Samsung GALAXY K zoom

Samsung GALAXY K zoom Review – Last year, after launching the hotselling GALAXY S4, Samsung went on to create spin-offs of their flagship device, one of which was the GALAXY S4 Zoom that was designed to cater to the crowd who loves taking photos with their smartphones.

Samsung GALAXY K zoom, Zooming In

Although the GALAXY S4 Zoom got mixed reactions from critics and consumers alike, Samsung hasn’t given up on their plan to create the best cameraphone and this year, they give us the GALAXY K zoom. In the design department, just with a look, you will know that this is a Samsung device as it sports the same design language as most of Samsung’s latest offerings. It has that same dotted rear cover and buttons are even located on the same place. The only real addition is the dedicated shutter button, which is of course a must for a cameraphone. We found the shutter button easy to locate and very responsive.

While the GALAXY S4 Zoom featured a design more akin to a camera as it had a more pronounce grip, the GALAXY K zoom is closer to a smartphone, just a little thicker. We would have preferred to have the grip make a comeback as we found the device just a little slippery at times especially during one-handed operation. But with that said, without the grip, we also found it easier to slip into our jeans pockets and had no discomfort while walking around or sitting down. When it comes to performance, the GALAXY K zoom’s Hexa-core processor combined with the 2GB of RAM and Android 4.4.2 doesn’t disappoint at all. The device was fast and loaded up apps very quickly.

We could even play games such as Dead Trigger 2 on it with minimal lag. Another great thing about the performance is that we were able to edit our photos using apps like SnapSeed and Photoshop Touch without any hassle. As for camera performance, the 20.7-megapixel sensor and 10x optical zoom lens really doesn’t disappoint as we found images to be sharp, had good details and colour accuracy. One thing to note though is that when shooting wide-angle photos, sharpness is loss towards the edge of the frame.

Depending on the usage, the 2,430mAh battery can last you a full day but that’s if you use it just for the more menial task. If you do plan on taking a lot of photos and videos and uploading them to Facebook or Instagram, then you may want to have a spare battery or power bank at arm’s reach. All in all, the Samsung GALAXY K zoom is a decent hybrid of a smartphone and camera but ultimately it will only appeal to a very niche market as for its asking price, most users will either opt for a dedicated camera or sleeker smartphone.

Pros

• 10x optical zoom
• Sturdy design
• Snappy performance

Cons

• Battery life
• Limited manual control

Samsung GALAXY K zoom Specifications

• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Processor: Hexa-core (1.7GHz dual-core + 1.3GHz quad-core)
• Frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, HSPA 850/900/1900/2100MHz, LTE 800/850/900 /1800/1900/2100/2600MHz
• Screen: 4.8-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, USB 2.0
• Memory: 2GB
• Storage: 8GB, microSD (up to 64GB)
• Others: 20.7-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
• Dimensions: 137.5 x 70.8 x 20.2mm
• Weight: 200g