The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is definitely an unusual beast. In some ways it seems like an excellent idea, smartphone cameras have constantly paled in comparison to their compact counterparts, so why not stick a compact good quality snapper on a phone, rather than forcing photo supporters to lug each around?
Naturally on the other hand sticking an enormous lens on the back of a smartphone isn't probably the most ergonomic of design and style selections.
Samsung has also muddied the waters somewhat as the S4 Zoom has very small in typical with the Galaxy S4 and rather far more in typical using the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, albeit it having a camera caught for the back.
Likewise that camera isn't a high finish compact - it undoubtedly can't compete with one thing such as the Fuji X20 for instance - but as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is both a phone and a camera it commands a premium price tag of approximately £440 (around $660, AU$720) SIM free, regardless of not getting a premium instance of either.
That stated it's far from poor. Its 1.5GHz dual-core processor ensures that it is fairly snappy, even though some way short in the 1.9GHz quad-core Galaxy S4 and a minor worse off compared to the 1.7GHz dual-core Galaxy S4 Mini. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom also has 1.5GB of RAM- that is a match for the S4 Mini.
There is a disappointingly little 8GB of developed in storage, but there's also a micro SD card slot, so that you can increase that by as much as 64GB much more should you invest in a card.
At first sight the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom can be a rather off-putting gadget since it looks more camera than phone. It really is difficult to think about making use of it to text or browse the net, let alone placing it as much as your ear to use for calls. But in fact it's not in fact as well negative.
Yes you could obtain a few stares once you commence speaking into what appears for each of the planet like a camera, but it's not uncomfortable to hold both in landscape or portrait as your fingers can comfortably wrap around the camera lens and also the protruding edge in the other side, so it's no far more awkward to utilize than any other phone.
Carrying it around within your pocket is slightly far more of a dilemma, as thanks to the camera lens within the back it truly is quite bulky, coming in at 125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4mm.
The length and width are not much higher compared to the similarly spaced Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, but the Mini is only eight.9mm thick. If you've got huge pockets it truly is not an issue, but skinny jeans could be a no-go.
Similarly the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is fairly weighty at 208g (around 7oz). That's nearly double the excess weight from the Galaxy S4 Mini and really somewhat a lot more than even the monstrous Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - which comes in at 183g.
It is a noticeable bodyweight also and never entirely balanced since the side from the phone with the entire camera lens is disproportionately heavy, even though not by considerably since the other side holds the battery. It truly is not unpleasant and nor is it hefty sufficient to weigh you down, however it is over we have come to anticipate smartphones to weigh.
Besides the truth that the Galaxy S4 Zoom doesn't look significantly like a phone it really is a fairly very good looking gadget. The back from the phone is primarily glossy white plastic, by using a big metallic 16 megapixel camera lens at one particular side featuring 10x optical zoom and optical image stabilization. It may also shoot 1080p video at 30fps.
There's a protruding edge at the other side adorned with Samsung's logo and jutting out because it does provides you with one thing to grip, making it easy to obtain a firm hold of the handset. In between the lens and also the edge there is the Xenon flash, whilst in the far side from the lens there is a speaker.
One particular issue with having the raised lens and grip within the back is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is somewhat unstable when screen up on a surface.
It's not likely to go anywhere but it does sit at an angle and can rock up and down in case you consider and use it. On the plus side that sloped angle does give you a far better view in the screen than if it had been totally horizontal.
The front of the phone appears an terrible lot like the front on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. It has a 4.3 inch 540 x 960 Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 256 pixels per inch, which can be identical to the display around the S4 Mini. However it really is also not all that remarkable, coming in at a sub full-HD resolution.
The display is encircled by a white border. Over the display there's a Samsung logo, although over that you are going to uncover the earpiece alongside a proximity and light sensor along with the 1.9MP front dealing with camera.
Below the screen there's a home button along with a soft touch, light up button at both side of it- menu towards the left and back to the right, but these can only be witnessed or employed once the display is on.
The best on the handset (when held in portrait) has a 3.5mm headphone port in the appropriate, a tiny microphone close to the middle and an infrared port towards the left.
There is also a metallic rim that runs around the edge on the handset, generating each and every edge half metallic and half glossy white plastic. It really is a pleasant contrast and gives the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom a premium search.
The bottom edge has a micro USB port while in the center - employed for charging the phone or connecting it to a laptop. Additionally, it has another minor microphone on the right.
It is possible to also peel away a cover on the bottom edge to reveal the 2330mAh battery that is removable, along with the micro SIM card slot. It's a neat and discreet location for both of those things, because it negates the must get rid of the whole back cover even though even now producing the battery available. The cover is straightforward to open as well, but feels securely locked in spot when closed.
The left edge from the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom characteristics just a little plastic cover at the bottom edge, which might be opened to reveal a microSD card slot with help for cards of up to 64GB. That's one thing that is considerably essential provided the paltry 8GB of created in storage.
The right edge from the handset attributes a devoted camera button at the bottom. Getting a focused camera button is no shock given simply how much of a focus the camera is on this handset but it really is still a lot appreciated offered that almost all Android handsets will not have a single.
It truly is inside the optimum place as well, as it is in which you'd count on to locate a single on a camera and does not get in the way of either the display or the lens when in use.
There's a volume rocker near the middle along with an electrical power button- which also sleeps and wakes the handset, near the best. These buttons are all done up within the exact same silvery metallic type because the rim that runs around the phone, leaving them looking higher high quality.
All in all it is a well-developed, reliable handset that is not as awkward or uncomfortable to utilize as we'd anticipated. We'd go to date as to say that it actually seems rather very good - though we'd still take a standard smartphone layout more than it from an aesthetic perspective.
By smartphone standards the camera is in a total other league, however it still cannot match up to most respectable compacts and the other specs aren't a lot to compose house about both, leaving the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom slightly compromised for any device with a £440 (around $660, AU$720) price tag.
