Samsung GALAXY mini Review

Introduction:

Android has started from high-end to reach the mid-end and even touch base with low-end handsets. It plays nice with all of them, but don't expect it to be all the same – you have to sacrifice some of its functionality. The Samsung GALAXY mini cuts the corners when it comes to price, but aims to deliver you the versatile and robust experience of an Android handset. Does it succeed? Read on to find out.

While we're completely in favor of the low price (the GALAXY mini will cost you $230 off contract), there is a couple of trades you need to make. First, of course you have to swallow the smallish low-res 3.14” screen with its 240 x 320 pixels. In addition, the average 3.0-megapixel camera lacks auto-focus. Finally, the lack of Flash hinters your browsing experience significantly – especially if you're into online video. But if you can live with that – you will be awarded with an affordable smartphone with a responsive capacitive screen, nice build and smooth, lag-free performance. But before we dive in the Android world, let's examine the exterior of this new Galaxy of a handset by Samsung.

Design:

In the Samsung GALAXY mini world, sizes are smaller and you'll notice this with the 3.14” screen. The rather modest display has a resolution of 240 x 320 and supports 262k colors, allowing you to virtually make out every single pixel on the screen. The low pixel density renders it hard to read smaller fonts, so common in the browser, and you'll have to zoom in to get a legible amount of detail. We would hate to blow the resolution issue out of proportion, but if image quality is of utmost importance to you, the GALAXY mini might not be the best affordable handset out there.



You can compare the Samsung GALAXY mini with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

After your look slides off the screen, though, is when you'll notice the simple yet stylish accents of the handset's design. The perfectly flat screen is surrounded by slopes and edges, but the curves have a soft feel working in concert with the matte finish of the plastic materials. These might be aesthetics of practical essence, but arguably this is the best kind of aesthetics. The overall look and size might not have been inspired by the Samsung Corby series, but the two handsets certainly look similar.

The front holds the earpiece and three physical buttons defined by the brushed finish of the main menu key right in the middle.


The backside features an inward curve with a very pragmatic non-slip textured finish. The easily removable battery cover houses a 3.0-megapixel flash-less fixed-focus camera unit and the speakerphone in the bottom. But despite the ease of taking it off, you'll only need to remove the cover in order to access the SIM card – the microSD card slot working with cards of up to 32 gigs is conveniently located on the right side along with the lock key. The left side holds the volume rocker, while on top a 3.5mm headset jack and a lid-protected microUSB are the final touches to the coherent design of the GALAXY mini.