Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 mini phone to target mid-tier mkt

Samsung Electronics Co unveiled a stripped down version of its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone on Thursday, aiming to grab a bigger share in the mid-tier segment as growth in the high-end market slows.

The Galaxy S4 mini, which follows the debut of the S4 just a month ago, will have a 4.3-inch screen - still bigger than Apple Inc's 4-inch iPhone 5 - and an 8-mega pixel rear-facing camera.

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By comparison, the original S4, which hit the 10 million-sale mark last week to become Samsung's fastest selling smartphone, has a bigger 5-inch full high-definition screen and a 13-mega pixel camera.

Samsung did not announce a price for the phone or give a launch date, but the market estimates the smaller type will be priced at around USD 350.

The launch comes ahead of the widely speculated low-priced iPhone later this year and as Samsung, the world's top smartphone maker, looks to widen its lead with products spanning both the high and cheap-and-cheerful ends of the market.

Samsung is also expected to unveil more varieties of the S4 in the upcoming mobile event in London next month including a model with optical camera zoom functionality as well as a phone with water-proof features.