One phone retailer begins pre-order of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini but the upcoming device is more expensive than the Galaxy S3 and still awaits an official Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware.

United Kingdom-based phone retailer Clove announced the start of the pre-order programme for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to many customers in several countries, including the United States. The mini version of the Galaxy S4 costs $512 per unit and it features unlocked micro-SIM card slot which runs T-Mobile, AT&T and other GSM carriers.

For such a steep price, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini being offered by the phone retailer is still awaiting for an official update of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware from Samsung. Supposedly, the Galaxy S4 mini is running the latest Android OS version, 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware and the details is also listed in the GSMArena Web site.

It also features a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, TouchWiz UI, 4.3 inches of Super AMOLED screen display, 8GB internal memory, 1.5GB of RAM for the 3G model or 2GB RAM for the LTE and 8MP rear camera with LED flash.

Aside from the surprising absence of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware, the Galaxy S4 mini is more expensive compared to the Galaxy S3 - the former flagship carrier of Samsung. Retailers may end up slicing the price range of Galaxy S3 and other Galaxy devices lacking the latest Android version to make way with current releases of Samsung running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

However, the competition of Galaxy devices on each other become more common due to conflicting firmware, applications and features included to them. One example is the leaked firmware of the Galaxy S3 running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with applications and exclusive features only found in Galaxy S4. If this firmware is released before Android 4.3 or Android 5.0 launches, Galaxy S4 sales may drop as consumers may retain their Galaxy S3 instead.

Right now, the Galaxy S3 beats Galaxy S4 mini by means of specs and power, but with the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, many will side the S4 mini and name it as the "better deal." For those who have the money and desire to go with the trend, Galaxy S4 and its mini would be a better choice.

Samsung Galaxy S3 will keep on dropping, remaining below $450 per unit as the competition grows, and Samsung promised that the next firmware update is going to be released this year.