Samsung Galaxy K Zoom Review

Last month, Samsung launched a professional grade camera phone called Galaxy K Zoom, which is currently available from Carphone Warehouse, Argos, Littlewoods and EE with an RRP of £400 (handset-only). Samsung also invited 50 British families from across the country to tell their unique stories through the lens of the Galaxy K zoom and you can follow their journeys over Speak Pictures hub.

We were lucky to test out this brilliant Android phone while we were holidaying in Singapore.   We relied solely on this camera phone during our holiday and it didn’t disappoint. Everyone who saw it was very impressed with it. I was also delighted that I had one less thing to pack in our suitcase.

Before I go into details, these are some of the features of the Galaxy K Zoom.

• Its 4G ready meaning you can enjoy super high speeds when browsing the web and using all your favourite apps like Facebook and Instagram
• The powerful Exynos 5 Hexa processor offers optimum performance and longer battery life
• It comes equipped with Samsung’s Galaxy Gifts package, meaning you can enjoy a number of great subscriptions including 3 months access to Now TV, 6 months unlimited music streaming with Deezer and 12 months premium fitness membership with Endomondo
• It features an advanced camera system designed to give you the control and functionality of a compact camera
• It has a 20.7 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor for ultra-clear, ultra-detailed images. The powerful Xenon flash means you can take great shots in low-light
• It has a 10x optical zoom lens
• It has a super HD AMOLED screen for excellent contrast and viewing angles
• You can shoot Full HD 1080 video at 60fps
• It has an Ultra Power Saving Mode, allowing you to turn the display to black and white, shutting down out-of-use features to minimise your battery
• It also comes equipped with S Health Lite for personalised fitness and lifestyle coaching, plus a Studio app so you can easily edit your pictures and videos

What do I think about the camera?

My first impression of the camera phone is that the images taken by the camera is very clear and very detailed. We tried a simple test where my husband and I stood side by side and took the same shot where he used his Samsung Note 3 at night. The image on my phone was so much brighter thanks to the Xenon flash.

The phone measures 137.5 x 70.8 x 16.6 mm which includes a 4.8 inch screen and weighs 200g. With the optical zoom lens open, it measures 52 mm thick. It is slightly thicker than my old phone but I am able to fit it into my trouser pocket comfortably.

It has a 10x optical zoom with optical image stabilisation, as opposed to the digital zooms normally available on most smartphones. This allows me to take photos from afar with superb image clarity. I also love that the lens is covered by a layer of super tough Gorilla Glass 3 to keep it safe.

On the Lock screen, it comes with quick, easy access to the camera. By sliding the icon, it allows you to take photos instantly but it won’t allow you to view any images or videos took from the phone.

As this equivalent to a compact camera phone, it comes with a home page of easy access apps called camera studio with the display of gallery, studio app to edit your photo or video, dropbox etc.

AF/AE Separation

It comes with auto focus/auto exposure separation for precise balance of light and clarity which is easy to use.

Selfie Alarm mode

Selfies are all the rage at the moment, and this mode allows you to use the better quality rear camera to take a selfie. Once you position your face in the centre of the screen, the phone will take 3 rapid fire shots and then you can review these and save any you would like to keep.

Pro Suggest Mode

This offers 10 optimised filter settings, e.g. Bright Colours, Warm Colours, Aquarium, Food, etc.

NFC

I am very impressed with the NFC/S Beam feature and have been using this to quickly share my photos with my friends. Now I can share photos when I don’t have Wi-Fi available.

Lastly, it also come with kids mode (need to download, 93.7 MB) which removes all but the applications you want your kids to have and lets you share your camera settings with others to use. It is obviously risky to leave your phone with kids but using this app, give you some peace of mind that they won’t be accessing anything they shouldn’t do.

This is an excellent compact camera phone that takes amazing clear images. It is great for taking family days out. It is slightly bulky on one side but not too heavy at all. Bear in mind, that this can replace a compact camera so it maybe one less thing to carry anyway. I would highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a great quality camera feature in a smartphone.

Disclosure: We have received the sample for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.