Rumored Galaxy S7 Mini could offer stiff competition for the iPhone SE

Apple's highly anticipated 4-inch smartphone could face serious competition from Samsung, especially if the iPhone SE turns out to be a revamped iPhone 5S.

Given that Apple is preparing to unveil a new 4-inch iPhone, it should come as no surprise that Samsung is also rumored to be working on a mini version of the Galaxy S7. And if the full-sized Galaxy S7 is anything to go by, Apple could be facing serious competition.

The rumor is that the Galaxy S7 Mini has a 4.6-inch 720×1280 resolution display and can be powered by either the Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8890 processor - the same processors that power the full-sized S7 and S7 Edge handsets.

The Galaxy S7 mini is also rumored to have 3GB RAM and a 12-megapixel rear camera, all crammed inside a device that's only 9.9mm thick.

This wouldn't be the first time that Samsung came out with a "Mini" version of its Galaxy S-series smartphones. Previously we've seen the Galaxy S3 Mini, S4 Mini, and S5 Mini. Despite rumors, a Galaxy S6 Mini never appeared. Instead, Samsung released the Galaxy S6 Active, a water and dust-resistant version of the Galaxy S6.

The difference between the Galaxy S7 Mini rumor and the Samsung's previous "Mini" devices is that this time Samsung might be following in the footsteps of Sony with its Xperia Compact line and releasing a smaller handset with all the power of its bigger brother.

If Apple's iPhone SE does turn out to be a revamped iPhone 5S with a $450 price tag, then a dust and water-resistant Galaxy S7 Mini sporting a micro SD card slot could be a very compelling device.

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