Small phone. Big differences - Samsung Galaxy S5 mini vs S4 mini

**Ever since Samsung started the miniature phone revolution with the Galaxy S3 Mini, it’s more or less guaranteed that any new flagship release will be followed by a mini version of the device. **

So with the Samsung Galaxy S5 having been launched only days ago, what can we expect from the Galaxy S5 Mini, expected in May? And how will it compare to the impressive Galaxy S4 Mini we saw follow last year’s flagship device?

In this Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini review, we discover the key differences which will make the device one to beat in the miniature smartphone arena.

A bigger screen?

As the name suggests, the S5 Mini will be a smaller version of the Galaxy S5, as the S4 Mini was of the Galaxy S4.

So with the Galaxy S5 sporting a slightly enlarged 5.3-inch display, up from the S4’s 5-inch screen, we can expect to see the S5 Mini undergo a similar jump in screen size too.

If the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features a 4.3-inch screen, will we see a slightly larger 4.6-inch display on the S5 Mini?

If this is the case, then you can be sure to see an improved screen resolution, too. The Galaxy S4 Mini’s screen features a 540 x 960 pixel resolution, but with the likes of the HTC One Mini and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hitting the market with 720 x 1280 resolutions, the chances are the S5 Mini will aim to compete. In which case, the S5 Mini will be proof that buying small a premium smartphone doesn’t have to mean downgrading on specs.

Will the S5 Mini sport a ‘mini’ camera?

As the practice goes, a Galaxy Mini smartphone will traditionally sport a smaller megapixel count when it comes to its camera. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is testament to this; it features an 8 megapixel rear facing lens compared to the S4’s 13 megapixel snapper.

But with Sony matching the Z1 Compact’s with that of its 20.7MP Z1 flagship, will Samsung do the same?

You may like See who wins in the battle of the mini smartphones

The Galaxy S5 features a 16 megapixel lens and a whole range of innovative camera features upgraded from the S4. As a result, we imagine that even if Samsung doesn’t match the S5 Mini’s camera with such a mighty megapixel count, it will definitely transfer the S5’s additional in-built editing features, beating the S4 Mini hands down.

The Galaxy S5’s Fingerprint scanner

Samsung wowed the critics when it revealed the S5’s fingerprint scanning technology built into the phone’s home button.

And although small premium smartphones usually sport fewer features than their flagship counterparts, could the Galaxy S5 Mini break the rule by offering a futuristic fingerprint sensor too?

This is one key feature that is sure to set the S5 Mini apart from most other flagship handsets, let alone other miniature smartphones. It’s also clear that a potential fingerprint scanner is likely to decide the winner in the S5 mini vs S4 mini battle.

S5 Mini: to sport the new TouchWiz?

Another massive difference between the S4 Mini and the S5 Mini includes its software. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini runs the most up to date version of Android Jelly Bean, which put it right at the forefront of smartphones when it was launched last year.

But with the S5 being one of the first smartphones to launch with Android’s latest KitKat operating system, we’re sure that the S5 Mini will follow in much the same vein.

Not only will it be Android KitKat that makes the S5 Mini stand out from the S4 Mini, however, as Samsung is also set to change the user interface of the device as well.

Android KitKat will be laced with an updated version of Samsung’s TouchWiz, which is sure to give it a much needed face lift.

The new interface will allow users to customise their home screens with news stories, social media posts and recently opened apps, with the software looking like a combination of Google Now and HTC’s Sense 5.0. The new TouchWiz will also give the S5 Mini a new lease of life with larger, rounded icons scattering your home screens in line with those of Android KitKat.

An S5 lookalike?

Last but not least, a major change that the S5 Mini is set to embody is a full metal jacket, similarly to the Galaxy S5.

Critics have been calling out for an upgrade from Samsung’s usual plastic casing, and the S5 managed to answer their prayers.

Looking at all previous handsets, all Galaxy Mini smartphones bear an uncompromising similarity to their bigger brothers. So if the S5 is available with a full aluminium chassis, why wouldn’t the S5 Mini look exactly the same?

If a metal-bodied S5 Mini does hit the market, it could well throw the cat amongst the pigeons, competing directly with the HTC One Mini (or the rumoured HTC One+ Mini) which also bears a metal case like its flagship counterpart.

If you’re a believer that bigger is better, check out the Samsung range here.