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Samsung Galaxy Mini review: Verdict
Considering the Samsung Galaxy Mini can be yours from as little as £10.50 per month on contract, one can't complain about it not being a 'bells and whistles' device.
The social media integration, ease of use and white colour appeal to younger members of our family, so it may be worth putting on the Christmas list for your younger niece or nephew.
We liked
Fast 3G HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity allowed us to quickly surf the web. The GPS works really well, and when coupled with Google's own navigation app, you're likely to use the handset as a sat nav very often. We also like the price point, as it is definitely worth the price on the tag and not a penny more.
We disliked
The unresponsive touchscreen made the whole experience very slow. Coupled with the slow processor, launching applications is an even slower process. We also disliked the low quality screen, which made reading a chore.
Verdict
If you're willing to make some sacrifices to the speed and responsiveness of the handset in order to save a bit of dosh, the Samsung Galaxy Mini is a decent choice. It will appeal to those in the market for their first smartphone, looking for a simplistic experience.
Android fanboys won't be very impressed with this handset as the poor screen quality makes the UI look just as low-end. Compared to the likes of the Orange San Francisco, which costs nearly half as much from some vendors, the Galaxy Mini costs more and doesn't perform as well, with a much lower-res screen and much slower operation.
Samsung has traditionally performed well in the low-end smartphone segment, with the Galaxy Europa winning a few plaudits from the review team - but the Galaxy Mini feels like a phone trying to do too much with too little. We'd recommend looking at the alternatives or saving a little more cash and looking at some handsets higher up the scale.
Thanks to Expansys for supplying us with this review handset.
