Competition in the smartphone market peaked in 2013 as manufacturers rolled out large screen phones to increase their domination. But recently, the trend has reversed.
Miniature versions of high-end handsets, say for instance, the Galaxy S5 Mini, are quite popular among young population.
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They hardly offer all features, but you definitely get some cool features of the bigger sibling in the smaller version as well.
While big-ticket phones will continue to attract premium buyers, we're now starting to see the resurgence of "mini" smartphones with power packed features. HTC, Sony, Oppo and, of course, Samsung have already launched their respective mini handsets.
Today, we've made a list of top 10 best mini versions of smartphones. Take a closer look into sliders below!
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Oppo N1 Mini
The device, as you may expect, is a more compact version of the previously released Oppo N1. Going through the specs of the device, the N1 Mini sports a 5-inch IPS display offering an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU. Since it has a 2GB RAM, multi-tasking should be pretty swift and smooth.
It runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with Color OS 1.4 ROM slapped on top of it. The latest offering from Oppo comes with a 13MP rotating camera. The camera module features a Sony IMX214 stacked sensor, f/2.0 aperture and is accompanied by a LED Flash. The same camera works as a front facing shooter as well. The smartphone houses 16GB internal memory, but sadly, it lacks a microSD card slot. The Oppo N1 mini, which measures 9.2 mm thick and weighs 150 grams features regular connectivity options like 4G LTE / 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and is powered by a 2140 mAh battery.
Asking price - Rs. 26,990
Sony Xperia A2 ( Z2 Compact)
The Xperia A2 looks almost identical to the Xperia Z1 Compact, but comes in new colours such as Lavender and Orange, as well as Grey Black and White. But it shares many of the same specifications as the Xperia Z1 Compact (or Xperia Z1 f as it is known in Japan).
In terms of specs, the Xperia A2 comes with a matte plastic back as opposed to the glass back in the Xperia Z1 compact.
The handset will come equipped with a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) Triluminos Display with X-Reality for Mobiles and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8974 chipset with 2.2GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 330 graphics coupled with 2GB RAM. Android 4.4 (KitKat) comes out of the box. It has a 20.7-megapixel rear camera with Sony G lens with f/2.0 aperture, custom 1/2.3″ Sony Exmor RS image sensor, BIONZ image processing engine, 1080p video recording and a 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera.
The latest offering from Sony houses 16GB internal memory which can be further expanded upto 128 GB via microSD card. You will also find a wide range of connectivity support in the device, which include Xi LTE, WiFi 820.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X, GPS/ GLONASS, MHL and NFC.
If the device ever comes to India, it will be known as Xperia Z2 Compact. There's no update when will Sony announce this very handset in the country.
Asking price - TBA
LG G3 Beat (Mini)
Already announced in China, the mini version of the G3 flagship smartphone will soon launch in India . LG G3 Beat sports a 5-inch 720p display. It also packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot and Android 4.4 KitKat.You'll also find an 8MP camera with the laser auto-focus of its bigger brother, alongside a 1.3MP front-facing shooter. The makers have added a 2540mAh battery inside. Pricing is currently unknown.
Asking price - TBA
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, which was originally unveiled in July earlier this year, is making its way onto Indian market soon. The mid-range handset is now listed on the company's official website. he Galaxy S5 Mini is pretty much a compact version of the original Galaxy S5. The device features a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display having a resolution of 720 x 1280-pixels. It is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, paired with 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of ROM and a microSD card slot for memory expansion.
Samsung has gone for an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, alongside a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The makers have added a 2100mAh battery fitted inside. The Galaxy S5 Mini has similar specs compared to the S4 Mini, but the new phone now comes with a waterproof and dust-resistant design. The handset also has the same fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor which are both present on the Galaxy S5.
Asking price - TBA
HTC One Mini 2
HTC One Mini 2, a direct rival to the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, is yet to go official in the Indian handset market. In terms of specs, the HTC One mini 2 comes with a 4.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. And it runs on Android 4.4 (KitkKat) with Sense 6, and HTC BlinkFeed.
The handset lacks on the ultrapixel camera but features a regular 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, BSI Sensor, f/2.2 aperture which is capable of 1080p video recording. Also a 5MP HD front-facing camera with 1080p video recording will be found in the handset. Native storage capacity is seated at 16GB, and it can be further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. HTC One mini 2 features a wide range of connectivity options like 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS with GLONASS and NFC.
The handset which measures 10.6mm thick and weighs 137 grams is powered by 2100 mAh battery and it also features HTC's regular audio hardware the BoomSound. Sadly, it also lacks HTC Zoe and Zoe features.
Asking price - TBA
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
This stylish looking mini version of the Xperia Z1 offer awesome features under Rs. 35,000 price segment. Being a Sony-made handset, one should expect great build quality. Spec-wise, it has a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720pixels) Triluminos Display with X-Reality engine. It is powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with a 2GB RAM. It runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) OS. Camera-wise, there is a 20.7-megapixel rear camera with Sony G lens with a 27mm wide angle f/2.0 aperture custom 1/2.3″ Sony Exmor RS image sensor, BIONZ image processing engine, HDR photos and videos, 1080p video recording. Also add a 2.2 MP shooter with 720p video recording at the front of the device.
Asking price - Rs. 30,000
Intex Aqua i5 Mini
The mini version of the Aqua i5 comes with a The Aqua i5 Mini smartphone comes with a 5-inch FWVGA (854 × 480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with Mali 400 GPU and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It is also supported by 1GB of RAM. It has an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
The handset comes with a 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and GPS connectivity options and obviously it is a dual SIM support. Native memory is seated at 4GB but it can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It is powered by a 1500 mAh battery and Intex is offering the handset in White color along with a free flip cover.
Asking price - Rs. 6,000
LG G2 Mini
The LG G2 mini was unveiled back in February at the International Mobile World Congress trade fair 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. Basically the LG G2 mini will have three variants depending on the connectivity viz 3G-only, LTE, and Dual SIM. And the other variants depend on the processors they use. The smartphone is reportedly said to go on sale with two CPU variants i.e. either a quad-core Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2GHz, or a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4i clocked at 1.7GHz.
Other specs remain the same. To refresh on it, the LG G2 Mini comes with 4.7 inch IPS display offering a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box and will be hosting a native storage capacity of 8GB which can be further expandable via memory card. The device will also be backed by 1GB of RAM. The device is powered by 2,440mAh battery. The handset is yet to official in India yet.
Asking price - TBA
Gionee E7 Mini
Priced at Rs. 17,000, the Gionee Elife E7 mini comes with a 4.7-inch IPS display with IGZO technology and offers a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6592 processor with Mali 450-MP4 GPU coupled with 1 GB RAM. Other specs include: 13MP auto focus swivel camera with LED flash, 16 GB memory, 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Dual SIM and is powered by 2100 mAh battery. The miniature version of the Elife E7 has now been updated to the Android 4.4.
Asking price - Rs. 17,000
Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200
Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini A200 features a 4.69-inch IPS display having a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Further, the device is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, coupled with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot. On the camera front, you'll also find an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with an LED Flash, and a 5-megapixel shooter on the front. Other connectivity features include: 3G, Wi-Fi, Dual SIM, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, FM Radio, and A-GPS, amongst other likable features.
Asking price - Rs. 10,000
