Samsung announces the Galaxy S3 mini

(Credit: Samsung)

Powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, the Samsung Galaxy S III mini looks just like its larger cousin, the Galaxy S III. While it appears similar, the Korean electronics giant has instead chosen hardware specifications that are less stellar.

You'll note that the S III mini only has a 5-megapixel camera, as well as a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) display. It's certainly nowhere as powerful as the larger S III. Furthermore, the S III mini has a smaller capacity 1,500mAh battery as opposed to the S III's larger 2,100mAh.

The good news is that it will run Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) right out of the box, though this is layered with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. The S3 mini comes with NFC and will be available in 8- or 16GB versions. A microSD card slot is available if you need more space.

Samsung's press release did not mention availability or pricing, but a previous statement from Samsung Mobile boss JK Shin, who said that there was "demand for a 4-inch Galaxy S III in the European market", is a good indication of where the handset will be headed to first.