SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII MINI

4:25PM EDT October 11. 2012 - Electronics maker Samsung has confirmed it will release a smaller version of its popular Galaxy S III smartphone.

The Galaxy S III mini features a 4-inch touchscreen and runs on the latest version of Google's Android mobile operating system. The company did not release details on pricing or availability.

The smartphone boasts front- and rear-facing cameras, expandable storage up to 32 GB and support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,GPS and Near Field Communication (NFC). It also includes several features of the standard Galaxy S III, such as S Voice and S Beam, which allows users to share content with another S Beam enabled phone by tapping devices.

IDC analyst Ramon Llamas finds the mini distinction for the smaller Galaxy S III "hilarious."

"Since when is 4 inches mini?" he says. "Samsung is not afraid to say 'we think we have a superior device. Our mini is just as big as your biggest phone.'"

The Galaxy S III, launched earlier this year, has been a huge hit for the Korean-based electronics giant. Last month, Samsung announced the device had topped 20 million in sales worldwide.

The announcement of the mini arrives as Samsung continues its ongoing legal battle with chief smartphone rival and iPhone maker Apple. Last week, the company filed a motionto add the recently released iPhone 5 to its patent infringement suit.