Darien ChuaReview: Samsung Galaxy K Zoom
In recent years, Samsung has built smartphones with a heavy focus on photography – namely the Galaxy S4 Zoom and the Galaxy Camera 2, which saw mixed opinions from consumers. However, that didn’t stop them from trying harder.
Enter the Galaxy K Zoom.
Looks wise, the K Zoom is a blend of the Galaxy S3 and the new S5, having similar dimensions as the S3 and inheriting the rubberised, dimpled back of the S5.
At 20.2mm and weighing 200 grams, it is noticeably bulkier than the Galaxy smartphones, but slimmer than its predecessors, fitting into one’s pocket with relative ease. Considering the 20.7 megapixel rear camera has a 10x optical zoom built in, such a profile is undeniably impressive.
The Korean giants have also slapped on LTE (4G) for fast connectivity speeds and a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, giving great contrast and enhancing the viewing experience. It’s not as good as the S5’s full HD screen, but it’ll suffice. It runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat, and TouchWiz 7 (Nature UX), Samsung’s least cluttered iteration yet.
Under the hood, the K Zoom has 2GB of RAM and a hexa-core processor sporting big.LITTLE architecture comprising of a 1.3GHz quad-core and a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, rendering multitasking a breeze.
However, UrbanWire notes that such power can also rapidly drain the battery. When the K Zoom had 4G, YouTube, the camera and Chrome browser active, the battery dropped by 7 percent in about 10 minutes, which is a cause of concern.
Another issue would be the 2430mAh battery and 8GB of internal memory, both of which are smaller than some of the smartphones currently available in the market, such as the Sony Xperia Z2‘s 3200 mAh battery and 16GB memory.
Nonetheless, a plethora of functions (many inherited from the S5) are available to the user, such as Ultra Power Saving Mode, which disables everything but the essentials to maximize battery life. It also has a microSD slot for expandable storage, so users won’t have to worry about running out of space.
The K Zoom’s camera is an interesting one – the optical zoom lens works with the 20.7 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, optical image stabilisation, image processor and xenon flash for taking photos and full HD videos at 60 frames per second (fps), which makes photos appear sharp in most situations.
Unfortunately, the camera drains more power from the minute battery and to add insult to injury, phones like the Nokia Lumia 1020 offers almost twice as much pixel count with a 41 megapixel camera and a subjectively higher picture quality.
Smart modes are available to the user, such as Pro Suggest, which, for the lack of a better term, suggests different filters for the perfect Instagram-esque photos. Other functions include object tracking, an autofocus that plays with exposure and in keeping up with the zeitgeist, a “Selfie Alarm”. As nice and frivolous as it sounds, it probably isn’t the most practical of the lot.
The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is a good example of the blurring lines between cameras and smartphones, with a fantastic design to boot. However, the battery and memory are less than desirable. The K Zoom might be for those who live life through their phones, but there are better options available. What we’re left then is a gadget that could be great, but struggles to justify its EUR 519 (S$890) price tag.
Photos Courtesy of Samsung Mobile Press