10 awesome Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features
The Galaxy S4 Mini has been officially announced by Samsung and will be touching down in July, giving fans of the flagship handset a smaller, more affordable alternative on which to spend their hard-earned cash.
Here is an overview at the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features that you can look forward to, many of which are fresh for 2013.
Android Jelly Bean
The latest version of the Android operating system is the most powerful and easy to use mobile platform on the market at the moment, letting you manage every aspect of your digital life with ease.
4G connectivity
Samsung 4G phones like the Galaxy S4 Mini will let you experience the fastest mobile network access currently available in the UK.
Download speeds vary depending on your location, but 4G is several times faster than 3G and will let you stream videos, download apps and browse the web at blistering speeds.
WatchOn
WatchOn is a fully featured home entertainment app that lets you search through the program guide and control your TV without having to use a separate remote.
It is also compatible with streaming services so that you can watch movies and TV shows on-demand when you are out and about. Social networking capabilities allow you to let your friends and family know what you’re watching and which programs you recommend.
WatchOn also includes full background information about the content you are viewing so that you never have to jump to IMDb when you want to find out about what’s-his-name from The Walking Dead’s next movie project.
Camera
The eight megapixel camera of the Galaxy S4 Mini will allow it to stand shoulder to shoulder with similarly equipped and yet considerably more expensive devices like the iPhone 5.
Standard photography features will be excellent, although it is the little extra touches that only Samsung can offer that will convince you of this phone’s worthiness.
Sound and Shot
Have you ever wished that a photo could recreate the atmosphere of a scene with greater fidelity? Well Sound and Shot on the Galaxy S4 Mini will do just that.
Basically when you hit the shutter button with it enabled, it will record an audio clip lasting up to nine seconds and attach it to the picture. You can then play this back and get some ambient noise as part of your camera experience.
Story Album
Arranging an album of photos in a digital album that tells the story of an event is something most people have to do manually, but with Story Album on the Galaxy S4 Mini this will be simpler and more fun.
A variety of templates are available and you can add captions and themes to make the album look special, before storing it on your phone, sharing it with friends or even printing it out to treasure forever.
S Health
Fitness apps are popular motivational tools, but Samsung’s new S Health service promises to get you in shape in a more consistent way in tandem with your Galaxy S4 Mini.
It can track not only your exercise routine but also the physical changes that you undergo so that your data is gathered as accurately as possible, which will be a boon for fitness freaks.
Group Play
Group Play lets you share content with those around you so that when you’ve got something to show people you do not all need to gather around your Galaxy S4 Mini.
As long as everyone else has a Galaxy device you can broadcast music, photos and documents so that they appear on each handset. With the right audience you could rock out to the same track or even hold a presentation.
S Translator
We may not have reached the stage where Babel fish can translate every language into our native tongue automatically, but we are not far off with S Translator on the Galaxy S4 Mini.
This will convert spoken or text-based content from one language to another and at the moment is compatible with English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and a number of other widely spoken dialects. You’ll never have to pull out your phrase book when you are on holiday with S Translator around.
Chat On
Instant messaging platforms let you communicate discretely and in real time with a wide array of contacts. With ChatOn, Samsung has made it possible to share your thoughts and feelings not only through text but also voice and video calls.
Love smaller smartphones? Check out our iPhone Mini vs S4 Mini vs HTC One Mini head to head.