Dear Samsung, with Galaxy SIII Mini, are you trying to scam us by passing Galaxy Ace 3 for a smaller flagship?

Staska  By on 11 Oct 12

Samsung has now officially launched their long rumored Galaxy S III mini smartphone. And by the name of it – you’d think it is just a smaller version of their flagship.

Sammy marketing guys must have got drunk on Galaxy S3 success. Or maybe they think we are all stupid and will buy any crap from them, thinking it’s the real deal. As long as they slap a flagship name on it.

Or both.

Let’s do a little spec comparison here:

Specs Samsung Galaxy S III Samsung Galaxy SIII mini
Display 4.8”, 1280x720px, 306 ppi 4”, 800×480 WVGA, 233 ppi
CPU 1.4GHz, quad-core Exynos 1GHz, dual-core Nova Thor
Camera 8 mpx, video 1080p 5 mpx, video – 720p
Front camera 1.9 mpx, video 720p VGA
Battery 2100 mAh 1500 mAh
Data 21 mbps HSDPA, LTE 14. 4 mbps HSDPA

 

Dear Samsung,

The device above has Galaxy S3 name on it why, exactly?

Because the design language is similar? The design that isn’t so good in the first place, no matter how many “simple elegances”, “rich natural feels” and “nature-inspired home screen” PRware you throw at it?

You do away with almost every component that made Galaxy S3 great, reduce its performance by 30 to 50% or more, replace insides with cheap crap… And want your customers to believe they are getting a bit smaller sized flagship?

And you’ll probably get away with it, too. Lots of average users will fall for your Galaxy S3 Mini scam when they get to the carrier store for their next smartphone. At least for a while. And you will probably move millions and millions of them.

But lets call a spade a spade here. This phone has nothing of importance in common with Galaxy S3 to carry that name. It is just a Galaxy Ace 3 – the late 2012 version of your budget Galaxy Ace line – which you try to pass as a version of your high-end flagship.

I guess your marketers may call this “halo effect utilization”. (Hat tip to @vivaino for that line of marketing brilliance :)  )

For me, it’s just you getting too greedy, trying to eke an additional buck from unsuspecting customers. I really do hope there is some serious crapstorm coming your way when people start using their new Minis, compare them to a friend’s true Galaxy S3s and see the difference.

Because, it seems, that sometimes you can get too drunk on your success. And start thinking that anything goes.

Well, I hope it doesn’t.  and this will be a good wake-up call for you, eventually.

After all, with N97,  Nokia thought anything  goes too . Just their size, success and brand will make up for all the crap they throw at customers. Look how that story ended.

Update: When I was writing this post, I thought that Samsung Galaxy S3 mini will at least be much cheaper than SGS3.  Even that is not the case. Samsung Germany rep has confirmed to Engadget that recommended retail price for SGS3 mini is 439 Euro.

The original brand new SGS3 goes for EUR 470-490 in Germany today. And you can get Samsung Galaxy S2 with faster 1.2 GHz CPU, 8 megapixel/1080p main and 2MP front camera, bigger 4.3″ display and faster data modem for around EUR 370 there.

I know that the price for SGS 3 mini will come down. But so will prices for SGS3 and sGS2. This is pure naked greed at user expense from Samsung’s side, trying to cash in on Galaxy S III’s brand.

 

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  • http://www.facebook.com/dinarpatel Dinar Patel

    The Galaxyis ace specs are no where near the specs of the S3 mini. It doesntI compare.

  • jeno kellner

    Well,I deeply agree with the article ! Hopefully Jolla mobile will kick arse !

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Atty-Halmágyi/100001770630008 Atty Halmágyi

    Dear Staska, they made a good decision! Many people want a smaller phone with good features. Samsung is smart enough, do not worry!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Olav-Alexander-Mjelde/775685503 Olav Alexander Mjelde

    I think the SII might get banned and still the SII sells A LOT.
    So they wrap the “S2″ inside the S3 design and add a spice of NFC.
    I think it will be very cheap and very popular. The people who can afford only half the price of the S3 can then buy the S3 Mini.

  • http://www.staska.net Staska

    Half the price? SGS2?

    SGS2 comes with 1.2GHz dual core CPU, 8mps 1080 camera, 2MP_ front camera, faster data, bigger display and costs ~EUR360 in Germany now.

    SGS3 mini has 1GHz CPU, 5mpx camera, VGA front camera, slower data modem, worse display. And will Samsung says it will cost EUR439 at launch.

    Original brand new off contract SGS3 costs EUR470-490 in Germany today

  • http://www.staska.net Staska

    I am not worried. It just makes me a bit sad and angry that Samsung is trying to pull off this scam, and will fool a lot of people that this turd of a phone has a lot in common with SGS3, just because they slapped a name on it. Your comments is just a case in point.

    Good features? Samsung Galaxy S2 has better features – better camera, CPU, data modem, display than SGS3 mini. And SGS2 already costs 70 Euro less than SGS3 Mini (Eur 370 vs Eur 439)

  • http://www.staska.net Staska

    I’m not talking about Ace 1 or 2. I’m talking about theoretical Galaxy Ace 3. Look at Galaxy Ace 2 specs, add a year of Moore’s law. And tell me that if Samsung named this phone Galaxy S3, anyone would have been surprised.

  • note_lover

    Mini is SUPPOSED to be smaller????? If it had the same specs or higher specs, it wouldn’t be a “MINI”! People aren’t going to just walk in and purchase the phone without looking at the specs and price. They’ll know exactly what they’re getting and if they don’t want it, they’ll purchase something else! There are going to be people who want a smaller screen and don’t care about having the biggest and brightest and this phone will fit their bill! This is exactly what those people are looking for. You apparently have something against Samsung! It’s just business and all companies do it as well!

  • note_lover

    Wow, wasn’t this a biased article! Don’t like Samsung, do you?

  • http://www.staska.net Staska

    What? Did I say there’s anything wrong for SGS3 to be smaller? It is a great thing and would have been a huge selling point for tons of people who ain’t thrilled about 4.8″ sized screens but still pine for SGS3.

    If they’ve left most of other specs – CPU, cameras, modem come to mind, in place. As it is now – SGS3 mini has specs that are worse in every way than SGS2 and costs way more, and way closer to SGS 3. When in late 2012 device pricing/positioning terms – it should have been Galaxy Ace 3.

    Yes, I do obviously have something against Samsung. I’m against placing a ;premium brands like Galaxy S3 on budget devices like this one, which should have been Ace 3. Just for the purpose of duping customers into buying SGS3 with smaller display, with specs worse than SGS2. And paying more that for SGS2

  • Scallywag

    Frankly, I don’t think addressing your blog to Samsung will make any difference to them, you puny human. Nobody gives a damn about you.

  • http://www.staska.net Staska

    LOL. I know.

    But I do have a platform to rant. And I even get some people to read my rants…

    That helps

  • https://www.rebelmouse.com/flapic Flavio

    It’s all marketing. The article is very true, and I am surprised nobody else wrote it. It seems that when it’s about Samsung everybody just praise them without thinking what it is for real… they managed to copy Apple even on this!
    The GS3Mini will cost €449 in Italy, for the same price I can get a much better HTC One S, or a GS2 for much less!

  • Kuba

    sgs3 mini = sgs advance (sgs2 lite)

  • http://twitter.com/MarionCast MarionCast

    I think the SGS3M (Samsung Galaxy S III Mini) is a shot at Apple.

    Your “bigger and better” iPhone is just our MINI. =))

    Kidding aside, the SGS3M is obviously a marketing strategy. Riding the wave of the popular SGS3, why wouldn’t they take advantage of that? It looks like the SGS3 but yeah, that’s pretty much where it ends. Hardware-wise (or specs-wise), it doesn’t feel very SGS3 at all. But that’s beside the point. Again, it’s a strategy. And it’s grabbing attention. So I guess it’s working. Let’s see if consumers will agree with their money though.

  • rob

    and just think how half the world hated apple for doing this, then samsung THEM self’s copies apple’s ideas of what people hate…..people said the iphone has a small screen, and low end tech but yet samsung chooses to release the same thing with worst specs…the MOD is dead on with this …samsung should of just released a low budget phone to start with like they always do and leave the galaxy S3 flagship alone unless they was going to use the same specs with the smaller screen I guess they are not smart enuff to do so…..thats why i love apple….they make what fits peoples needs ONCE or so a YEAR….and the rest jump’s on apple’s bandwagon and I guess the fandroid’s can’t see that??? maybe this mini release is the truth of them COPYING. marketing or no marketing they are still copying’s apple ideas that CUSTOMERS hate lol ?..and on a funny note didn’t samsung release a thing on dissing apple about the screen but yet take their flagship and made it SMALLER with lower end specs …samsung is NOT SMART and do not know what they are doing lol ..apple got them scrambling

  • ????

    ‘The GS3Mini will cost €449 in Italy, I can get a much better HTC One S for less, or a GS2 as you suggested!’

    Here is another coast
    http://viberdownload.com/here-you-are-samsung-galaxy-s-iii-mini-specs-price-and-release-date

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