Samsung S5 Mini: description, review, description and reviews

Samsung previously produced compact versions of Galaxy S3 and S4 phones, so the announcement about the beginning of sales of the Mini S5 model was not unexpected. Although mini-devices have always been named after their older brother, they all in fact largely represented his "diluted" version. The same applies to the mini-model S5.

Main settings

The smartphone Samsung S5 Mini specifications are as follows: 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 720p, 4-core 1.4-GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, 4G LTE, fingerprint reader and heart rate sensor. The phone works on an outdated Android KitKat OS. The S5 also has a quad-core 2.3-GHz chip, a full HD display and a 16-megapixel camera. The younger model looks exactly like its older brother, although the smaller size makes the smartphone much more convenient to use in one hand.

It would be fairer to call the Samsung S5 Mini, the specifications, the price of $ 240 and other parameters that do not meet the data of the smartphone S5, its lightweight option. An example of this approach is the company Sony, in a mini-phone which Xperia Z3 Compact uses the same technology as in the older model. Especially since the cost of a mini version of the Galaxy S5 and its older brother is almost the same.

Design

In addition to the dimensions, the Samsung S5 Mini Duos features the body no different from its full-sized older brother. It has the same soft-touch rubberized back panel with a dotted pattern, a "chrome" plastic fringing, a reset button on the home screen and the same square camera behind with a heart rate sensor below it.

The smartphone is made of similar plastic materials, although they are felt even more plastic in a smaller model, which is facilitated by its very light 120-gram weight. If someone is looking for luxury in a small phone, then it probably will not be inspired by this modification of the Samsung Galaxy. Another thing HTC One Mini 2, which has a great all-metal design, which is much more pleasant to hold in your hand.

At 131 mm in length and 65 mm in width, the Samsung S5 Mini smartphone has a much smaller overall size, which not only does not burden the pockets of the trousers, but is much more convenient for use in one hand. The thumb can cover all areas of the screen, which is more difficult to do on the S5.

The back panel is removable and provides access to the microSD memory card slot, which allows you to expand the internal ROM to 16 GB, and replace the battery when necessary. The smartphone is available in the same colors as the S5, including white, dark blue, electric and gold.

Protection against dust and water

Like its counterpart, the Samsung S5 Mini G800F has the IP67 degree of protection, which means the dustproofness of the phone and the ability to dive for 30 minutes into the water to a depth of not more than 1 m. In practice, this will allow the device to not die out the first time it accidentally hits the toilet . Unlike the S5, however, its mini-implementation does not need a flap covering the micro-USB port at the bottom.

It's hard to say how the Samsung S5 Mini features a waterproof feature with this open port, especially since electricity is supplied to it, but it's certainly practical that you do not have to worry about inserting an uncomfortable stub. This is noted by users who lost this part of the Galaxy S5, which automatically deprives the device of water resistance.

Display

The 4.5-inch Samsung S5 Mini screen, which is featured with 1280 x 720 pixels, is a step back from the full HD of the S5. True, the smaller screen does not need more points to stay clear. Indeed, the pixel density of 326 dots per inch corresponds to the density of the iPhone's Retina display, so you need to be too picky to call the display not clear enough.

According to buyers, high-resolution images show a lot of detail, although of course, high-resolution panels seem clearer. But for everyday tasks, such as sending tweets or viewing photos in Instagram, the 720p-display is more than enough. It is bright and easy to read in the dim midday sun of northern latitudes, but it is difficult to say how it will behave in the southern countries.

The colors are very vivid, which makes viewing cartoons an unforgettable sight, but you can dig into the settings to balance the color balance, if the preference is given to a less saturated gamut and natural tones.

Android software

The phone runs on the Android KitKat operating system, which is by no means the most recent version of Google's software. The interface is almost identical to the usual S5, which is not necessarily good, since the S5 and Mini have so many customizable parameters that even veterans using Android can easily get confused.

The smartphone has a private mode that allows you to protect certain files and folders with a password or the need to scan a fingerprint built into the home button. Owners do not recommend using the latter option, since the fingerprint sensor does not always work. For example, users complain that in most cases the sensor is not able to recognize the fingerprint, as a result of which they have to enter their backup password after a large number of unsuccessful attempts. The same problem is observed in S5.

The phone is preloaded with a whole bunch of proprietary software vendors, including its own application store, email client and web browser, TV remote control software and S Health application that will track progress in fitness classes by entering the number of steps and heart rate with Using the heart rate sensor on the back of the phone.

CPU

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini SM G800H, the characteristics of a 1.4-GHz quad-core processor which provide a fairly fast operation of the device, basically works without delays. They become noticeable while navigating through the interface. According to the owners, the same problems are observed in the S5. In addition, the phones of the manufacturer suffer a gradual deterioration in the speed of operation during the entire period of their use. For smartphones, the usual thing is to slow down a little when filling them with applications, music and photos, but, according to some reviews, the Samsung S5 Mini performance characteristics slowed down so much that the device required up to 5 seconds only to open the photo gallery. Similar problems existed for the Galaxy S4. Mini in this regard immediately after the purchase seems normal and can remain so, but it should be borne in mind that from time to time it will be necessary to do a complete reset of the phone so that it continues to work and continue.

Instagram, Twitter, Netflix and image editing in Snapseed difficulties for S5 Mini do not cause, as well as more demanding games such as Asphalt 8 and Riptide GP 2.

The G800H model differs from the G800F in supporting two SIM cards, lack of LTE support, a newer Exynos 3470 processor instead of the old Snapdragon 400 with the same frequency and video accelerator.

Battery life time

Power smartphone provides a battery capacity of 2100 mAh, and Samsung states that the device on a single charge can support about 10 hours of talk in 3G mode, which is confirmed by the owners of the device. Two hours of watching video on Wi-Fi reduced the battery charge to 80%, and this is not such a bad result. If the phone is used economically enough, avoiding games and streaming video, and not taking much photos, you can even squeeze out of it all day.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Camera: Specifications

User feedback allows us to conclude that, like all other key specifications, the Mini camera is also a "diluted" version of the one that is installed on the S5: the sensor has only 8, not 16 megapixels. The number of megapixels turned out to be less critical, since the owners note the good work of the lens.

According to buyers' reviews, the photos go out contrasting and pass the deep blue sky well. Exposition is uniform, with great detail. Automatic white balance does not do its job very well, which leads to light greenish shades. But fortunately the camera allows you to manually control the white balance, as well as other parameters such as exposure and ISO speed, along with a standard set of graphic filters.

There are other modes of shooting - panoramic and serial, and you can download even more from the Samsung store. There is an HDR mode called the Rich Tone, but it does not provide a live HDR image similar to that of the S5, and there is no HDR video support.

In the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini SM G800F, the characteristics of the camera, in general, are satisfactory. Although it does not have high resolution and always included HDR, like the S5, exposure, contrast and colors make it perfectly capable of creating spectacular shots for Twitter.

Do not expect much

As in the case of the S4 Mini and S3 Mini before, the manufacturer took its flagship phone, lowered all its parameters, but retained the name of the top model Samsung Galaxy S5. Mini, features, price ($ 240) and other parameters that simply do not match the data of his "colleague", those users who are looking for elite specifications in a smaller format, will simply disappoint. Instead, experts advise purchasing the Xperia Z3 Compact - a smartphone that matches the parameters of its older brother, only in a smaller package.

To argue that the Samsung S5 Mini has a very bad characterization is not allowed. Its screen is bright and bold, it has enough power for most tasks that the user probably wants to produce, the camera is decent, and moisture resistance will protect it from spilled drinks. If there is a desire to purchase a phone with the name Samsung on it, which can be easily operated with one hand, the S5 Mini will do just fine. Just do not expect the performance of a full-size model.

pros

Samsung Galaxy Mini S5 has the same rubberized design as its full-sized brother. The smartphone is waterproof, with a bright screen and a decent camera.

Minuses

Like all previous mini-flagships of the South Korean manufacturer, the S5 Mini has seriously diluted the specifications of the base phone. This means that the user receives a device of a worse quality, called a foreign name, and at an overpriced price. The plastic design does not allow you to feel the luxury of design the way it is implemented in the metallic HTC One Mini 2, and the fingerprint sensor rarely works properly.

The result

If someone was deceived by the name of the phone and hoped to get the characteristics of his namesake in a more compact size, he would be disappointed. Galaxy Mini S5 is similar to S5 only by name and externally, but not by its specifications. The same buyers who are looking for convenience in the smartphone, brand-name Samsung and unpretentious to the power of their device, will find what they were looking for. As a worthy compact alternative that echoes the characteristics of its older model, experts recommend considering the candidacy of the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.