Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The Galaxy Camera has yet to report stunning sales numbers and the Galaxy NX might be too pricy to risk it. The Galaxy S4 zoom, however, lets you be an early adopter without a huge investment. At worst, you have a nice point-and-shoot with phone calls and data. At best you have the future. Now.”
“As a phone the S4 Zoom has us equally as charmed as the S4 Mini - it's snappy, great to use, has plenty enough power and is a decent size. As a camera the S4 Zoom performs like a reasonable 16MP, 10x optical zoom compact camera too. Married together and the potential of both sides opens up: there's no need to switch between two products so no waste of precious bag or pocket space, while using apps, snapping shots and sharing on the go are just a few finger taps away.”
“There will be a group of people that really like the Galaxy S4 Zoom, cling to it, and defend it rigorously. It will have a cult following. But like the Galaxy Cam, it’s kind of a strange tweener product. It’s too bulky and slow to be a great Android phone, but too restrained in image quality and optics to be a fantastic professional camera. At $100 with a two-year AT&T contract or $550 alone, it’s not super expensive for a high-end smartphone, but it costs hundreds more than a comparable point-and-shoot.”
“So ultimately the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is quite good, and given the quality of the camera attached to it it's not necessarily overpriced as such, we're just not sure it actually fills the small gap in the market that it seems to be aiming for.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Unlike other smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s main attribute revolves around its rear-facing 16MP camera. While the Nokia Lumia 1020 might boast a higher resolution camera, the Zoom offers an impressive 10x optical zoom. According to reviewers, the zoom quality was impressive without much loss in image fidelity though CNET noticed it occasionally failed to focus on objects and suffered in the macro function.
Image quality itself was a mixed bag for many reviewers. For most, auto-mode produced inconsistent images that were often overexposed in bright light and underexposed in indoor situations with the occasional balanced picture occurring occasionally. The Zoom comes preloaded with different preset modes like food, indoor and action, which yielded better quality images than auto for most critics.
Unfortunately, reviewers found the Zoom difficult to wield. At its thinnest, the device measures 0.6 inches wide, but it doubles in thickness at the zooms lens at the top and large bottom hand grip and weighs a hefty 208 grams. The added thickness and weight made it difficult for many reviewers to use normally as a smartphone. When used in camera mode, critics still had issues as they found the side grip too small to hold and the plastic body too slippery.
On the front of the phone is a 4.3-inch AMOLED display. Resolution is 960×540 with pixel density of 256ppi. Reviewers noticed a slight loss of sharpness when playing HD video or games, but go on to praise the color quality and viewing angles. Trusted Reviews also compliments the screen’s responsiveness and states that it reacts “just as smoothly to touch and gestures…as any other top end smartphone…”
Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM and with 8GB of storage, performance is middle-of-the-road. Gotta Be Mobile observes that the phone can easily handle light processing tasks; however it ran into problems with heavy usage and suffered slowdown when numerous apps were running in the background.
Battery life, on the other hand, was slightly above average. Tech Radar drained the 2,330mAh battery after a full day of mixed heavy use and points out that web browsing and camera usage were the biggest battery killers. Engadget warns that at 5% battery life, the phone drops brightness and also ceases non-critical functions, which includes the camera.
Overall, experts are a bit torn on the Zoom. TechRadar states, “We really want to like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom…but right now it’s a poor compact married to a mid-range phone at a high end price tag.” Android Central adds that it “doesn’t do any one thing poorly…but we’re far from compelled by the package as a whole.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom released?
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom was released on June 28, 2013.
How long does the battery last on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom?
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom has a 2,330 mAh battery.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom support wireless charging?
No, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom does not support wireless charging.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom have NFC?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom?
Visit Samsung's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom manual?
You can view and download the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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Hmm.. I think that's all on how you took the photo. Try slowly pressing the camera button 'til it focuses.