Samsung’s new smaller lower end version of the S4, the S4 mini was released today. The new model will ensure Samsung a place in the market for more cost-conscious buyers, though the company hasn’t yet said how much the device will cost or when it will go on sale.
The Galaxy S line has become not just the top contender in the Android phone market, but also the top rival to Apple’s influential and profitable iPhone line.
Although the new phone has many of the S4′s software features, tools to take and organize photos, share content, translate text, and get travel assistance, the hardware is a step down. The Mini model is lighter, at 3.8 ounces compared to 4.6 ounces for the S4 and packs a 1.7GHz dual-core processor instead of a 1.9GHz quad-core model. Its battery is rated at 1,900mAh instead of 2,600.
In addition, the S4 Mini has an 8-megapixel camera versus the S4′s 13 megapixels, although obviously there’s a lot more to image quality than just pixel count.
The phone will come in two colors, black and white.
