the score and thought that maybe we had scored it a little low, given that in many areas we looked and commented on how the Galaxy S3 Mini has done so well, we've had to put that in some kind of context.
Would we recommend buying one? Yes definitely. Would we recommend buying it over the Nexus? Not really. But it's as powerful as the iPhone 5? True...
It's very disappointing because, had this launched alongside the Samsung Galaxy S3, or had the Nexus 4 come in at the same price tag as other phones packed with the same tech inside, we could easily see this being one of the biggest hits of the year.