Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, taking the camera-phone concept literally

Samsung Philippines recently launched the evolution of their Galaxy Camera, the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Now I don’t know why Samsung branded this under their Galaxy S4 line since it’s nowhere near the specs of Samsung’s flagship phone, but the Galaxy S4 Zoom is the first smartphone with a 10x optical zoom making you wonder if it’s still a phone or a camera with telephony features.

Anyway, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom will address the needs of those people wishing they can call or send SMS or easily upload on their point-and-shoot cameras, or those people wishing their phones can do better in the camera department.

When it comes to design, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom looks more like your ordinary compact point-and-shoot with a light, glossy plastic build and that 10x optical zoom lens. It also has that typical camera flash with an assist-lamp beside it and the usual camera shutter button with a zoom-lever.

Now when you flip the Galaxy S4 Zoom on its side you’ll be greeted with a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED screen and a physical Home button below it. A familiar look for Samsung Galaxy phones. This device is also equipped with a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and a microSD slot. LTE and NFC are also supported by the Galaxy S4 Zoom which has a 2,330 mAh battery.

The battery, SIM, and microSD are accessible by a removable cover at the bottom of this phone. It seemed flimsy but fortunately, you rarely need to open this compartment.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom may not attract the average smartphone buyer but it won’t be long for people to warm to the idea. Common problem with phones is that they just don’t take good enough photos for some people, the Galaxy S4 Zoom solves that problem.

For those who were considering the bulky Galaxy Camera, the Galaxy S4 Zoom is a more compact choice. It will be available in the market in the coming days for Php23,990.