HTC One Mini launches as metal-clad Galaxy S4 Mini rival

HTC One Mini launches as metal-clad Galaxy S4 Mini rival
The HTC One failed to avoid the shrink ray

The HTC One Mini has been officially unveiled as the pint-sized version of the Taiwanese firm's show-stopping HTC One flagship device.

Obviously the clear rival to the One Mini is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, and that means you can expect the same level of cut down specs in HTC's latest offering.

What you get is a 4.3-inch 720p display, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 2um (UltraPixel) rear camera (4MP in old money), 1.6MP front cam and 4G connectivity wrapped in a mainly metallic body with a plastic frame keeping the front and back together.

That means it's got a roughly similar look and feel to the HTC One, which is certainly a good thing in our book, and with vital statistics of 132 x 63.2 x 9.25mm and 122g it should fit nicely in your palm.

S4 Mini killer?

In terms of the other goodies you can expect to find inside the One Mini it comes running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with HTC's Sense UI splashed on top, including the new BlinkFeed news aggregator which debuted on its bigger brother.

We're a little worried about the 16GB of internal storage considering there's no microSD slot, something the S4 Mini does have, and the fact HTC has popped its Zoe and Highlights features into the One Mini which are a little storage hungry.

As with the flagship model, the HTC One Mini comes with dual front-facing speakers complete with BoomSound technology, plus there's Dr Dre's Beats Audio tech also embedded into the handset allowing you to blast your tunes.

In terms of a HTC One Mini release date the handset is expected to go on sale sometime in August, and we've been told, for the UK at least, that it'll probably be available for free on contacts from £25-£27 per month.

HTC is a little more vague on the U.S. front, with a note that specific pricing and availability "will be announced later this summer."

We've already been lucky enough to spend some time with the handset, so make sure you check out our hands on HTC One Mini review to find out what we make of it.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.