Grudge Match: Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Galaxy S4 mini

Samsung has pulled the covers off its new devices in the Galaxy series – Galaxy S4 mini and Galaxy S4 zoom. Priced at Rs 26,999, the Galaxy S4 mini is ready for some in-house competition from the Samsung Galaxy S3. Both are closely priced and have an attractive set of features. Let’s take a quick look at each of them before we put them in the ring for a face-off.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Galaxy S3 is now available for Rs 26,999

Even though the Galaxy S3 was launched a year back, it is still very much in the game. The phone features a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution. Under the hood, it is powered by 1.4GHz Exynos 4212 quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM, which makes it blazing quick. You get 16GB of onboard storage that can be expanded up to 64GB. Though the S3 was launched with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it was among the first devices to receive Android Jelly Bean update, making it all the more lucrative. It is slim and light, measuring 70.6 x 8.6 x 136.6 mm and weighing in at 133 grams. The S3 is equipped with an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 1.9MP front facing camera.

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The newly launched Galaxy S4 mini

Finally, the much-discussed Galaxy S4 mini, a toned down version of the Galaxy S4 has been launched for the Indian audiences. Samsung has really toned down some of its features, as the S4 mini comes with a smaller 4.27-inch display and lower 540 x 960 resolution. Though it has a dual-core processor, the Qualcomm MSM8930 Snapdragon 400 chip clocks at a higher frequency of 1.7GHz with 1.5GB RAM. The smartphone is highly portable at 108 grams and runs on the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean version. The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini offers 8GB onboard memory that can be expanded up to 64GB via the microSD card slot. It has an 8MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, and a 1.9MP front-facing camera. 

Comparison chart

Verdict 

The comparison chart clearly indicates the Samsung Galaxy S3 as the winner. The Galaxy S4 mini and the Galaxy S3 fall in a similar price bracket marked at Rs 27,900 and Rs 26,999 respectively. For a slightly lower price, the Samsung Galaxy S3 emerges as the winner with a better screen, slightly better battery and more onboard memory. However, in case Samsung drops the price of the S4 mini somewhere around Rs 24,000, it could be a great option. Also, there is no phone covering the gap between the Galaxy Grand priced around Rs 20,000 and the Galaxy S3 currently, which could work wonders for the Galaxy mini S4 if it is priced strategically.