Samsung Galaxy S3 mini goes on sale in the UK
The not-so-diminutive follow-up to the current best-selling smartphone in the world, the Galaxy SIII (S3), is now available to buy in the UK.
The Galaxy SIII mini, which went on sale in the UK on Thursday, comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera and the Jelly Bean (4.1) Android operating system.
Despite being called 'mini', the handset has a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display. It also has all of the staple smartphone features, such as Bluetooth (4.0), Wi-Fi, GPS and HSPA connectivity, as well as access to the Android app store.
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In addition to these essential elements, the S3 mini carries some of the Samsung-specific features found on its larger sibling.
"This compact version features the ability to understand human gestures, S Voice, which provides customised commands, as well as Direct Call, which allows customers to automatically call that person simply from the motion of lifting the phone to their ear... to make an efficient and natural user experience," Samsung said in a statement.
Carphone Warehouse is offering the device for free on the Orange network on deals of £20.50 per month, with a two-year commitment. Amazon UK is selling the handset SIM-free for just under £300, but the online retailer is still listing the device as on pre-order, with an earliest ship date of 17 November.
Network operator Three said the Galaxy S3 mini will be in its stores from Friday, and will be available on its website from 16 November. On a pay-as-you-go basis, the handset costs £270 from Three, if bought with a top-up.