Samsung Introduces the Galaxy S3 Mini

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is among the best Android phones available now. But while it's not quite as gargantuan as Samsung's Galaxy Note, it's still pretty big.

If you want a more compact phone with comparable performance, you're pretty much stuck with the iPhone 5. And as Samsung said itself in a press release, a "compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen … can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones."

So we were stoked to hear the rumors that Samsung might unveil a Galaxy S3 mini - the same killer phone in a 4-inch package. And then they did! Except not.

The S3 mini has the same name and general design profile (which we didn't exactly love the first time around) as its big brother. And it gets the perks of Samsung's TouchWiz UI overlay for Android Jelly Bean.

But the similarities (and virtues) pretty much end there. That 4-inch screen has a disappointing resolution of 800 x 400, giving it a pixel density of 233 ppi (down from 306). The mini's dual-core processor is clocked at decidedly average 1GHz (down from 1.5). It's got 1GB of RAM (down from 2) a 5MP camera (down from 8) and a 1500mAh battery (down from 2100).

You might be thinking Samsung is just strategically branding a mediocre phone to ride their immensely successful flagship's wave of success. Well, you might be right.

No word yet on pricing or the chance of US availability. But is that even disappointing? Let us know in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN. 

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Galaxy S3 and Other Samsung Devices Finally Getting Jelly Bean

At last, our favorite Android phone is getting the newest version of Android. It took them long enough, but Samsung is finally beginning to roll out Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) updates for over a dozen of its phones and tablets.

The update is available first in Poland, for some reason, and The Verge reports that when you'll get it depends on where you live and which carrier you're with. If this post at TechHive is any indication, US customers - particularly those of us on Verizon - are last in line.

With enhancements like Project Butter and Google Now, updating to Jelly Bean means upgrading your phone. And with Google's improved voice search and Samsung's "blocking mode" filling in for Siri and "Do Not Disturb," the Jelly Bean update should help the Galaxy S3 compete with the iPhone 5.

We'll save a full-on OS face-off for another time, but consider this: Apple released iOS 6 a week ago, and over 100 million devices have already installed it (about 25%). Google announced Jelly Bean over two months ago, and its share of the Android user-base hasn't yet reached 2%.

No one cares how good the new version of Android is if it won't work on their phone. Let's hope Samsung can make the updates available fast, and that HTC and Motorola follow suit.

Eagerly awaiting the Jelly Bean update? (Or still waiting in vain for Ice Cream Sandwich?) Tell us about it in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com