Samsung on 30 May 2013 unveiled its long anticipated Galaxy S4 Mini, a smaller sibling to its Galaxy S4. According to our Country Share Tracker (CST) service we estimate that the S4 has shipped over 10 million units globally in the first month of availability following its launch, emphasizing the strong pent-up demand for Samsung’s flagship smartphone. We expect the S4 Mini to receive a strong welcome in its own right following its expected introduction in July 2013.

The S4 Mini is lightweight version of the Galaxy S4 which none-the-less manages to pack many of the same features that that have made the S4 a hit. It comes with a 4.3” qHD Super AMOLED display, 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, and 8-megapixel camera. Despite high demand for 5-inch and larger smartphones such as the S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note II, sub-5” smartphones remain in high demand, with the S4 Mini well positioned to take considerable share in this segment.

We expect that Samsung will position the S4 Mini as a direct challenger to Apple’s iPhone 4S and its upcoming rumored low-cost iPhone Mini variant. We estimate that Samsung will aim to undercut the iPhone 4S by around 5%, making it an attractive option for consumers.

With the S4 Mini, Samsung is clearly taking the fight to Apple, challenging it across additional price tiers.