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Samsung's Galaxy S5 mini cuts performance and keeps the gimmicks

Samsung's Galaxy S5 mini cuts performance and keeps the gimmicks

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A smaller package with a heart rate monitor and fingerprint sensor

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Samsung is once again downsizing its flagship Android phone in the form of the Galaxy S5 mini. The new compact handset includes a 4.5-inch (720 x 1280) display, a slight bump to the 4.3-inch version used in the Galaxy S4 mini last year, and similar styling to the Galaxy S5. While it takes the mini moniker, specifications like the processor and RAM have been altered, resulting in a less powerful phone. Samsung has also swapped out the 16-megapixel camera from the Galaxy S5 in favor of an 8-megapixel version on the Galaxy S5 mini.

While most of the hardware has been stripped back, the more unique features of the Galaxy S5 remain. Samsung is including a heart rate monitor, fingerprint sensor, and water resistance on the Galaxy S5 mini, alongside Android 4.4 KitKat and its usual arrangement of software features. Samsung’s Galaxy S5 mini will ship in four sprightly-named colors: Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue and Copper Gold. All will be covered with a fake leather textured plastic finish that Samsung has grown rather fond of recently. Samsung has not yet revealed its pricing for the Galaxy S5 mini, but it will be available initially in Russia in early July to take on competition like HTC’s One mini 2, followed by a planned global expansion later.

Samsung Galaxy S5 mini press photos

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