The 5.2-inch LG G2 will soon have a 4.7-inch "mini" version, with LG today pre-announcing its G2 mini handset slated for launch at Mobile World Congress next week. The warm welcome received by Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact — a faithful reproduction of the Z1 in a much more portable size — may have encouraged hopes that LG would also try to fit the full G2 spec and experience in its mini option, but that has not been the case.

The G2 mini compromises in two key areas, eschewing the excellent Snapdragon 800 processor for a choice between Snapdragon 400 or Nvidia Tegra 4i chips, and dropping to a disappointing qHD (540 x 960) screen resolution. Further cost-cutting options are also available, such as a lower-res 8-megapixel camera and non-LTE variants. At least the software on board will be the latest available, Android 4.4 KitKat, and LG promises to carry over its full suite of added features, such as Guest Mode, to the new phone.

Launching with Android 4.4 in March

With dual-SIM models, a removable 2,440mAh battery, microSD card slot, and just 8GB of onboard storage, the G2 mini is clearly targeted at more price-sensitive markets. It's not an attempt to drag the flagship battle into smaller form factors so much as it's an effort to appeal to a whole other demographic. LG makes that clear enough with its launch plans for the G2 mini, which will roll out in March starting in Russia and its neighboring countries, followed by the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.