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Samsung's Galaxy S5 Mini specs versus HTC One Mini 2, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, Motorola Moto G LTE

As with the original flagship, Samsung is counting on the midrange phone's fingerprint scanner, heart-rate monitor, and extra apps to stand out.

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The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini faces stiff competition. Samsung

It isn't only in the upper reaches of the smartphone landscape that a battle of the fittest rages on. For the last few years, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and Sony have been duking it out in the mid-tier with their "Mini" creations, slightly smaller and more scaled-back versions of flagship phones.

Samsung's third-generation Mini, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, takes on its usual Android rivals in the HTC One Mini 2, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, and the Motorola Moto G 4G LTE (which is its own standalone budget device.)

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini vs HTC One Mini 2, Moto G LTE, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Samsung Galaxy S5 MiniHTC One Mini 2Motorola Moto G LTESony Xperia Z1 Compact
OS Android 4.4 KitKatAndroid 4.4 KitKatAndroid 4.4 KitKatAndroid 4.3 Jelly Bean (upgradeable)
Screen size 4.5 inches4.5 inches4.5 inches4.3 inches
Resolution and material 1,280x720 Super AMOLED1,280x720 LCD1,280x720 LCD1,280x720 LCD
Pixel density 326 ppi326 ppi326 ppi342 ppi
Dimenions (inches) 5.2 x 2.6 x 0.365.4 x 2.6 x 0.425.1 x 2.6 x 0.465.0 x 2.6 x 0.37
Dimensions (mm) 131 x 64.8 x 9.1137.4 x 65 x 10.6130 x 66 x 11.6127 x 64.9 x 9.5
Weight 4.2 ounces / 120 grams4.8 ounces / 137 grams5 ounces / 143 grams4.8 ounces / 137 grams
Camera 8 megapixels; 1080p HD video13 megapixels; 1080p HD video5 megapixels; 720p HD video20.7 megapixels; 1080p HD
Front-facing camera 2.1 megapixels5 megapixels1.3 megapixels2 megapixels
Processor 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 4001.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 4001.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 4002.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
RAM 1.5GB1GB1GB2GB
Internal storage 16GB16GB8GB16GB
MicroSD storage 64GB128GB32GB64GB
Battery 2,100mAh2,100mAh2,070mAh2,300mAh
IR blaster YesYesNoNo
Extras IP67 dust and water resistance, fingerprint scanner, heart-rate monitorBoomSound dual speakersN/AIP58 dust and water resistance

We don't have a price yet, but the specs we do have, in spades. The GS5 Mini shares the same size and screen resolution of its counterparts, and mostly lines up on other features. It doesn't have the fastest processor or highest camera capacity of the bunch (those honors go to Sony's Z1 Compact), but with the same resistance to water and dust, the heart-rate monitor, and the fingerprint scanner as the original Galaxy S5, Samsung is hoping that the S5 Mini will stand out from rivals and attract people who functionally want an S5 without its higher cost.

The phone's final sticker price and global availability will determine its success. As the top dog smartphone manufacturer in the industry, Samsung is already at an advantage, especially if distributors in only some key markets (such as the UK) carry competitor phones like the One Mini 2 and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.