Wish the Leo all the best

The bold attitude of the Leo was frozen by a blanket of snow,

The Confident Leo has its Confidence stock running low,

The lion now wonders on thin ice,

The lion now plays with fire with closed eyes,

What had happened to the Leo?

Will the lion get caught and burnt?

Or will the lion die a horrible death?

We shall see...and we shall see

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini or S3 Mini? Any differences?

Well well well...the hype is on and since my HTC Desire HD had decided to break up with me a week ago, I joined in the hype in hunt for a new smartphone. I don't have much of a choice because I have limited myself with several criteria - pocket-friendly and price less than RM2000.

Nowadays, new smartphones are like phablet. Look at Samsung NoteII and S4 - with that size, what is the point of having an additional tablet? But anyways, I don't like to have a phone of that size because I don't think that it is functional and moreover, I don't need any of those features (read: air swipe. cool and intelligent technology no doubt but usage? C'mon...I knew that I wouldn't use it. Using it out of boredom, yes but on routine? Nah..).

HTC One looks good with Beat integration (how could anyone beat 'Beat'? The sound is awesome) but to pay RM2199 for a phone that is supposedly to be smart? I have a tablet which is SMARTER. So, skipped it. That works the same for iPhone. No doubt, it is a great phone - both smart and sleek but then again...I don't need a phone which is above RM2000. Imagine, RM2000 is worth a month's installment for either your home or car loan and who in their right mind would use it on a phone? I mean, yes...anyone could have afforded that luxury but I guess I don't fit that category yet.

Windows phone is out of my radar and Blackberry inclusive. The reviews for BB is not all too good and Windows...I could use on a Tab but not on a smartphone. Now, that left up with the Mini range of Samsung Galaxy. 10 mil of people bought S4 and perhaps, they really love that new cool technology but anyways, like I said, I don't have much use for it and hence, even if Samsung provides a smaller version of S4...I am not that excited.

Let's take a quick run on the specs comparison:

	Galaxy S4 Mini
Dimension	61 x 125 mm
Thickness	8.9 mm
Weight	108g
Screen size	4.3 inches
Resolution	540 x 960 (qHD) px
Processor	1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual core processor
Memory	1.5GB
Storage	expandable to 64GB (microSD)
Camera (rear)	8MP
Camera (front)	1.9MP
Video recording	Full HD 1080p
Connectivity	WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, microUSB
4G LTE connectivity	Supported
Software	Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
Battery	1900mAh

	Galaxy S3 Mini
Dimension	62 x 122mm
Thickness	10.2 mm
Weight	113g
Screen size	4 inches
Resolution	480 x 800 px
Processor	1GHz dual core chip
Memory	1GB
Storage	expandable to 64GB (microSD)
Camera (rear)	5MP
Camera (front)	lower grade VGA
Video recording	720p
Connectivity	WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, microUSB
4G LTE connectivity	Not supported
Software	Android Jelly Bean 4.1 (to be upgraded to only 4.2.2 - futher upgrades are unlikely)
Battery	1500mAh

With that, I supposed I could do with just a S3 Mini since the adjustments are pretty minor. I don't need superior processing power for basic functions of sending text messages/emails, making calls, whatsapp, social networking and light surfing/entertainment. Also, the 3MP difference wouldn't matter much because I am very unlikely to blow up a photo from your phone (else DSLR would have lose its market) and just how often would I need to take full HD videos? Almost like...not often at all. 

The most important factor is that Samsung will only announce the release date and pricing of this little addition to the S series during an event scheduled in June 20th. So, I would assume that the official global release will be in July AND the price might be 20-30% more than the S3 mini. In Malaysia, S3 mini is selling at RM999 (between RM930-RM999, depending on the store location and how good is your negotiation skills) and so, S4 mini might be priced at around RM1500 to RM1600.

:) You have guessed it right: My verdict will be the S3 Mini (obviously!!!) because I needed my connectivity already! Seriously, I don't want to wait for another 2 months for the smartphone eventhough the candybar phone that I'm using now is functional BUT....my life was changed by Whatsapp and to live without it for another 2 months? THAT...is inconvenient...suddenly, I felt vain. Anyways, ehem, taking that factor out of the equation, I still wouldn't go for S4 mini because I don't think that the additional 3MP resolution and capability for further android updates as well as the slightly better processor is worth the extra few hundred bucks. Simply because I don't need it. 

I guess it's very straight-forward. Before you decide on which phone to choose, always ask yourself this: Do you need that feature? Is that feature able to replace the existing system? (Say, photo-taking with a phone or a proper camera and documents editing with a tablet or a phone - those sort of questions)

With that, you will be able to have a clearer picture of what phone you really need and avoid spending a bomb on a necessity.

In preparation for a bad economy state ahead in the coming months, you might want to consider how much you spend on a non-appreciating asset.

Happy choosing!  

*Update: http://www.itproportal.com/2013/06/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-vs-galaxy-s4-mini-spec-comparison/ revealed that S4 Mini is already released - on May 30th (eyebrows raised...not that I realized because even the local reseller told me that they did not know when the exact release date is)