As S4 Mini, but also G3S LG Mini One or two of HTC, the Galaxy Mini S5 is a variation of an impoverished “flagship” model. It has the same design, the user interface and some of the features, but behind these finery a drastic reduction of components and data sheets. We often lament that Sony is the only one to offer its variation “compact” a datasheet worthy of very good high end. This year, the Z3 Compact should be excellent (except the price …)
But as the competition is a little tougher these days, especially on the mid-range, the manufacturers are reluctant to remove it. The laser sight G3 therefore remained in G3S. The beautiful aluminum shell of One (M8) team the One Mini 2 and Galaxy Mini S5 is not totally helpless either, as you’ll see throughout this test.
Better than the S4 Mini
To be clear technical details, the S5 Mini will not replace the traditional S5. And that’s not the goal. He clearly wants to be the representative of Samsung smartphones on the edge of 4.5 inches or less. However, Samsung has not been as stingy as usual. Compared to the S4 Mini, the Mini S5 is a better deal, even if we could find it a bit too much. Let us all around the property:
- Screen Super AMOLED 720p 4.5-inch, a resolution of 326 dots per inch
- Chipset Exynos 3470 Quad 3 consists of a quad-core Cortex-A7 1.4GHz
- GPU ARM Mali 450MHz 400MP4
- 1.5 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD)
- Battery 2100 mAh
- Compatible LTE Category 4, dual band WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS Glonass
- Fingerprint Reader PayPal certified Heart
- main camera 8-megapixel sensor, Full HD video recording
- Webcam 2.1 megapixel
- Android KitKat 4.4.2 with Touchwiz overlay
- IP67
- Weight 120 grams
- Thickness: 9.1 mm
The seal is seen here perfectly
Several points in this data sheet. First, the advent of HD in a small size smartphone from Samsung, let’s celebrate. We finally have a clear picture that honors the Super AMOLED panel. Then integrating the Exynos 3470, some 400 response Snapdragon Qualcomm. This chipset, released this year, was not included, for the moment, as in the S5 Galaxy Mini. Compatible LTE, it certainly will equip some of the economic international models from Samsung on 2015′s performance is, as we shall see, slightly above the competition from Qualcomm. Finally, the last good news, some features of the S5 remained as the integrity of the hull, the fingerprint reader, the heartbeat sensor and the latest version of Touchwiz. But there is no good news, as we shall see.
In addition to the camera, the Heart
Visually This is really a small Galaxy S5
On the design side, the S5 incorporates lines of S4, squarer and more qualitative than the S4. Here we have a rather sleek smartphone with a front that includes the codes of the Korean giant. The hardware button “home” hiding the fingerprint reader is always surrounded by a touch pad. The function key is replaced by the multitasking button. The borders are wide enough http://www.lesmobiles.com/images/news_in/samsung-galaxy-s5-mini-faces.
On the back, again, nothing unusual compared to the S5. We find almost all the trappings of the flagship. A photo sensor which is located under the flash and heartbeat sensor. Far below, the mono speaker. And around these parts, a plastic shell with the famous liner dotted “faux leather” of S5. This shell is removable to discover the battery, a microSD slot and a microSIM slot next to which is a second option slot here obstructed. Behind the hull, we find that the seal surrounds the electrical elements.
On the slices, we also find the plastic imitation metal. This gives the stamp of far, but once started, it does not fool anyone. On the left edge, the sound volume. On the right, the sleep. On the low end, the microUSB port and the microphone. On the top edge, the 3.5mm jack port, the very important for Koreans (to control the TV) and the secondary microphone for noise reduction infrared sensor.
Finally a good screen in a small Samsung
The grip of the Galaxy S5 is pleasant. This material at the back almost erased prevents the phone from slipping (and potentially fall). The grip is better than on the Mini Galaxy S4, a secondary effect of the increased dimensions of the mobile (including the thickness of 0.2 mm which wins, probably because of the seal). It is amazing to see that Samsung adopts a small format a location similar to that of a button phablette (including the power button.)
Accurate, bright, contrasting: here a nice screen
The screen S5 Mini is one of the strengths of this model. With a slab Super AMOLED and a resolution greater than 320 dpi, the image quality is finally meeting in a small package from Samsung. This is felt everywhere in the interface, for gaming, video or photo. The colors are beautiful (and more natural). The contrast is good and the viewing angles are just excellent. In short: it’s nice. However, unlike the Galaxy S4 Mini, the new model does not seem protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2. This is felt because the fingers slide a little worse. But it is very light.
apps, apps, many apps
Once lit, the Galaxy offers S5 interface traditional TouchWiz, here embellished with some alterations signed Orange (as you can see from the screenshots), since the model is tested by the operator simlock. The version of TouchWiz, which dresses Android Kitkat, is the same as on the Galaxy S5, with the same setup menu, the same tray and the same applications house.
Ecran Home, tray and applications menu
The notifications panel is fully customizable
Samsung applications are now well known: Samsung Apps (new name Shop Samsung), S Planner (calendar) Smart Remote (universal remote and interactive program guide), S Voice (virtual assistant) and naturally S Health, the application appeared with the Galaxy S4 and S5 redesigned for the Galaxy. Others are freely downloadable from Samsung Apps (or pressing the “Essentials Samsung” link via the “menu” button in the application menu.)
Samsung Apps, Smart Remote, S Voice
S Health and Heart
By going to the list of available apps, you will notice the abundance of parasitic elements: Orange applications (Cloud, Cinéday, Dailymotion, Deezer, App Shop, Games Orange and Me, Ligue 1, Pass NFC, Orange TV, Orange WiFi), third-party applications (Lookout, Flipboard) and games in trial version (Wonder Zoo, Spider-Man Ultimate Power, Little Big City ) Bejeweled 2. Fortunately, Samsung has had the good idea to double the capacity of the annual version of its flagship.
very honest performance
Despite this software overhead, the smartphone is pretty fast. A little latency or two (especially from sleep), but nothing like slowdowns S3 and S4. The fault obviously to KitKat, lighter. Samsung has certainly worked on TouchWiz too, to make the overlay less oppressive. But the chipset is not forgotten either.
The proof is in the performance tests on AnTuTu. The smartphone reached the score of 20148 points. It finds herself stuck between the Sony Xperia T3 (Snapdragon 400 to 1.4 GHz) and 816 HTC Desire (Snapdragon 400 to 1.6 GHz). As expected, the Exynos 3470 is a response to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400.
A good multimedia platform
This good performance is naturally feel in multimedia applications. Starting with the video game. We tested the eternal Dead Trigger 2 on this little smartphone and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the display and the dynamism of the game. Even forcing the best display quality, it remained fluid throughout. Three small disappointments however. The placement of the speaker is once again exactly where it should not be (not to mention the sound quality drops considerably if you increase the volume). The screen slides less than a Gorilla (as OnePlus One tested last week). And battery, even more powerful than that of the S4 Mini, is a little too lightly.
The display shows all its qualities in movie watching. Finally a nice picture in a Samsung smartphone less than 400 euros! It remains to Samsung only one mission: to develop a video player that supports a wide range of codecs audios. Because it lacks more than that to make its media player a great alternative to VLC and Archos Video. Capable of finding content on remote servers, the reader decodes the same Full HD MKV files and displays subtitles that others do not see. A nice surprise
Very amazing photo
Side photo, during the official announcement of the S5 Mini, we clearly were disappointed to see that Samsung has not changed one iota duo sensors between S5 Mini and its predecessor. But we kept very good memories photo sensor S4 Mini. So it was with some pleasure that we found an 8 megapixel sensor quite capable. Taking picture is vivid. Pictures are mixed, pitted and relatively faithful to the color levels. White balance shows a balance, even if the scene seems a little darker than in reality. The result is really good.
Taken with the Galaxy Mini S5
The photo application, it has changed a lot in a year. It retains its automatic modes and settings (which can be enriched from Samsung Apps). But is now customizable (by adding shortcuts next to the flash icon) to the settings you use regularly: ISO, metering mode autofocus, effects, white balance, exposure compensation, etc. The authoring tools are also more numerous. You’ll find today’s essential to retouch photographs, including a handy automatic mode
Interface Photo above and management modes shooting down
A very good deal … for a Samsung
Belle Change S4 Mini, the Mini S5 showed us a beautiful facet of his personality. For lovers of modest size (who would have thought five years ago that it would be a modest size), the S5 Mini is an option not to be dismissed. For several reasons. First, because it is capable of achieving great things (including multimedia). Then, because it is complete (perhaps a little too in software). Finally, because its construction is good (if you are not allergic to plastic.)
Of course, we do not find it perfect. It is clearly outclassed by the Xperia Z3 Compact. And it suffers in comparison with 4G smartphones to 200 euros as of Wax Wiko. However, for its level of equipment (NFC sensor, fingerprint, waterproofing, Heart player), this proposal Samsung is cheaper than usual, since it is set to 369 euros on the manufacturer’s website. The Korean company has made an effort on the price, especially vis-à-vis the S4 Mini, which was sold almost 100 euros more expensive and was shunned by consumers. A spell that S5 Mini frankly does not deserve.
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