For the past few weeks, we're heard that there could be a Samsung Galaxy S8 Mini on the way. Sadly, this is no longer the case.
We got all excited when we heard there could be a Galaxy S8 Mini on the way, and really wanted to review it. Think of it as being the Galaxy S8's younger brother or sister.
We've seen Mini versions in the past
True. This started with the Galaxy S3 Mini. It had a smaller screen and less RAM with no selfie camera. And, because it was like a baby version of the S3, it was cheaper, too.
After the S3 Mini, the Galaxy S4 Mini was born. We fell in love with this handset right from the start. It had fantastic battery life, and we found on various tests that it would happily still be going for the whole day. Sometimes, depending on what we were using the phone for, it would last for a good 3 days. At the time (and to this day), that was great. Even when the device became outdated, it still, in our minds, came out on top. iPhone struggles to last a day and we find ourselves charging it every day, even when the screen is on a low setting, and on the days where we just use it to call and text people.
The S4 Mini also had a slightly bigger screen than the S3 Mini; meaning you could just sit there for hours and scroll through various news and blog posts.
The rear camera was good (8 Megapixel), and the front facing 'selfie' camera was 1.9 megapixel. Built-in storage: 8GB. You could add an external SD card which meant you could boost the storage.
What else was great about the Mini range?
The screens were smaller, which can only mean one thing: the device was smaller! This meant you could slip the phone into even the smallest of pockets and not have to worry out it falling out. It could also fit in various bags without taking up too much room.
The devices were cheaper than the main ones (Galaxy S3 & S4), and for the price, you were still getting a good, current, well talked about, and mid-range device.
So, whey isn't there going to be an S8 Mini?
These days, handsets are getting bigger and bigger. Take the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus, for example: the iPhone 7 Plus has a dual camera, whereas the iPhone 7 does not. This is because the device is bigger and therefore, the device can afford to have more features, as well as a bigger and better battery life, and not the mention, larger inbuilt storage.
If a phone becomes smaller, this mostly means: A smaller battery, less RAM and built-in storage, a smaller camera (in terms of megapixels). And, Samsung, along with every other major smartphone brand, want to keep beating out more powerful phones with as many features as can be put into making a phone. This will keep the company current and in the market.
We're sad that there will not be a Mini device this time round. But who knows, maybe in the feature, there may be a gap in the market for smaller phones again.
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