Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: Half The Price Of The Galaxy S4?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is now official, but it's price largely remains a mystery. Recent reports, however, suggest that the truncated version of the flagship Galaxy S device will cost roughly half the price of its high-end cousin.

First price estimates for the S4 mini came out of Russia, where the website Hi-Tech Mail said the smartphone will sell for 19,990 Russian rubles, which translates to a whopping $630 in the U.S., according to Gotta Be Mobile. Russia notably has some of the highest smartphone prices -- the full-size S4 sells for 29,990 rubles. If this rumor is true, the S4 mini could be about half as expensive as the original S4. Many now wonder if this means we may see a $300 S4 mini in the U.S.

However, it's wise to be skeptical of price suggestions for devices prior to their official release dates, and Samsung has not revealed any real price information for the S4 mini. Many price rumors for the S4 surfaced prior to the phone's release, but prices overseas gave little indication of the phone's true U.S. price point. Initial U.S. price suggestions for the S4 listed the device at $800 unlocked; however, the device starts at $630 off contract.

While we likely won't know how much the S4 mini will sell for until its release date, we may be able to get an idea of its price range from its predecessor, the S3 mini and its full-size counterpart. The S3 sold for about $600 unlocked in its 2012 flagship heyday, and the S3 mini sold for around $400. Taking this into consideration, the S4 mini could be at least $200 less than the S4 in the U.S.

The S4 mini will see its official launch at Samsung's Premiere 2013 event in London on June 20, where we will likely learn more about the device. If rumors about its July release date are true, it won't be long until the price of the S4 is revealed.