Related Articles
Phone fans prefer the iPhone rather than Android when it comes to smaller screens, despite the cost. Sales of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini are reportedly so disappointing manufacturers could rethink their plans for 4-inch phones.
DigiTimes describes sales of the S4 Mini as “bleak”, while HTC has been forced to slash the price of the One Mini. It seems when it comes to 4-inch phones, customers prefer Apple’s iPhone despite the fact it’s considerably more expensive than mini Androids.
High-end Android phones have been growing steadily, with even Google’s Android flagship smart phone the Google Nexus 4 set to grow into a 5-inch Nexus 5 in coming days. But Apple has steadfastly resisted the trend, with the only change in the iPhone’s size in the last six years being a small change in aspect ratio.
The Mini has reportedly been hit by sales of the Galaxy S4, which shifted 20 million phones in its first two months but has seen sales slow enough that Samsung is reportedly considering rush-releasing the S5. It probably doesn’t help that the Mini is just one of the spin-offs of the S4, alongside the S4 Zoom and S4 Active.
Now playing:
Watch this:
Which S4 is best for you?
3:49
The problem with many minis is that they chop off the specs as well as the measurements, lowering the cost but effectively using a flagship phone’s good name to scam unwitting customers into thinking they’ve bought a better phone than they have.
Fingers crossed manufacturers will realise this wheeze has had its day, and start making more phones that are minimised in size but maximised in specs. Just this week Sony unveiled in Japan the Xperia Z1F, a sawn-off version of the Sony Xperia Z1 that keeps the Z1’s power.
Now playing:
Watch this:
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
2:41
Are today’s phones too big? Are any smaller phones any good? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our full-sized Facebook page.
