Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Release Date Set in July Ahead of Rival iPhone 5S?
South Korea tech giant Samsung is rumoured to release the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini in July, according to SamMobile.
Samsung said nothing about the S4 Mini during the Galaxy S4 launch event in March. But, the timing of Galaxy S4 Mini release comes about three months after Galaxy S4 completes a global debut. That seems to correspond with the 2012 Galaxy S3 release, which was followed by smaller version of S3, just three months later. The S3 sold in millions around the world, pushing up Samsung to stand close to Apple's iPhone.
Based on cues that Galaxy S4 Mini will debut in the 29th week, the launch date will fall between July 14th and 20th. The launch will probably be global. Samsung is expected to make an official announcement of other members of the Galaxy S4 family - S4 Mini, S4 Activ and S4 Zoom - at the CTIA 2013 event scheduled to take place from May 20th to 23rd.
A new report claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will be released with Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Activ.
A new report claims the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Activ announcement will arrive at the end of the month, introducing three new Samsung Galaxy S4 variants to the world. The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini release will reportedly take place in the third week of July, and the other devices will arrive around the same time.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is claimed to have multiple versions with a 4.3 inch display and up to quad-core processor depending on model: a dual-SIM version, which will likely not launch in the UK, would feature a dual-core processor, while a single-sim version supporting either 3G HSPA+ or 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity would include a quad-core chip. All versions, however, would include the same 4.3 inch Super AMOLED qHD display with a pixel density of 256 pixels per inch (PPI). According to the SamMobile's anonymous source, the handset will be available in two colours at launch: Black Mist and White Frost.
Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S4 Activ is a version of the Galaxy S4 that is reportedly resistant to water and dust, which would help the Galaxy S4 better compete with the Sony Xperia Z and survive in harsh environments without a case. There are few other details about the rugged Galaxy S4 Activ, including what size screen it might sport and how the design of the Galaxy S4 will need to change to deliver a water-resistant phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, on the other hand, is a rumoured device that could combine a phone and the Galaxy Camera's optical zoom. This could combine features from the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Camera into a single device that offers better overall camera performance.
The rumoured Samsung Galaxy S4 features include 16MP Sensor, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, 8GB storage, Micro SD card support up to 64GB, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, WiFi 802.11 n, A GPS, Android 4.x Jelly Bean, Samsung TouchWiz Overlay, Dual-core or Quad core processor with an unknown amount of RAM.
However, Samsung has no official comment on the rumours on its smartphones.