Samsung shoots Galaxy S III with shrink ray, unveils 4in Mini

Size flatters

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S III Mini, the widely predicted compact version of the firm's flagship Android smartphone.

As revealed earlier this week, the Mini boasts a 4in, 800 x 480 display plus a dual-core 1GHz ST-Ericsson Novathor U8420 chipset powering Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The blower features a 5Mp rear-facing snapper and a 0.3Mp (VGA) front-facing webcam, 720p video recording capability, and the choice of 8GB or 16GB storage capacities.

Following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S III, the smaller sibling comes with S Voice, Samsung's equivalent to Apple's Siri. It also packs S Beam functionality and various battery saving and call-making features such as Direct Call - the ability to dial a buddy's number by simply lifting the phone to your ear.

There's no word on when the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini will launch, nor are there any pricing details. Some retailers are listing it at just under £300, though with the caveat that this may change when Samsung announces official details. With the device clearly aimed at competing more directly with Apple's latest powerhouse, you can bet your bottom dollar on combative costs. ®