Okay, you've heard the jokes: "mini" phones are, at this point, considerably larger than the "big" high-end phones of previous years. So let's just assume that whenever Samsung employs the word "mini" in the name of a device, it means "looks kinda like the other one, but cheaper." Such is the case with the Galaxy S5 Mini, the third mini phone to spring off of Sammy's flagship line.

The S5 Mini's screen is 4.5 inches large with a resolution of 720p. Which, at this point, is merely average in terms of Android phones. It's got a 1.4Ghz quad-core processor (probably a Snapdragon 400), 1.5GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera twinned to a respectable 2.1MP front-facing cam. And of course, the phone features Samsung's Holy Trinity of cell phone design: a Super AMOLED screen panel, a removable battery, and a MicroSD card slot. Which is good, since 16GB of storage won't go very far these days.

What's surprising is that Sammy managed to cram a lot of the standard Galaxy S5's features into the smaller and presumably cheaper build. Water-resistant IP67 body? Check. Pulse oximeter? Check. Fingerprint scanner? Check. It even includes things you might actually use, like Android 4.4 (with all of Samsung's apps and TouchWiz visual customizations) and an ultra power saving mode. The phone's looks and physical design are essentially identical to the S5, it just feels like it went through the dryer.

Samsung says that the Galaxy S5 Mini will go on sale in Russia later this month before it expands to global markets. It will be available in black, white, blue, and gold. Expect it to pop up on some (but not all) American carriers in a few months.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow