A Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini is expected to debut soon and the purported handset now stars in some newly surfaced images.
Smartphones have become increasingly larger in recent years, and Samsung was the one to pioneer this trend. Large smartphones and phablets are on the rise, but not all consumers are fans of this trend. Some would still like their smartphones to be moderately-sized, not nearly as large as a tablet. For this segment of consumers, smartphone makers have created "Mini" versions of flagship smartphones.
More often than not, however, these Mini versions come with watered-down specs to accommodate a smaller form factor and lower price tag. Sony was the only one to launch smaller handsets with high-end specs, but Samsung has so far released lower-spec Mini versions of its flagships.
Upon releasing the flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge earlier this year, Samsung made no mention of Galaxy S6 Active or Galaxy S6 Mini versions, but such models were nonetheless expected. The Galaxy S6 Active made its debut soon after the flagships, and now the Galaxy S6 Mini should be the next in line.
Phone Arena has now received some information regarding the upcoming Galaxy S6 Mini, in the form of some images that show the purported device. Based on these images, the Galaxy S6 Mini seems to retain the same metal and glass combination of the flagship Galaxy S6, as well as the same design language.
The microUSB port, audio jack and loud speaker are in the exact same position, but the images are not clear enough to offer a good look at the rear of the handset.
"We have no reason to believe this has been falsified and the release delay is somewhat coherent with the time gap between last year's Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S5 mini launches," notes Phone Arena.
The new leak makes no mention of the smartphone's specifications, but previous reports have tried to paint a picture of what to expect. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini is rumored to feature a 4.6- or 4.7-inch display with an HD resolution (720p), a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 15-megapiel camera.
When it comes to launch date, Phone Arena speculates that Samsung may unveil the Galaxy S6 Mini on Aug. 13, alongside the purported Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.
Keep in mind, however, that it's all in the rumor state at this point, as Samsung has yet to officially confirm such plans. As always with leaks and speculation, take everything with a grain of salt until a formal announcement.
