Samsung unveils the much-anticipated Galaxy S4 Mini ahead of June 20 launch

A little more than a month since the launch of the Galaxy S4, Samsung has unveiled its smaller brother in the form of the Galaxy S4 Mini, a new mid-range Android smartphone with a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display (16:9 aspect ratio).

The device is powered by a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, alongside 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. Only 5GB of which will actually be available to the user, however Samsung is quick to emphasize that it will also offer a microSD slot for up to 64GB of additional storage.

Samsung’s new handset also comes equipped with a 1900 mAh battery, which is a far cry from the 2600 mAh version found in the original Galaxy S4. Given that the S4 Mini has a smaller display and less powerful processor, however, hopefully this won’t be too much of an issue when it comes to lasting the day on a full charge.

The new Galaxy S4 Mini is fitted with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, contrasted by a 1.9-megapixel snapper on the front. It also comes with a plethora of camera features exclusive to new Samsung devices, such as ‘Sound & Shot’, which lets the user record up to nine seconds of audio alongside a still image, as well as Panorama Shot for creating an ultra wide-angle perspective.

The device runs on the latest version of Android – version 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) – and comes in at just 8.94mm thick, weighing 1.07 grams in the hand.

JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics, said the device followed “unprecedented demands” for the original Galaxy S4.

The launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini should come as no surprise. The original Galaxy S4 has been a huge success, selling 10 million units in its first month. For comparison, the Galaxy S3 took twice as long last year to reach that milestone.

The Galaxy S3 Mini was announced in October 2012 with a similar premise; offering the design of Samsung’s flagship smartphone in a smaller and slightly less powerful handset. The Galaxy branding alone means that the S4 Mini will be a popular choice for Android users looking for a mid-range device with sub 4.5-inch display.

New Images of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini leaked !

From past days, we are seeing many rumors and reports suggesting that Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy S4 Mini in coming months. We had also seen an alleged image of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and this time again we got a chance to see many leaked images of this upcoming S4 Mini smartphone.

The rumored specifications of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini says that this device will be coming with 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display with 256ppi and it will be powered by 1.6GHz dual core processor with 1GB of RAM. With 8-megapixel of rear camera, the device will be running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Operating System. The device is expected to be officially announced at the end of May, along with other Samsung Galaxy devices, including the S4 Zoom camera phone and Galaxy S4 Active.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, S4 Mini and 8-inch tablet coming this summer?

A new Wall Street Journal report mentions several unconfirmed Samsung products including a rugged Galaxy S4 Active, a Galaxy S4 Mini and a different 8-inch tablet (Samsung already has an 8-inch Galaxy Note 8.0 in stores).

Previous rumors did reveal the existence of said products, but the South Korean Android maker is yet to officially unveil any of them.

Galaxy S4 Active

The Galaxy S4 Active is apparently the rugged version of the Galaxy S4, a handset that was confirmed by a Samsung executive a few days ago. In case that “Active” part sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve heard it before, but at the time we didn’t think it described a rugged Galaxy S4 version.

According to previous reports, the Galaxy S4 is also known as Project J internally, and the Project J family also contains a Project J Active device, supposedly the Galaxy S4 Active the WSJ mentions. At the time we first heard about it, Project J Active was believed to be a smartwatch.

The rugged Galaxy S4′s name is not final though, as the product is only “tentatively called the Galaxy S4 Active.” According to a “person familiar with the matter,” Samsung wants the new phone to “maintain the look and feel of the S4,” while getting waterproof and dust proof powers.

The publication did not reveal any other details about this Galaxy S4 Active, but did say that it could hit stores at some point in July.

Galaxy S4 Mini

The Galaxy S4 Mini has not been mentioned by name, as the WSJ refers to it as “a compact version” of the Galaxy S4 that will sport a 4.3-inch in July, when it’s also apparently set to launch.

But we’ve seen plenty of reports detailing the handset well ahead of its launch, and considering that the Galaxy S3 came with its own little brother, it only makes sense to see a Galaxy S4 Mini in stores later this year.

The 8-inch Galaxy (Tab 3?) tablet

Previous reports did reveal that Samsung may be working on another 8-inch tablet, which would hit stores later down the road. Now the WSJ says that the new “Galaxy-line tablet” will be launched in June, not later in summer or early fall as some rumors suggested before.

While the company doesn’t mention the Galaxy Tab 3 product name, it seems logical that this unreleased device would be part of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab generation. In addition to the 8-inch model, we could also see other Galaxy Tab 3 sizes, although the WSJ doesn’t talk about those either.

Instead, it says that the new 8-inch model would be “adding to the seven-inch and 10.1-inch versions on the market.” Currently, Samsung sells Galaxy Tab 2 models that match that description.

With all that in mind, it looks like Samsung still plans to release a wide variety of products in the coming months, basically flooding stores with new models after new models of smartphones and tablets. This strategy has paid off so far, bringing lots of cash to Samsung’s coffers, and helping it get a more than healthy lead on competitors in the Android ecosystem.