December 2012...
After my contract finished on my Samsung Galaxy(yes, the first galaxy phone by Samsung that started the long line of galaxy generations) after 2 years of having it I spent hours trying to find a new contract. This was a long process and it doesn't help not being able to understand EE's call offices from what seems like every country in the world apart from England. My mum then took control of the situation and said she would sort out a contract as a Christmas present. She stayed true to that promise and managed to get me... Drum roll please... The Samsung Galaxy Ace 2! You read that right, the ace 2.
Not only did it arrive a week after Christmas but I also got this lovely phone (the mini 2)
instead of what we signed up for.

Present day:
Well that's how I got the phone but luckily the is much easier to use then to get. I don't use it for apps too much as I also have the iPod touch 5G but I use it a fair amount for texting and making calls.

Battery Life: 2/5
I am rather disappointed with the battery of this phone as it barely lasts 12 hour when it's just sitting on a table. It doesn't last long and I have almost no apps on it. If you spend a lot of time on trains or have a job that involves a lot of travelling then this probably isn't what you want as if your gaming on it, it won't last at all. Compared to the original galaxy the mini's battery is shorter than the phone is smaller.

Design: 4/5
The design is modern and smooth. When you unbox it you get a yellow and black back(I use the yellow).They both go well with the phone which is just as well because you aren't going to find many backs for it in a shop. The phone is mostly quite smoothish and all the edges are curved which gives it that modern feel and the size is perfect. The size of the phone goes perfectly into any pocket and fits well into my hand, although the screen could be bigger.

Internal Design: 4/5
Don't really know what to call this section but I think this title is suitable. When you are inside the phone then the locking system and messaging is the same as any other galaxy phone. The main feature is the big Google search bar on your home page which I find very useful an perfectly placed. The rest of the layout is simple and easy enough to find your way round the phone.

Apps: 3/5
I don't think the apps are anywhere near as good as that on apples app store but there are still a fair few. I didn't find any apps I would say are a "must have" but I haven't looked particularly hard due to using the iPod for apps. The layout for the app store is a bit annoying and hard to find anything that isn't in the top apps section.

To summarize, I think that it is a great phone but if you are looking for apps you probably want something with a better selection and more battery life. If you just want a practical phone for texting and making calls then this could well be the phone for you.