is a phone? is a camera? well, the question never seems to be answered since the first generation of Galaxy Zoom, until now. announced today, the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is the follow up to the S4 Zoom, which the Korean electronics juggernaut refers to as “camera specialized smartphone.” so yes. it is still a smartphone, but also offers the control and functionality of a professional camera. pretty lofty claim there, don’t you think? we shall dispense with the marketing mambo-jambos and dive straight into its imaging innards. the K Zoom takes a step up the game with a more capable 20.7-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor matched to “real optics” with f/3.1-5.3 aperture, along with Optical Image Stabilizer, Xenon Flash, AF Assist LED, and 10x optical zoom.
also on the imaging aspect, it boasts AF/AE separation, next-generation Pro Suggest mode with 5 optimized filter settings, a Selfie Alarm (which is basically a timer for selfie) and object tracking. the main shooter is totally capable of Full HD recording at 60 fps and offers up to ISO 3200, as well as continuous shoot at 3 fps with AF. three modes of shoot is being offered: SMART, Expert (P/M) and My Mode. there is also an obligatory front-facing camera rigged with a 2.0MP sensor, but i guess we don’t need to get into that, do we? the new camera-specialized handset also touts a larger 4.8-inch touch display with more pixels to its name (1,280 x 720 pixels), as well as a Hexa core processor setup comprising of a 1.3GHz quad-core and a 1.7GHz dual-core chip with 2GB of RAM.
other features include an 8GB internal storage, microSD expansion slot which supports up to 64GB SDXC, a 2,430 mAh battery, 3G and 4G LTE radios, plus the usuals including dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, A-GPS and GLONASS, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and light sensor, and geomagnetic sensor. physically, it is a tad thicker than its predecessor, measuring 16.6mm, but lighter, tipping the scale at 200g. aesthetically, it has a S5-style perforated textured back and will be offered in charcoal black, shimmery white and electric blue. pricing and availability is to be advised.
