Black Friday Deals 2012: Nexus 4 Or Galaxy S3 Mini - What Should You Buy?

By Anu Passary | Nov 23, 2012 09:38 AM EST

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The shopping frenzy has unleashed with the onset of Black Friday 2012. Consumers are scouting e-retailers and brick and mortar stores alike for the best available bargains and deals that are on offer.

Two of the hottest new gadgets on the consumer wishlist this holiday season are Google's LG-made Nexus 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini smartphones.

While the Galaxy S3 Mini released in the U.K. in November, the smartphone is yet to officially make its way to the U.S. shelves. However, e-retailer Amazon is selling an unlocked version of the smartphone. On the other hand, the Nexus 4 hit the shelves on Nov. 13 and was sold out within a few hours in both the UK and the U.S. The smartphone is said to be on backorder now.

With both the smartphones being the "it" thing, consumers would be torn between which one to purchase this Black Friday. We take a look at how the Nexus 4 compares to the Galaxy S3 Mini to help you decide.

Processor

The Nexus 4 has a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which is clocked at 1.5GHz, whereas the Galaxy S3 Mini features a comparatively less powerful 1GHz dual-core processor.

Display

The Galaxy S3 Mini features a 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA display vis-à-vis the Nexus 4's bigger 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus display. Additionally, the Galaxy S3 Mini has a pixel resolution of 800 x 480, which pales in comparison to the Nexus 4's 1280 x 768 pixels.

Moreover, the Nexus 4 edges out the Galaxy S3 Mini with its much higher pixel density of 320 pixels per inch (ppi) vis-à-vis the latter's 223 ppi.

Weight, Thickness, and Body

The Galaxy S3 Mini measures 4.8 x 2.48 x 0.39 inches and the Nexus 4 measures 5.28 x 2.72 x 0.36 inches. The Nexus 4 is taller and wider than the Galaxy S3 Mini; however, the Samsung offering is thicker. Weight-wise, at 4.23 ounces, the Galaxy S3 Mini is lighter than the 4.90 ounces of the Nexus 4.

Storage and Memory

Both the smartphones are available in 8/16GB on-board storage variants. However, the Galaxy S3 Mini scores over its rival as it has an expandable memory option (of up to 32GB) via a microSD card, unlike the Nexus 4.

However, memory-wise, the Nexus 4 (2GB of RAM) trounces the Galaxy S3 Mini (1GB of RAM) by offering double the memory.

Software

The Nexus 4 has a clear edge over the Galaxy S3 Mini as far as OS is concerned. The Galaxy S3 Mini come pre-loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, whereas the Nexus 4 comes with the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean software.

Battery

A 1500mAh removable battery fuels the Galaxy S3 Mini and supports 7 hours 10 minutes of talk time (3G). By comparison, a more powerful 2100mAh non-removable battery powers the Nexus 4 and supports 15.3 hours of talk time (3G).

Camera

The Nexus 4 has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, which beats the Galaxy S3 Mini's 5 megapixels one. The Galaxy S3 Mini has a front-facing VGA camera and the Nexus 4 has a 1.3-megapixel one.

Availability and Pricing

The unlocked white version of the Galaxy S3 Mini (8GB) is available for $402.90 on Amazon in the U.S. By contrast, the 8GB and 16GB Nexus 4 versions (both unlocked) will set consumers back by $299 and $349, respectively, making both the models cheaper than the Samsung offering.

The Nexus 4 is currently available only in black, but rumors are rife that it will soon be available in white as well. The Galaxy S3 Mini is currently available in white and per rumors, is expected to be available in three new colors soon i.e. Titan Gray, Garnet Red, and Onyx Black.

The Nexus 4 is easier on the pocket when compared to the Galaxy S3 Mini, and undoubtedly packs in better features at a cheaper price. However, considering that the smartphone is not easily available, consumers may have a tough time laying their hands on the device. The Galaxy S3 Mini, on the other hand, is still available on Amazon even though the unlocked phone costs a pretty penny and pales in front of the Nexus 4's features.

Would you rather wait for the Nexus 4 to become obtainable or would opt for the Galaxy S3 Mini since it's available, which one would you buy?