Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Review - Battery Life, Call Quality, Sound Quality and Verdict Review
Sections
- Page 1 Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Review
- Page 2 Software and Performance Review
- Page 3 Camera Review
- Page 4 Battery Life, Call Quality, Sound Quality and Verdict Review
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini: Battery Life
One of the most impressive features of the S5 above everything else is the battery life. Whether it’s in standby mode or after heavy use, it’s capable of breaking the two-day barrier.
On light use you can comfortably get more than a day and even further when you turn on the power saving modes. It also includes the same Ultra power saving mode, which turns the screen grey and limits features. It’s a really handy option on the S5 and is similarly useful to have on the S5 Mini.
Running a 720p HD video on loop with default brightness, the S5 Mini performs lasts around 11 hours, way above the One Mini 2’s 9 hours.
A 30-minute charge adds 28% of battery power, so an hour should be enough to get you through most of the day if you’re caught short.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini: Call and Sound Quality
Call quality is nothing out of the ordinary. The earpiece is well positioned and is nice and loud. As is the case with most phones, there’s a secondary mic to offer noise cancellation and we didn’t suffer any great interference from background noise sitting inside a pub. You will still want to take it outside to take the call, though.
Speaker quality is virtually the same scenario with the S5. It’s still a single grille at the back off the phone that doesn’t really impress all that much. It’s undeniably loud above anything else with very little distortion, but it’s thin and lacks any bass. HTC still holds an egde here.
Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini?
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is the best mini Samsung has come up with so far. It’s made some big improvements on the S4 Mini particularly in the screen, battery and camera departments. It’s not an automatic choice, though.
That’s mainly because the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, which is rumoured to be replaced by a Z2 Compact in the not too distant
future, has a more powerful Snapdragon processor, a better camera
and if you shop around can be bought for less. There’s little to choose between this and the HTC One Mini 2 either, though the latter looks and feels slicker.
If you’re determined to go with Samsung and don’t want a larger 5-inch phone this is a very good choice, but it’s not the best. The honour goes to the Sony.
Verdict
A very good, smaller take on the S5 that’s only eclipsed by the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and cheaper 5-inch phones.
Next, read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison
How we test phones
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Performance 7
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Camera 8
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Design 7
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Battery Life 9
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Value 7
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Software 8
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Calls & Sound 7
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Screen Quality 9
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.