Samsung Galaxy S5 mini vs HTC One mini 2 vs Sony Xperia Z1 Compact - specs comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S5's 'mini-me' went official today, and it is as many as it can be. While phones like the Oppo N1 mini and the upcoming LG G3 mini make the "mini" tag extremely questionable by being actual, full-bodied 5-inch behemoths, Samsung endowed the Galaxy S5 mini with a sensible 4.5-inch HD Super-AMOLED display.

Featuring the ho-hum Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU (inside the LTE version) that makes the latest smart-watches tick, along with a healthy 1.5GB of RAM and IP67 water and dust resistance, the S5 Mini comes across as a capable opponent to HTC and LG's (more precisely, the G2 mini) current 'reductionist' offerings. Not only that, but the Galaxy S5 Mini actually carries over a substantial amount of the Galaxy S5's bag of features, including the heart-rate monitor, the fingerprint sensor, the dotted back pattern, and the coveted Ultra Power Saving Mode.

Alas, the Galaxy S5 mini's $650 price tag is difficult to stomach since we're talking of a phone that disappoints from a performance-per-dollar perspective. Admittedly, it's one of the best-equipped 4.5-inch devices out there, but if you don't fancy Samsung's specialties, like the heart-rate monitor and fingerprint scanner, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact basically smokes the S5 Mini and HTC One Mini 2 in terms of raw specs, while priced under $500. As always, make of it what you wish.