Until just a year ago, the two Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini would be a phone of standard dimensions. However, with the increase in the screen, there was a change in the perception of the size of the phones themselves. So far, it has been shown that the mini versions do not have to be worse than the original models in terms of inertia.
Perhaps the best example of this is the HTC One Mini 2, which is even better than the original HTC One M8 in terms of practicality and some other things. Their biggest asset lies in the exact opposite trend that they “steal”. They offer much more practical dimensions, and yet large enough screens. One of them is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, which with its 4.5-inch screen contributes to better handling and at the same time does not detract too much from the original model, which is a real best buy device in recent months.
The younger brother took some of the options from the older one, so the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini also has a sensor for reading fingerprints, water, and dust resistance, a monitor for measuring heart rate, and Ultra Power Saving mode. However, the mini versions are not only reduced originals but also an attempt to reduce production costs in several ways and thus contribute to a lower selling price of the device. So, don’t be surprised that the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini has an 8 camera instead of 16MP, as well as a 720p instead of a 1080p screen.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini design
With a distinctive perforated finish and chrome trim, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini really resembles the Samsung Galaxy S5. Plastic is again the dominant segment here, but most users are used to it because it is not of poor quality and it is quite light, which contributed to the total weight of the device of 120g. Okay, you’ll say it’s not something special, which is true. This was mostly due to the slightly chunky body of the phone, which has as much as 9.1 mm in the waist, which is 1 mm more compared to the basic model.
The perforated back has another function in addition to the aesthetic one, and that is to prevent the phone from slipping out of your hands, which, for example, the HTC One Mini 2 cannot, like its larger cousin. However, I think that the biggest advantage of this design is not the holes, but the quality of workmanship. The back of the phone can be opened and the battery replaced. The phone is also IP67 certified, which guarantees its resistance to water and dust. Interestingly, the USB port is not covered with a rubber cover (as is the case on the Galaxy S5), which is to be commended.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini screen
We said that the screen experienced a significant drop in quality compared to Samsung’s leading phone. However, even with these pixels that the Mini has, it can be done nicely. The screen responds precisely and in a timely manner to touch, and in any case, brings better image quality compared to the Galaxy S4 mini. The reason for that is the great Super AMOLED screen with vivid colors.
This type of screen is also characterized by a very strong black color, while the brightness in daylight is worse than the original. Here, Samsung has left the possibility for the user to determine in which mode the screen will work, and if you do not want to choose, there is an automatic mode. This is, in fact, the salvation of this phone, because it recognizes the level of brightness of the environment and based on that adjusts the brightness of the screen, so it saves the situation when you use the phone on a sunny day. Unfortunately, this does not prevent reflection,
This 4.5-inch Super AMOLED is also very good when it comes to viewing angles, which are quite large, so you can see a very clear image at a sharp angle.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Specifications, Performance, and Options
The phone like a cousin offers a lot of options and connectivity options. A fairly fast USB 3.0 port from the larger model was missing, but there is a slightly slower USB 2.0. The reduction can also be seen in terms of RAM, which has 1.5GB here, but there is an NFC connection. When it comes to internal memory, there is a standard 16GB, which expands with the help of a microSD card.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the home button, but as with the larger model, it can sometimes be inaccurate, so you need to carefully run your finger over the intended part for reading fingerprints in order for this process to be completed successfully. If this way of unlocking your phone does not suit you at all, you can always go back to the good old password.
In the background is a heart rate monitor, which, as we are used to, is not overly accurate, so it can sometimes repeat the results, so have a backup when you use it.
Not only did Samsung save on the screen. If we know that the S5 runs on a powerful processor of as much as 2.5GHz, then the degree of power reduction will be clear to you when you hear that the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor of 1.4GHz. Ok, and this processor is made up of four cores, but the clock speed is high. Also, the graphics part has undergone a lot of changes, so instead of the Adreno 330 S5 mini, it uses much slower Mali 400MP4 graphics.
When it comes to phone performance, the Galaxy S5 Mini works pretty clean and nice, which is to be expected. Sometimes in multitasking mode, there can be some minor downtime, which is unthinkable for an older brother. Some benchmark tests indicate that the Galaxy S5 Mini does not have the expected performance, which is a bit of a surprise. According to them, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has far better performance. Interestingly, even the LG G2 mini has a better result than the Galaxy S5 mini, although these tests may not be relevant.
When it comes to games, all demanding game titles work, so you don’t have to worry about that. Ok, most of the tested games didn’t work as flawlessly as with the Galaxy S5, but it’s still a good result that the weakened graphics achieved.
Battery life is a segment that Samsung covers well. Thanks to a weaker processor, screen, and graphics, it is to be expected that the Galaxy S5 Mini consumes less power than similar phones. Compared to models like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini 2, the Galaxy S5 Mini has an advantage.
The only thing that seems to me is that the Xperia Z1 Compact still holds the battery tighter in place. For the user, this means that the Galaxy S5 Mini can last for almost two days, which is unexpectedly good. The phone has two power-saving modes, the most drastic of which is the aforementioned Ultra Power Saving which leaves the screen to work with black and white, but therefore leaves the phone for a few more hours in stand by mode even when the battery is almost empty.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini software
When it comes to software, there are no major surprises. Samsung’s TouchWizz user interface runs on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. Compared to what we saw on the Galaxy S5, the software differs slightly, primarily in the presence or absence of certain options.
Most of the useful applications of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini have been retained, so its future owners have at their disposal S Health to monitor your physical health, S voice for voice commands, S Planner as a calendar and organizer of your activities, as well as Smart Remote to replace the classic remote control via the infrared port. It is also commendable that some applications can be moved (installed) to a microSD card so that the phone has more free space.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Camera
We have already mentioned that the number of pixels is halved, so the camera has 8MP. That’s a noticeable drop compared to the great 16MP seen on the Samsung Galaxy S5. However, even with an 8MP camera, it achieves quite nice results. The colors in the photos are pretty good, so there are no situations where the photos are either too bright or too dark, which means that the brightness is at a good level.
If we look at the very core of the photos, we will see that they have quite a few details. Only when you zoom in on a photo, a few pixels and slightly washed edges come to the fore, but since this is not a professional camera but a camera from a smartphone, I can freely say that the camera does its job really well.
The LED flash, which is a faithful companion of the camera, is very useful and contributes to the fact that photography in the dark does not become a nightmare. As expected, the quality of the photos is not at the same level as when you click on a clear day, but the camera surprisingly manages to keep more or less good colors and reduce the damage caused by the inevitable noise. Also, another good thing is the HD video that the camera records, which seems quite fluid and quite high quality.
The 2.1MP front camera also instills confidence, so video calls and selfies can begin. Okay, you can’t expect some top results from her, but she’s very good at these two things.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is a scaled-down Samsung Galaxy S5. This can be seen in the performance, but still retains some features that were until now exclusively owned by the older brother. This phone is ideal for the average user, who should not have any major objections to his account.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is not the only “mini” on the market. We mentioned the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and HTC One Mini 2, which are also very good devices. Sony’s phone brings a lot more power, while HTC’s mini has a metal case and flawless speakers.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is a more harmonious device. There aren’t too many advantages, but no disadvantages. Every segment is well covered, even when it comes to price because the Galaxy S5 Mini costs approximately its competitors.