Samsung to Battle iPhone 4S, 5 With Galaxy S II Plus, Galaxy S III Mini

With the impending release of Apple’s iPhone 5, it appears that Samsung is planning some lower-cost Android alternatives to Apple’s smartphones. The company is rumored to be prepping a Samsung Galaxy S III Mini to battle the iPhone 5 and a Samsung Galaxy S II Plus to challenge the Apple iPhone 4S, which should be discounted heavily once Apple announces the iPhone 5.

According to Sam Mobile, both devices are being planned for an end of year release this year in 2012. The Galaxy S III Mini will sacrifice the large 720p HD resolution display on Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III model in favor of a 4-inch WVGA resolution Super AMOLED display. Though the display may not be Retina-sharp, the size of the screen will at least make it a close competitor to the rumored 4-inch display of the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S III Mini will also have a 5-megapixel camera as well as a dual-core CPU to keep costs down. The device is rumored to retail for just 250 Euro compared to an approximately 650 Euro iPhone 5.

The Galaxy S II Plus is rumored to be coming in at 300 Euro, though it’s unclear what the specs will be for that device.

With Apple already accusing Samsung of infringing on its design and causing customer confusion in the marketplace with the copycat Galaxy smartphones, it’s unclear if Apple will have issues with Samsung’s latest competitors if these early leaked reports are true.

The devices are anticipated for the holiday shopping season.