Just days after the surprise release of the LG G2 Pro, details of an LG G2 Mini are already making the rounds online. BGR reports that a leak on Dutch mobile news site GSMinfo has provided details of the Mini’s specs ahead of its official launch in Spain this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The G2 Mini: Still Larger Than the iPhone 5s
Samsung may have started the mini trend, but Sony, HTC, and now LG have all followed suit. While mini implies small, at 4.7 inches the LG G2 Mini’s display is still larger than Apple’s iPhone 5s. The trend towards larger phones, or “phablets” (phone and tablet hybrids), is pushing all manufacturers to offer bigger screen sizes, with experts anticipating that Apple will release two larger iPhones this year in an effort to keep up.
What’s Under the Hood
The Mini may have a large screen size, but it comes with a 540×960 resolution that will offer a poorer viewing experience than today’s high-end smartphone users have come to expect. The Mini will have a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and run on Android KitKat with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB memory. It offers microSD support, an 8 MP rear-facing camera, and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera. Compare this to the new full-sized G2 Pro with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, full HD 5.2-inch display, 13 MP camera, and 2 GB of RAM, and the Mini is starting to look diminutive in more than just size.
Mini or Mid-Tier?
According to CanoeTECH, consumers should not be impressed with LG’s effort with the Mini, since there are other mini smartphones on the market that keep the impressive specs of their larger counterparts. Sony and Motorola both offer notable compact phones that make the LG G2 Mini look more mid-tier than mid-size.
LG has not yet released pricing information, and may be aiming for a mid-tier market if they release the Mini in a lower price range. If LG is attempting to offer a phone for the mid-tier market, it is not alone this year. HTC indicated it is refocusing efforts on the mid-tier market in 2014 in an attempt to boost flagging revenue. Reuters quotes HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang as stating “the problem with us last year was we only concentrated on our flagship. We missed a huge chunk of the mid-tier market.” This could be an indication that steep competition in the premium smartphone market will push manufacturers towards more mid-priced releases this year.
Do you think the Mini’s specs imply that it is intended for the mid-tier market? What other features would you like to be included on this phone?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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