ST-Ericsson, which is a company responsible for developing wireless platforms and semiconductors, announced that its NovaThor ModAp platform is used to power the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. The Mini is a smaller, more affordable version of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III. The NovaThor ModAp platform is designed for compact devices, which seems quite suitable for the smaller version of the S III.

The reason the NovaThor ModAp platform functions well on smaller devices is that it implements modem and application processor on a single die. This allows the device to create power with solid efficiency without taking up extra space. ST-Ericsson has had its processors featured in a few other devices, but they have not received nearly the attention of companies like Qualcomm, who is are known for making the ultra high-end processors.

For whatever reason Samsung choose not to announce the processor creator when they announced the other specs of the device. They were quick to announce that it had a 1.0 GHz dual-core STE U8420 processor, but they did not credit ST-Ericsson. They also announced that the phone has 1GB of RAM, 8 and 16GB storage options, and a 1,500 mAh battery.

Final pricing and release information on the Galaxy S III Mini is still spotty. UK retailers have posted various prices, but nothing official has come out yet. Prices for other regions and release dates have not been announced of late, but at least we are learning a little more about the device. As always, we will keep you posted with latest on the Galaxy S III Mini as it happens.