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Galaxy S III mini expected at AT&T, for reasons unknown
We can't say we're in love with Samsung's Galaxy S III mini, especially with a next-gen model already official. But if today's @evleaks post is to be believed, last year's not-so-brightest star in the Galaxy will be coming to AT&T. The date on the render up above is fixed on August 23rd, which is when we're expecting the Galaxy Mega to make its US debut, so there's a chance we might see the GS III mini then as well. Still unknown is why AT&T would be bringing a humdrum 2012 handset to subscribers this late in the game, but if it does hit retailers this summer, it better come in with a MSRP far below handsets we'd actually recommend. Like, say, the Galaxy S 4.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini adds 50 euro premium for NFC in Finland, coming to the UK this month
If you had planned to S-Beam your media around on Samsung's Galaxy S III mini, only to be disappointed by the lack of Near Field Communication on our UK review model, then we've got some good news for all twelve of you. Yes, Samsung has announced that Brits will be treated to an NFC iteration before the end of this particularly chilly January and it will arrive across the major carriers and in phone stores both online and real. While the announcement didn't arrive with a price tag, we've been tipped off to some pricing at Finnish retailer Gigantti, where the NFC version rings in at 349 euros. Sidestep the contactless communication, however, and you'll only have to pay 299 euros. There's the choice of both blue and white finishes on either model, but you'll still have to decide whether tappable file transfer and sharing warrants that 50 euros ($67) extra.
Apple withdraws patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini
Apple's patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini is no more, with Cupertino citing the phone's lacking availability in the US for the amendment to its original November filing. In the ongoing litigation between the two electronics giants, Samsung argued that it's Galaxy S III mini didn't warrant inclusion in the latest volley of Samsung devices Apple wants added to its patent lawsuit; Apple apparently agreed, and is thusly withdrawing its claim against that particular device. The argument also highlights the sad news that the S III mini won't join Samsung's Galaxy lineup in the US. An agreement filing spotted by Reuters from a San Jose, CA. US District Court revealed today's news, coming just days after Judge Lucy Koh dismissed a request to permanently ban sales on several Samsung devices. It's unclear if the other Samsung devices Apple asked to be added to the ongoing case are approved yet by the court, but we can certainly count the S III mini out for the time being.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini review: a small Galaxy with few stars
Samsung made a bold move when it announced the Galaxy S III mini. Here was an Android phone with the potential to take the iPhone 5 head-on. While the original Galaxy S III is clearly the flagship, its 4.8-inch display means it's literally too much for some people to handle. By matching Apple's screen size inch for inch, it could have been pitched as a device aimed at winning over some iOS fence-sitters. However, when you look at the specifications: a dual-core 1GHz processor, WVGA (800 x 480) display and a 5-megapixel camera, it's clear that Samsung had other ideas, opting to fish for a more mid-range customer instead. Fast forward to the present, and it's no longer a matter of intellectual debate as to what the mini is all about: the phone is here, and on sale in much of Europe for £299 / €379. So hubris, brand appeal and pundit talk aside, is this the real-deal Galaxy S III, just for smaller hands? Or is it a budget phone simply wearing its elder sibling's tuxedo to the ball? We spent some time getting to know the phone in an attempt to find out.%Gallery-171894%
Apple asks court to include Galaxy S III with Jelly Bean, Galaxy Note II and four more devices in lawsuit
As usual, Apple thought Friday night on a holiday weekend was the perfect time to push some more paper through in its ongoing patent lawsuit against Samsung. According to Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, after Samsung asked to add the latest iPads, iPhones and iPod touches to its list of claims and the court approved the addition of the iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1, Apple is trying to put six more devices on the list. Listed in the motion are the Galaxy S III running Android Jelly Bean (but not Jelly Bean itself), Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Rugby Pro and Galaxy S III mini. As usual, the case will proceed, we'll wait to hear if these requests are approved by the court and in the meantime, iThings and Galaxys alike will continue to fly off the shelves. Given the season, for now it's time to be thankful we're not one of the lawyers spending their day working on this. That leaves us plenty of time for more interesting activities, like hand-to-hand combat against fellow shoppers for the right to purchase slightly discounted items.
Windows Phone 8X, Galaxy S III Mini and Xperia J available on Three UK today
Three customers in the UK have three new options when deciding how to spend their smartphone dollar (or pound, as it were). Starting today the carrier will now be be home to HTC's Windows Phone 8X, the Galaxy S III Mini and the Xperia J. Prices for the devices are all over the map, with the 8X starting at £350 with a pay-as-you-go plan, while the GS III and Xperia J are £270 and £150 respectively with the same deal. If you're looking to save a bit up front, the 8X can be had for just £29, so long as you're willing to commit to a £30 a month plan. The Sony and Samsung handsets are both available without any upfront costs, with the Xperia starting at as little as £13 a month and the four-inch Galaxy offshoot weighing in at £28 per month. For more details, check out the PR after the break.
Samsung's Galaxy S III mini packs bags for November 8th UK arrival
Samsung just revealed that the half-pint Galaxy S III mini that debuted in Germany will arrive in the UK on November 8th. The 4-inch, WVGA super-amoled, dual-core smartphone will alight toting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and all that entails, like Google Now and the whole butter thing. You'll also get Samsung's video and games hub plus a 50GB Dropbox for two years if you nab the device, along with all the TouchWiz-y doodads like S-Voice and Direct Call. Phones4U announced it was taking preorders for the device earlier, which will be free on contract for £25 and up. Check the PR after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini radios get probed by FCC
The Samsung Galaxy S III mini (aka the GT-i8190) may have a Napolean complex, carrying as it does the name of its bigger sibling while endowed with a garden-variety 4-inch, 800 x 480 screen and other downmarket specs. But that didn't stop the inevitable FCC rendezvous, where its array of 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, GPS, GLONASS, FM, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) and NFC radios were waved through (and lack of 4G confirmed). That means the new runt of the Galaxy litter should be free to travel to Europe soon for €439 retail -- but there's still no word on when smaller form-factor lovers stateside will be able to grab it.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini confirmed using ST-Ericsson's NovaThor ModAp chip
Samsung was shy about saying just what processor lurked inside the Galaxy S III mini, which only really told us that there wasn't an Exynos inside. The chip's creator isn't content to leave the origins a secret, however: that's an ST-Ericsson NovaThor ModAp sitting inside. The combo includes both the dual-core 1GHz processor and the cellular modem on the same chip die, helping Samsung fulfill the "mini" side of the equation while keeping the costs down. We're certainly no strangers to the NovaThor line after experiencing it in Sony's equally tiny Xperia P and Xperia U. Knowing what's inside might not allay concerns that Samsung is straining to milk the Galaxy S III brand name for all it's worth, but at least you'll know what to expect for performance if you don't go full-size.
Phones4U begins taking UK pre-orders for Samsung's Galaxy S III Mini
If good things come to those who wait and good things come in small packages, then the Galaxy S III Mini must be pretty special indeed. If you're in the market for the junior edition of the company's blockbuster flagship, independent retailer Phones4U is now accepting pre-orders. The first 350 of you to register your interest will also get the added sweetener of one of the company's Pebble MP3 players, and the company promises it'll begin shipping on November 2nd, free on plans of £25 or more. Update: Samsung and Phones4U are now saying delivery will be on November 8th.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini pops up, we go hands-on (video)
When word first started trickling out that Samsung planned to make a mini version of the Galaxy S III, it had the air of plausibility -- we've heard from many a person about the too-large size of that phone for their hands. Then, a press invitation confirmed that "something small" was in the works, and finally mobile chief JK Shin confirmed that a smartphone of that name would be announced today in Frankfurt, Germany. Now Samsung's spilled all the beans, and revealed the new Galaxy S III mini, a slightly paler version of its bigger brother in specs as well as screen size. Our own short time with the phone certainly revealed that its pushing all the same "inspired by nature" buttons of the original Galaxy S III (and the Galaxy Note II), with the same exact rounded pebble shape and layout. The German marketing rep we spoke to said his company's research found that users wanted the same phone design as the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III, but in a smaller form factor -- to more easily fit smaller hands and pockets. Samsung said those folks don't necessarily need or want the most powerful phone they can get their hands on and are content to have mid-level specs -- so the mini carries a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, a 4-inch, WVGA AMOLED screen and 32GB max of memory. It remains to be seen if those specs will dilute the Galaxy S brand, but in any event, we found the phone certainly doesn't cramp our regular-sized hands like its older brother can (let alone the Note II), and the comfortable shape of the original works even better in a mini size. The button placement is identical to the larger handset, and the phone will come out of the box with nearly identical Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean functionality -- with the added Samsung TouchWiz twist, of course. That includes new niceties like the multi-screen option, and a brief play with the phone shows the same butter factor, even with the lesser dual-core processor. So might this mini-me Galaxy S III model sway you over to the Samsung Galaxy family if you disdain the giant screen of its predecessor? Check out the gallery below to see how the size compares with the rest of the family, and a hands-on video and interview with Samsung Germany rep Mario Winter, both after the break.
Samsung announces Galaxy S III mini: 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GHz dual-core CPU, NFC
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy S III mini, a 4-inch David version of its Goliath big brother -- will it be worthy of its name? The rumor mill churned out that it might be a dumbed down version, but an oblique comment by mobile head JK Shin suggests otherwise -- either way, we're on the scene in Frankfurt, Germany to give you the long (and short) of it. According to the spec sheet we just received, this Android 4.1 phone features a dual-core 1GHz chip (which is good news for the 1,500mAh battery), 1GB RAM, 8 or 16GB of internal storage plus an extra 32GB maximum via microSD. The 4-inch Super AMOLED screen comes with a WVGA resolution, while the main camera takes five-megapixel photos plus 720p video, and there's a VGA front-facing camera as well for fans of video chats. There's obviously the usual bundle of radios as well, including 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, GPS, GLONASS, FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) and even NFC, but for now, this 111.5-gram TouchWiz device will only support HSPA 900/1900/2100 networks along with EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. Update: Our hands-on with the phone is live! Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Samsung Galaxy S III Mini photo, specs and expected price leak in Germany
German site MobileGeeks has leaked further details about the new Mini version of the Galaxy S III -- a device that Samsung only just confirmed this morning. As expected, we're looking at a 4-inch Super AMOLED display and Jelly Bean-flavored TouchWiz, but if the source is accurate then most of the other specs are surprisingly budget: the screen resolution is a mere 800 x 480, the big bro's quad-core Exynos processor has been replaced by a dual-core STE U8420 chip running at 1GHz, there's 1GB of RAM, and the rear shooter maxes out at 5-megapixels. According to the leaked info, this all-round downgrade could lead to an expected price tag of 399 Euros ($510). No doubt we'll have more clarity after tomorrow's launch event.
Samsung mobile head confirms 4-inch Galaxy S III mini announcement tomorrow
It looks like the rumored Samsung Galaxy S III mini is real, and it will make its debut at an event in Frankfurt, Germany tomorrow. Mobile chief JK Shin said that the company believed there was demand "in Europe" for a cut down 4-inch version of the popular smartphone, which would otherwise carry the same specs of the original. That would give the company a high-end smartphone with an iPhone 5-esque form factor for folks who don't want to wedge the original 4.8-inch model into their pockets. Pricing and stateside availability wasn't mentioned, but Shin did say that launching the product in Korea was also "under consideration." Naturally, we'll have a lot more to report about it on October 11th, so stay tuned. Update: We've reached out to Samsung's PR folks and they've doubly confirmed the story: "we'll unveil the 4 inch Galaxy S III Mini in Germany on October 11th."
Nordic retailers list a Galaxy S III 'Mini,' insider info or wishful thinking?
While it's not as complex as one of the region's twisty crime dramas, the story surrounding the Galaxy S III Mini has taken another turn. Retailers in Europe's northernmost countries are now listing such a device with the codename GT-I8190 in blue and white, with or without an NFC chip, for $540 and $560, respectively. Given that the company is planning an announcement about a "little sensation" on Thursday, it's certainly less likely that we'll see the Galaxy Ace III turn up.
Samsung teasing Galaxy S III Mini for October 11?
Samsung has issued an invitation for a press event to launch something, and it's hard not to connect the dots with the tantalizing clues it's given -- though skepticism always reigns in the absence of fact. The large 'S' logo in the middle of the page is the first hint that it's likely to be some kind Galaxy S-class smartphone. The tagline offers the next clue: "Prepare for something small to make a big entrance," and elsewhere, "Ready for a little sensation?" Considering that the rumor mill has already churned out the idea of a Galaxy S III Mini -- as some don't cotton to the pocket-unfriendly 4.8-inch screen of the current model -- it's tempting to conclude a smaller version will be launched. However, we could also be looking at the Galaxy Ace 3, so don't forget to keep your expectations in check. [Image credit: Mobi Flip]
