Samsung Galaxy S 4, S 4 mini ‘Black Edition’ models swap plastic rears for leather

Less than 24 hours after Samsung’s Polish division introduced us to the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, we’re (virtually) hopping over to Russia to meet two new Galaxy S products.

Samsung Russia today announced “Black Edition” Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S 4 mini models. As their name implies, these two devices feature all-black shells, and they’ve also traded in the glossy plastic back covers of their regular counterparts for faux leather back covers that are just like the ones used on the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy TabPRO/NotePRO hardware.

Outside of their leathery, murdered-out look, the Black Edition Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S 4 mini are just like the original models that launched last year. The Black Edition Galaxy S 4 is based on the GT-I9505 model, meaning that it’s got a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor buried underneath its leather backside. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S 4 mini features a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset.

Samsung has caught some flak in the past for the glossy plastic used on several of its Galaxy products, which many feel can diminish the high-end, flagship status of devices like the Galaxy S 4. While it’s unlikely that everyone will love the faux leather used on these Black Edition devices, I’m sure that most would agree that it’s an improvement over the plastic shells used by Samsung in the past. Here’s to hoping that the leather-ification of the Note 3, NotePRO, S 4 and S 4 mini is an indicator of a change in Samsung toward more premium-feeling materials.

The Black Edition Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S 4 mini are expected to launch in Russia next month at prices of around $660 and $460, respectively. There’s no word on when or if they’ll be made available in any other regions of the world, but hey, we can certainly hope that they will. Their leather backsides would help to keep them nice and warm in the polar vortex that most of the U.S. is experiencing right now. Just sayin’, Samsung.