Catering to customers who want a point-and-shoot camear built into their smartphones, Samsung offers an Android device with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens. June 12, 2013 2:07 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy Zoom marries an Android 4.2-based smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera that uses a 10x zoom lens. (Credit: Samsung) Samsung's S4 Galaxy Zoom -- which combines an Android smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens -- is real. The Korean electronics giant announced the new smartphone Wednesday, the latest in a series of S4-branded phones that began with the Galaxy S4 flagship model, continued with the smaller, cheaper Galaxy S4 Mini, then the rugged Galaxy S4 Active. Related stories Galaxy S4 upsets iPhone 5 in our brutal destruction test (video) Galaxy S4 losing steam? Samsung's shares follow suit Screens test: HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung launches firmware update for Galaxy S4 Samsung GS4 ad shows how to hold baby and watch LeBron The company had experimented last year with the $550 Samsung Galaxy Camera, which has an Android interface, a 4.8-inch touch screen, a 21x zoom lens, and mobile-network connectivity. Though its camera is better than what's in the vast majority of smartphones, it's not a real smartphone, even though the full potential of photo and video sharing requires customers to pay for a new monthly data plan. The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a real smartphone, though -- something to go up against Nokia's 808 Pureview and, more realistically, the Windows Phone-based but still officially only rumored Nokia EOS. The S4 Zoom has a Android 4.2, aka "Jelly Bean;" a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960x540-pixel screen; LTE network connectivity; a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (though that will vary by market, Samsung said); 8GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for up to 64GB more capacity; a 2,330mAh battery; and Samsung's range of extra software. In the camera department, it's got an image-stabilized lens with an 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 24-240mm. Its aperture ranges from f3.1 to f6.3. The sensor can shoot at ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 3,200. It's also got a flash and, on the front, a 1.9-megapixel camera for video chat. The S4 Zoom will be available this summer, but Samsung didn't share a price tag.
Catering to customers who want a point-and-shoot camear built into their smartphones, Samsung offers an Android device with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens.
The Samsung Galaxy Zoom marries an Android 4.2-based smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera that uses a 10x zoom lens.
(Credit: Samsung)
Samsung's S4 Galaxy Zoom -- which combines an Android smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens -- is real.
The Korean electronics giant announced the new smartphone Wednesday, the latest in a series of S4-branded phones that began with the Galaxy S4 flagship model, continued with the smaller, cheaper Galaxy S4 Mini, then the rugged Galaxy S4 Active.
Related stories
- Galaxy S4 upsets iPhone 5 in our brutal destruction test (video)
- Galaxy S4 losing steam? Samsung's shares follow suit
- Screens test: HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4
- Samsung launches firmware update for Galaxy S4
- Samsung GS4 ad shows how to hold baby and watch LeBron
The company had experimented last year with the $550 Samsung Galaxy Camera, which has an Android interface, a 4.8-inch touch screen, a 21x zoom lens, and mobile-network connectivity. Though its camera is better than what's in the vast majority of smartphones, it's not a real smartphone, even though the full potential of photo and video sharing requires customers to pay for a new monthly data plan.
The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a real smartphone, though -- something to go up against Nokia's 808 Pureview and, more realistically, the Windows Phone-based but still officially only rumored Nokia EOS.
The S4 Zoom has a Android 4.2, aka "Jelly Bean;" a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960x540-pixel screen; LTE network connectivity; a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (though that will vary by market, Samsung said); 8GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for up to 64GB more capacity; a 2,330mAh battery; and Samsung's range of extra software.
In the camera department, it's got an image-stabilized lens with an 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 24-240mm. Its aperture ranges from f3.1 to f6.3. The sensor can shoot at ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 3,200. It's also got a flash and, on the front, a 1.9-megapixel camera for video chat.
The S4 Zoom will be available this summer, but Samsung didn't share a price tag.
