A leak purporting to showcase a brand new Android smartphone from Samsung has emerged this week, joining the growing list of upcoming handsets from the South Korean manufacturer which have appeared via unofficial channels.
The handset in question is the Samsung Galaxy Mini 2, an entry level model which will presumably be targeted at the youth market based on the pictures and information acquired by GSM Arena.
In terms of hardware the Galaxy Mini 2 is not the most powerful handset on the market, but it should be more than capable of delivering a compelling Android experience to users who do not have enough money to splash out on a Galaxy Nexus or the upcoming Galaxy S3.
You get an 800MHz processor with just one physical core chugging away under the surface and there is also a 3.3 inch touchscreen display. In terms of storage space the 3GB of internal flash memory should be enough for a few apps, photos and videos, but it seems likely a microSD memory card slot will be on hand should expansion be required.
The good news about the Galaxy Mini 2 is that it will support 3G and HSDPA networking for high speed data transfer of up to 7.2Mbps, depending on levels of coverage.
A three megapixel camera without an LED flash is found on the rear, next to a single speaker grill which will presumably pump out audio of a middling quality.
Samsung will be shedding light on a large number of new mobiles during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event this month, but sources suggest that the Galaxy Mini 2 might actually be in the hands of retailers at the same time as the show, which would imply imminent availability to the public.
Cheap Android handsets may not be much to get excited about from a technical standpoint, but the arrival of any Galaxy smartphone should be something to note.
The Galaxy Mini 2 is essentially the mainstream equivalent of the recently launched Galaxy Xcover Extreme S5690.
This nattily named handset is rated to withstand bumps, scrapes, rain shows and mud splashes to a greater degree than most of its more fragile peers.
Like the Mini 2 it has an 800Mhz processor, Android 2.3 and a three megapixel camera. However, with just 150MB of onboard storage space it will need a microSD memory card to be more competitive.
With a 3.65 inch screen it has a little more display real estate than the Galaxy Mini 2, but with an identical resolution of 480x230 it is not going to be any crisper under the scrutiny of the naked eye, so the difference will be purely geometrical.
Both of these mid-range models will be available on pay monthly contracts in the next few weeks, although many users might choose to buy them SIM free and devoid of any network affiliation in order to enjoy a greater degree of freedom.
