Samsung s3 mini - V iPhone 4s - which would you get?

clfan · 10-01-2014, 19:17

hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung?

any advice from someone who has these phones would be great

Anika Hanson · 10-01-2014, 20:30

Which one do you prefer? What phones have you used in the past? If you've used samsung phones and have enjoyed them then maybe you should go for the S3 mini. Or if you fancy a change then you could get the iphone 4S?

If it were me I'd get the iphone because, I think the Samsung mini phones are a bit of a rip off and misleading. In reality they are not just smaller versions of the S3 or S4, they have the same specs as android phones from 2011.

clonmult · 10-01-2014, 20:36

Got a 4S, the ex has an S3 Mini. Both are pretty good phones ... but neither is particularly excellent.

One caveat with the 4S - if it has iOS 7 on it (which is probably likely), steer clear. iOS 7 is a little glitchy on the 4S. With iOS 6, the 4S was a cracking little phone, but not with iOS7.

jchamier · 10-01-2014, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by clfan

hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung?

any advice from someone who has these phones would be great

Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone).

They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar.

finbaar · 10-01-2014, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by clfan

hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung?

any advice from someone who has these phones would be great

The answer is easy. Get the Moto G. It is way better than either of them cheaper to boot.

4S is unlikely to be updated further and if it is iOS 8 will be an even bigger bag of spanners than 7 on it. The S3 is a very poor for the money, it is not smaller S3.

swordman · 10-01-2014, 23:46

I understand you can save money but if your willing to buy an 4s for the same money you could get a much better android phone than the s3 mini, which in turn would be far better than the 4s.

Or get a moto G as mentioned and accomplish both.

kidspud · 11-01-2014, 06:24

I have a samsung S3 mini (used by my child) and I do not recommend it to anyone. It runs JB and is far less stable than my ace 2 running GB.

It also feels cheap and the screen appears to have scratched very easily..

As another poster said, don't be fooled into thinking it is a mini version of the S3.

clonmult · 11-01-2014, 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone).

They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar.

The 4S was brilliant prior to iOS7. With iOS7 its now a clunky mess. But then iOS7 is a clunky inefficient mess.

Second the suggestion of the Moto G - cheaper, faster, better than both of those originally suggested.

Mark in Essex · 11-01-2014, 08:33

Another one for the Moto G.

Also if you know anybody that works for Tesco you can get 10% off if they buy it for you as a gift.

This will take it down to less than £90 for the 8gb version and under £120 for the 16gb version.

Would be crazy to go for any other phone on a tight budget and some are comparing it to phones costing a few hundred pounds.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-mo...k/454-8906.prd

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-mo...skuId=398-8016

flagpole · 11-01-2014, 10:44

yeah the moto G has to be the one to get over the S3 mini

alanwarwic · 11-01-2014, 11:56

These are now periphery phones, the 4s more so with IOS 7 and low RAM.
If going iPhone, the 5c is very often found available at £330 for a Grade A, returned model.

For me, the Moto G beats them all.

Stiggles · 11-01-2014, 12:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone).

They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar.

Bit in bold is absolutely inaccurate.

That being said, i would have the 4S without iOS7. Apart from the fact is looks vile, it doesn't run very well on the 4S. It's usable but not great.

konebyvax · 11-01-2014, 12:58

Another vote for the Moto G. This phone renders phones like the S3 Mini and iPhone 4S redundant on account of price v performance criteria. Just got my Kit kat update on my £100 Moto G. The phone is an absolute game changer...

The S3 Mini is a cynical marketing ploy by Samsung - put the (once) iconic S3 in its name and charge way over the odds for what you are getting...

And the price of the 4S is just laughable. Utterly ridiculous...

Zack06 · 11-01-2014, 13:06

I wouldn't get either. As others have been saying, just get a Moto G. You'll have a phone better than both for less, plus it has already been updated to the latest Android version.

Pencil · 11-01-2014, 13:30

This might help you decide.

iPhone 4S

Released: Oct 2011
Weight: 140g
Screen Size: 3.5"
RAM: 512MB
Card Slot: No
Speed: HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps
Camera: 8 MP
Video: 1080p
Secondary: VGA, 480p
CPU: Dual-core, 1 GHz
Radio: No
Battery: Non-Removable
Standby: 200 h
Talk time: 14 h (2G), 8 h (3G)

Galaxy S4 Mini

Released: May 2013
Weight: 107g
Screen Size: 4.3"
RAM: 1.5GB
Card Slot: microSD (up to 64GB)
Speed: HSDPA, 42 Mbps (LTE model); HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps (3G model); HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL
Camera: 8 MP
Video: 1080p
Secondary: 1.9 MP
CPU: Dual-core, 1.7 GHz
Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS/ SGH-I257M
Battery: Removable
Standby: 300 h
Talk time: 12 h (3G)

grumpyoldbat · 11-01-2014, 13:52

Worth also pointing out that at time of writing, the Moto G is back in stock at Tesco online!

konebyvax · 11-01-2014, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

Worth also pointing out that at time of writing, the Moto G is back in stock at Tesco online!

Yes, both the 8Gb and 16GB been back in stock for over 24 hours. Very unusual and maybe a sign Tesco Direct have received a huge shipment recently. £99 for the 8Gb and £129 for the 16GB. Both locked to Tesco Mobile but both can be easily unlocked via £2 ebay code.

konebyvax · 11-01-2014, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pencil

This might help you decide.

iPhone 4S

Released: Oct 2011
Weight: 140g
Screen Size: 3.5"
RAM: 512MB
Card Slot: No
Speed: HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps
Camera: 8 MP
Video: 1080p
Secondary: VGA, 480p
CPU: Dual-core, 1 GHz
Radio: No
Battery: Non-Removable
Standby: 200 h
Talk time: 14 h (2G), 8 h (3G)

Galaxy S4 Mini

Released: May 2013
Weight: 107g
Screen Size: 4.3"
RAM: 1.5GB
Card Slot: microSD (up to 64GB)
Speed: HSDPA, 42 Mbps (LTE model); HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps (3G model); HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL
Camera: 8 MP
Video: 1080p
Secondary: 1.9 MP
CPU: Dual-core, 1.7 GHz
Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS/ SGH-I257M
Battery: Removable
Standby: 300 h
Talk time: 12 h (3G)

Doubtful given the fact that the OP was enquiring about the S3 Mini

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3...&idPhone2=4212

Night Hawk · 13-01-2014, 14:09

Just for balance: what on earth is wrong with iOS7 on 4S? Ran as sweet as a nut on mine (I recently upgraded to 5c for DC-HSPDA and 4G on all three UK bands) so I would agree that if you can stretch the extra it is well worth it and more future proof than the 4S or the S3

clonmult · 13-01-2014, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Hawk

Just for balance: what on earth is wrong with iOS7 on 4S? Ran as sweet as a nut on mine (I recently upgraded to 5c for DC-HSPDA and 4G on all three UK bands) so I would agree that if you can stretch the extra it is well worth it and more future proof than the 4S or the S3

Either you didn't use it much or you had a special build.

I think that virtually everyone I know in the office with a 4S is running iOS7 and we've all experienced issues with :
- lock screen keyboard rotating and not working (requires a reboot)
- calendar has the most useless design on the planet
- dialling an event from the calendar now requires a smack of the phone
- unreliable home button (sometime switches to task view instead, then randomly sort of goes mad)

None of these phones are future proof at all. None of the recent releases of iOS or Android have added anything worthwhile/meaningful.

And I'd also suggest that the SGS3 is likely to keep getting updates for quite a while (via Cyanogenmod), whereas there will likely be a point after iOS 8 (?) on which there won't be any further upgrades for the 5C.

Night Hawk · 13-01-2014, 15:21

Vanilla iOS 7 on iPhone 4S - never experienced any of the issues you mention at all and used every day. Also, my wife, and two daughters all have 4S - no issues.

I was referring to future-proof in terms of paying the extra for the 5c, which supports all 4G modes in Europe as well as DC-HSPDA.

Personally, I wouldn't buy any phone today without the above knowing it won't have access to half the network in two years time.

Night Hawk · 13-01-2014, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by clonmult

And I'd also suggest that the SGS3 is likely to keep getting updates for quite a while (via Cyanogenmod), whereas there will likely be a point after iOS 8 (?) on which there won't be any further upgrades for the 5C.

Nonsense, 5c is latest build and will definitely get iOS 8 and probably iOS 9 too. You can check out iOS support levels on Wikipedia, but there's always at least two major updates on every handset.

alanwarwic · 13-01-2014, 15:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Hawk

...
I was referring to future-proof in terms of paying the extra for the 5c, which supports all 4G modes in Europe as well as DC-HSPDA.Personally, I wouldn't buy any phone today without the above knowing it won't have access to half the network in two years time.

Yeh, right!

Your prior 'iPhone 5c no brainer at Three' never did get a price. It appeared to be the £937 total plan.

Its certainly a new angle on the the term 'No brainer'.

Zack06 · 13-01-2014, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Hawk

Nonsense, 5c is latest build and will definitely get iOS 8 and probably iOS 9 too. You can check out iOS support levels on Wikipedia, but there's always at least two major updates on every handset.

Didn't know that 2 year old internals now means "latest build".

Night Hawk · 13-01-2014, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

Yeh, right!

Your prior 'iPhone 5c no brainer at Three' never did get a price. It appeared to be the £937 total plan.

Its certainly a new angle on the the term 'No brainer'.

Assuming you can't afford to buy it outright, and you wanted unlimited 4G data included, which plan would you recommend? I couldn't find a better deal anywhere.

10-01-2014, 19:17	#1
clfan Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 4,838	Samsung s3 mini - V iPhone 4s - which would you get? hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung? any advice from someone who has these phones would be great

10-01-2014, 20:30	#2
Anika Hanson Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: UK Posts: 14,219	Which one do you prefer? What phones have you used in the past? If you've used samsung phones and have enjoyed them then maybe you should go for the S3 mini. Or if you fancy a change then you could get the iphone 4S? If it were me I'd get the iphone because, I think the Samsung mini phones are a bit of a rip off and misleading. In reality they are not just smaller versions of the S3 or S4, they have the same specs as android phones from 2011.

10-01-2014, 20:36	#3
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Got a 4S, the ex has an S3 Mini. Both are pretty good phones ... but neither is particularly excellent. One caveat with the 4S - if it has iOS 7 on it (which is probably likely), steer clear. iOS 7 is a little glitchy on the 4S. With iOS 6, the 4S was a cracking little phone, but not with iOS7.

10-01-2014, 20:46	#4
jchamier Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: This forum Posts: 3,392	Quote: Originally Posted by clfan hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung? any advice from someone who has these phones would be great Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone). They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar.

10-01-2014, 23:18	#5
finbaar Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3,921	Quote: Originally Posted by clfan hi Im just having trouble deciding which of these phones to get. should I pay the extra €100 for the iPhone or stick with Samsung? any advice from someone who has these phones would be great The answer is easy. Get the Moto G. It is way better than either of them cheaper to boot. 4S is unlikely to be updated further and if it is iOS 8 will be an even bigger bag of spanners than 7 on it. The S3 is a very poor for the money, it is not smaller S3.

10-01-2014, 23:46	#6
swordman Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 6,342	I understand you can save money but if your willing to buy an 4s for the same money you could get a much better android phone than the s3 mini, which in turn would be far better than the 4s. Or get a moto G as mentioned and accomplish both.

11-01-2014, 06:24	#7
kidspud Forum Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 11,501	I have a samsung S3 mini (used by my child) and I do not recommend it to anyone. It runs JB and is far less stable than my ace 2 running GB. It also feels cheap and the screen appears to have scratched very easily.. As another poster said, don't be fooled into thinking it is a mini version of the S3.

11-01-2014, 08:06	#8
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by jchamier Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone). They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar. The 4S was brilliant prior to iOS7. With iOS7 its now a clunky mess. But then iOS7 is a clunky inefficient mess. Second the suggestion of the Moto G - cheaper, faster, better than both of those originally suggested.

11-01-2014, 08:33	#9
Mark in Essex Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,644	Another one for the Moto G. Also if you know anybody that works for Tesco you can get 10% off if they buy it for you as a gift. This will take it down to less than £90 for the 8gb version and under £120 for the 16gb version. Would be crazy to go for any other phone on a tight budget and some are comparing it to phones costing a few hundred pounds. http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-mo...k/454-8906.prd http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-mo...skuId=398-8016

11-01-2014, 10:44	#10
flagpole Inactive Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 43,524	yeah the moto G has to be the one to get over the S3 mini

11-01-2014, 11:56	#11
alanwarwic Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: the wild world web Posts: 28,132	These are now periphery phones, the 4s more so with IOS 7 and low RAM. If going iPhone, the 5c is very often found available at £330 for a Grade A, returned model. For me, the Moto G beats them all.

11-01-2014, 12:32	#12
Stiggles Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Dundee, Scotland Posts: 9,293	Quote: Originally Posted by jchamier Most people find the 4S to be a brilliant phone, even with iOS 7, its the 4 that was a problem (4S was first dual core iPhone). They both support HSPA+ upto 14.4, but the S3 mini has dual band WiFi which the iPhone 4s lacks. Otherwise they're quite similar. Bit in bold is absolutely inaccurate. That being said, i would have the 4S without iOS7. Apart from the fact is looks vile, it doesn't run very well on the 4S. It's usable but not great.

11-01-2014, 12:58	#13
konebyvax Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ignoringtrollsville Posts: 7,875	Another vote for the Moto G. This phone renders phones like the S3 Mini and iPhone 4S redundant on account of price v performance criteria. Just got my Kit kat update on my £100 Moto G. The phone is an absolute game changer... The S3 Mini is a cynical marketing ploy by Samsung - put the (once) iconic S3 in its name and charge way over the odds for what you are getting... And the price of the 4S is just laughable. Utterly ridiculous...

11-01-2014, 13:06	#14
Zack06 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27,438	I wouldn't get either. As others have been saying, just get a Moto G. You'll have a phone better than both for less, plus it has already been updated to the latest Android version.

11-01-2014, 13:30	#15
Pencil Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,252	This might help you decide. iPhone 4S Released: Oct 2011 Weight: 140g Screen Size: 3.5" RAM: 512MB Card Slot: No Speed: HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps Camera: 8 MP Video: 1080p Secondary: VGA, 480p CPU: Dual-core, 1 GHz Radio: No Battery: Non-Removable Standby: 200 h Talk time: 14 h (2G), 8 h (3G) Galaxy S4 Mini Released: May 2013 Weight: 107g Screen Size: 4.3" RAM: 1.5GB Card Slot: microSD (up to 64GB) Speed: HSDPA, 42 Mbps (LTE model); HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps (3G model); HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL Camera: 8 MP Video: 1080p Secondary: 1.9 MP CPU: Dual-core, 1.7 GHz Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS/ SGH-I257M Battery: Removable Standby: 300 h Talk time: 12 h (3G)

11-01-2014, 13:52	#16
grumpyoldbat Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3,636	Worth also pointing out that at time of writing, the Moto G is back in stock at Tesco online!

11-01-2014, 16:15	#17
konebyvax Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ignoringtrollsville Posts: 7,875	Quote: Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat Worth also pointing out that at time of writing, the Moto G is back in stock at Tesco online! Yes, both the 8Gb and 16GB been back in stock for over 24 hours. Very unusual and maybe a sign Tesco Direct have received a huge shipment recently. £99 for the 8Gb and £129 for the 16GB. Both locked to Tesco Mobile but both can be easily unlocked via £2 ebay code.

11-01-2014, 16:17	#18
konebyvax Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ignoringtrollsville Posts: 7,875	Quote: Originally Posted by Pencil This might help you decide. iPhone 4S Released: Oct 2011 Weight: 140g Screen Size: 3.5" RAM: 512MB Card Slot: No Speed: HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps Camera: 8 MP Video: 1080p Secondary: VGA, 480p CPU: Dual-core, 1 GHz Radio: No Battery: Non-Removable Standby: 200 h Talk time: 14 h (2G), 8 h (3G) Galaxy S4 Mini Released: May 2013 Weight: 107g Screen Size: 4.3" RAM: 1.5GB Card Slot: microSD (up to 64GB) Speed: HSDPA, 42 Mbps (LTE model); HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps (3G model); HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL Camera: 8 MP Video: 1080p Secondary: 1.9 MP CPU: Dual-core, 1.7 GHz Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS/ SGH-I257M Battery: Removable Standby: 300 h Talk time: 12 h (3G) Doubtful given the fact that the OP was enquiring about the S3 Mini http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3...&idPhone2=4212

13-01-2014, 14:09	#19
Night Hawk Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: High Wycombe Posts: 164	Just for balance: what on earth is wrong with iOS7 on 4S? Ran as sweet as a nut on mine (I recently upgraded to 5c for DC-HSPDA and 4G on all three UK bands) so I would agree that if you can stretch the extra it is well worth it and more future proof than the 4S or the S3

13-01-2014, 15:12	#20
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by Night Hawk Just for balance: what on earth is wrong with iOS7 on 4S? Ran as sweet as a nut on mine (I recently upgraded to 5c for DC-HSPDA and 4G on all three UK bands) so I would agree that if you can stretch the extra it is well worth it and more future proof than the 4S or the S3 Either you didn't use it much or you had a special build. I think that virtually everyone I know in the office with a 4S is running iOS7 and we've all experienced issues with : - lock screen keyboard rotating and not working (requires a reboot) - calendar has the most useless design on the planet - dialling an event from the calendar now requires a smack of the phone - unreliable home button (sometime switches to task view instead, then randomly sort of goes mad) None of these phones are future proof at all. None of the recent releases of iOS or Android have added anything worthwhile/meaningful. And I'd also suggest that the SGS3 is likely to keep getting updates for quite a while (via Cyanogenmod), whereas there will likely be a point after iOS 8 (?) on which there won't be any further upgrades for the 5C.

13-01-2014, 15:21	#21
Night Hawk Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: High Wycombe Posts: 164	Vanilla iOS 7 on iPhone 4S - never experienced any of the issues you mention at all and used every day. Also, my wife, and two daughters all have 4S - no issues. I was referring to future-proof in terms of paying the extra for the 5c, which supports all 4G modes in Europe as well as DC-HSPDA. Personally, I wouldn't buy any phone today without the above knowing it won't have access to half the network in two years time.

DS Forums

Samsung s3 mini - V iPhone 4s - which would you get?

13-01-2014, 15:25	#22
Night Hawk Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: High Wycombe Posts: 164	Quote: Originally Posted by clonmult And I'd also suggest that the SGS3 is likely to keep getting updates for quite a while (via Cyanogenmod), whereas there will likely be a point after iOS 8 (?) on which there won't be any further upgrades for the 5C. Nonsense, 5c is latest build and will definitely get iOS 8 and probably iOS 9 too. You can check out iOS support levels on Wikipedia, but there's always at least two major updates on every handset.

13-01-2014, 15:34	#23
alanwarwic Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: the wild world web Posts: 28,132	Quote: Originally Posted by Night Hawk ... I was referring to future-proof in terms of paying the extra for the 5c, which supports all 4G modes in Europe as well as DC-HSPDA.Personally, I wouldn't buy any phone today without the above knowing it won't have access to half the network in two years time. Yeh, right! Your prior 'iPhone 5c no brainer at Three' never did get a price. It appeared to be the £937 total plan. Its certainly a new angle on the the term 'No brainer'.

13-01-2014, 15:41	#24
Zack06 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27,438	Quote: Originally Posted by Night Hawk Nonsense, 5c is latest build and will definitely get iOS 8 and probably iOS 9 too. You can check out iOS support levels on Wikipedia, but there's always at least two major updates on every handset. Didn't know that 2 year old internals now means "latest build".

13-01-2014, 16:23	#25
Night Hawk Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: High Wycombe Posts: 164	Quote: Originally Posted by alanwarwic Yeh, right! Your prior 'iPhone 5c no brainer at Three' never did get a price. It appeared to be the £937 total plan. Its certainly a new angle on the the term 'No brainer'. Assuming you can't afford to buy it outright, and you wanted unlimited 4G data included, which plan would you recommend? I couldn't find a better deal anywhere.