Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini – will we see it at Samsung's Unpacked event?

It should be common knowledge by now that Samsung is holding its Unpacked event in New York City on March 14, where it will unveil the Galaxy S4. While the spotlight might be on the Galaxy S4, rumors are saying that Samsung won’t just be announcing the Galaxy S4 but the Galaxy S4 Mini as well.

What do current Galaxy S4 Mini rumors say?

We reported in early February that a rumor surfaced claiming that the Galaxy S4 Mini is a part of the Project J family, codenamed Serrano. The Galaxy S4 Mini is reportedly confirmed, which makes sense considering that a Galaxy S3 Mini accompanied the Galaxy S3 a few months after the Galaxy S3 was launched. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this trend continue.

A few days after the claim of the Galaxy S4 Mini being reportedly confirmed, we received wind that the device could be releasing as early as May, a month after the Galaxy S4 is allegedly supposed to launch. Considering that a Galaxy S4 Mini seems to be a given at this point, will we see it at the event next week?

Is it even worth manufacturing a Galaxy S4 Mini?

We more than likely will not see a Galaxy S4 Mini unveiling alongside the Galaxy S4’s announcement, and for a good reason too. That’s not to say that Samsung won’t make an S4 Mini though, as there are many demographics Samsung caters to.

Let’s use the Samsung Note devices as an example. All of Samsung’s Note devices, in essence, are the same. There are a lot of Note sizes though, and that is so that Samsung can appeal to a wider array of customers. Some people think that the Note 2 is too small, so Samsung made an 8-inch Galaxy Note tablet for those buyers. The only real difference between the 8-inch Note tablet and 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 is its size.

Some think Samsung won’t make a Galaxy S4 Mini because the Galaxy S3 Mini was not very successful. But the South Korean company will most likely release a Galaxy S4 Mini though, as it’s part of its business model. Besides, all the pieces seem to be in place to make it, so why not do it?

Will the Galaxy S4 Mini get announced alongside the Galaxy S4?

It’s in the realm of possibility, but it will more than likely not get announced next week. Obviously, we’re just speculating at this point, as there’s no official information available on the matter.

Compared to the Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S4 Mini should be cheaper to make considering that it is supposed to be smaller than the Galaxy S4. But Samsung would have to manufacture the device and its rumored accessories differently, which would take more time.

Samsung may also not want to announce an S4 Mini right away, so that consumers can focus on its flagship device instead of a bunch of renditions of its flagship smartphone. There’s no doubt that Samsung would want to earn as much cash off of its new top-of-the-line handset after seeing how much success the Galaxy S3 had in 2012.

While it could make sense for Samsung to release an entire Galaxy S4 family at once, what will happen to marketing for these products? If the spotlight is on the Galaxy S4 with no mention of a smaller and cheaper variant of the device, the majority of consumers may rush for the Galaxy S4.

Lastly, we didn’t see the Galaxy S3 Mini until long after the Galaxy S3’s original announcement. In fact, the Galaxy S3 Mini didn’t even launch in markets where Android was very strong, such as the U.S. That said, it would be a surprise to witness a Galaxy S4 Mini unveiling at Samsung’s Unpacked event on March 14.

If we do see the Galaxy S4 Mini at the event, why get excited about it? Chances are, it won’t be making its way to a lot of countries, just like the Galaxy S3 Mini. If you don’t remember the Galaxy S3 Mini, check out our review:

Do you think we’ll see a Galaxy S4 Mini announcement at the Unpacked event in New York City next week?