Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy S4 Mini? - The differences

With the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4 Mini, Samsung has launched two top smartphones on the market. We have analyzed for you where the differences between the devices are and which you should buy.

External appearance: Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 Mini in comparison

Externally, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4 Mini do not look much. However, you can notice some differences:

• The Galaxy S3 scores with a 4.8 inch display and a resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels. The S4 Mini uses a slightly smaller screen: With 4.3 inches and 960 × 540 pixels, the smartphone does not even have an HD resolution.
• This is also noticeable in the pixel density: the Galaxy S3 with 306 ppi is far above the little smartphone brother with 256 ppi. In order to recognize the differences, you have to look very carefully.
• Hobby photographers will also find a built-in camera flash in the Galaxy S3. Such a feature is missing from the S4 Mini.
• There is no difference with the camera itself: Both smartphones have an 8 MP camera and can easily record videos in HD format.
• Both Samsung devices are available in the classic colors black, blue and white. The S4 Mini is also available in an unusual purple or brown tone.

Hardware comparison: inner workings of Samsung smartphones

The real differences are only revealed inside the two smartphones:

• In terms of performance, the Galaxy S3 has the edge: the built-in quad-core CPU with 1.4 GHz simply outperforms the dual-core processor of the S4 Mini. But it is clocked at 1.7 GHz. This means that both smartphones run smoothly. The S3 still cuts a fine figure for demanding games and apps.
• The Galaxy S4 Mini scores in terms of RAM: With 1.5 GB, you have 500 MB more RAM than the S3. This is particularly noticeable when multitasking.
• In contrast, the S4 Mini is subject to internal storage space: 8 GB is available here - with the Galaxy S3 it is double. Since you can expand both smartphones with a microSD card, the difference does not matter.
• The S4 Mini also has an LTE module installed - a clear plus for frequent surfers. In order to enjoy the faster data connection with the S3, you have to use the special LTE version. But it currently costs 280 euros, almost 30 euros more than the other two smartphones.
• Android is used as the operating system on both Samsung devices. The latest version for the S3 is Android 4.3 - there will be no further update. Different with the S4 Mini: Version 4.4 is already in the starting blocks.

Conclusion: Battle of two Android smartphones at a high level

While both Samsung smartphones are priced in the range of 250 euros, the Galaxy S3 is just ahead in the overall ranking.

• If you want to use many sophisticated apps or games, you should use the Galaxy S3 with a better processor.
• But you don't go wrong with the S4 Mini either: a handy display size, a large working memory and standard LTE support make the "mini smartphone" a good companion.

You will find the differences between the two devices in even more detail in our product duel on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 Mini.