Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
Specifications

Price comparison
Average of 7 scores (from 15 reviews)
Reviews for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
Compact camera and smartphone in one device. Samsung extends its new device class with the new Galaxy S4 Zoom. Similar to the Samsung Galaxy camera, our 4.3-inch review unit is a smartphone and a compact camera at the same time and is supposed to combine the best features of both worlds. We put it to the test.
Source: Mobileburn

The QX10 has an obvious advantage here because you can look at the camera and line up a very good selfie or group portrait. The other images use the front-facing cameras which are significantly smaller and not as good. You could use the rear camera but it's harder that way.
Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 03/12/2014
Source: Tech Advisor

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is only for those smartphone users who are truly dedicated to photography, and prepared to sacrifice some of the their phone in order to have a superzoom camera to hand. It's neither the greatest camera nor the best Android phone: it's a compromise that will find only a small audience. But that doesn't make it a bad product. We award three and a half stars.
video review
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 09/02/2013
Source: Tech Advisor

It's almost impossible to score the Galaxy S4 Zoom. It is such a niche product. £400 buys you either not much phone or a lot of camera. Actually, it buys you both. But whether that makes it a good deal depends on your needs: do you want a superzoom camera that can make calls and send and receive emails? If so this is the phone/camera for you. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/13/2013
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 70% performance: 70% features: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: T3

The real thing about this phone is the size that the zoom lens attaches to an otherwise slim smartphone. It's chunky. But if you are planning to take a lot of photographs, it's worth it. But you do need to have photography as a significant focus to make this more valid than a regular smartphone. If it's not, the extra size and weight, though still fitting the pocket reasonably well, may leave you resenting how much bigger it is than all your friends' phones.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/06/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: V3.co.uk

Summing up, as a cameraphone the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good buy. Thanks to the addition of optical zoom and an improved camera sensor, images taken on the Zoom are significantly better than those taken on 99 percent of all other smartphones. However, as an actual phone the device is fairly middling. Featuring an underpowered processor, slightly disappointing screen and bulky design the Zoom isn't all too smart when it comes to basic phone functions, taking a fraction of a second longer than we'd like to boot up apps and web pages and feeling outright awkward in hand when being used to make calls or type messages. For this reason, unless you really need a camera on you at all times we'd recommend this as a smart camera device rather than a smartphone.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/06/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Slashgear

While we’ve found this device to be taking one of several awards home for most unique device in Samsung’s most recent collection of smart devices, it’s not necessarily the best device for any one use-case. While we expected the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom to take the place of the Samsung Galaxy Camera, instead we’ve found it to be another entry point for new users to get in on the smart device universe through Samsung’s flavor of Android.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/23/2013
Source: Techradar

We really want to like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom but we're just not sure there's a gap in the market for it. If the camera or phone part was better or the price tag was lower then it would make sense, but right now it's a poor compact married to a mid-range phone at a high end price tag. 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.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/17/2013
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Trusted Reviews

As a smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom feels neither practical nor comfortable. As a multipurpose compact camera replacement, however, it is second to none. The S4 Zoom will not appeal to everyone, but, on first impressions at least, it will more than satisfy the needs of smartphone owners looking for market leading camera capabilities. Our only concern is whether the slower lens can cope in low light conditions, which is something we'll look at it in detail when it comes to our full review.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/21/2013
Source: Techradar

The Samsung Galaxy Zoom is an odd device, and one we cannot see being a success. It's too chunky to be a phone you'd want to buy over something a bit sleeker, and it's likely to be a bit too expensive compared to a comparable compact camera. The phone is only average in some places, and many will yearn for a little more power when you're happily snapping around. That said, it doesn't fail in any area specifically, and if you were someone desperate for a hybrid device then this would certainly be the phone for you.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/20/2013
Foreign Reviews
Source: PC Magazin - Heft 12/2013

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 11/01/2013
Source: Stiftung Warentest - Heft 11/2013

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 10/01/2013
Source: Audio Video Foto Bild - Heft 11/2013

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 10/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 82%
Source: PC Go - Heft 10/2013

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 09/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 89%
Source: Netzwelt

Positive: good mix of smartphone and camera Negative: usage problematic
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/22/2013
Source: Netzwelt

Positive: interesting model; line between smartphone and camera is blurred
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/20/2013
Comment
Model:
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom was built to take photos, and take them well. This device attempts to bridge the gap between dedicated cameras and the typical smartphone fare, with the high resolution camera and a 10x lens to zoom in closer than any other smartphones out there. However, despite being made for taking pictures - launching the camera app will take approximately 4 seconds, and once a photo is taken, it will take 2 seconds before you can take another one, which is a big disappointment. On the other hand, the display beats the standard Galaxy S4's in vibrant color and brilliance, which is not a small feat since the standard S4 has one of the best displays around.
In line with its camera-centric purpose - the body is built with a molded finger grip designed to improve handling when taking photos. Photos taken with auto setting look better than the standard S4's, with bright, crisp colors and good details. However, when compared to other photo-centric devices (like the Nokia Lumia), the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom disappoints. No doubt, for a more advanced user, who understands how to manually adjust settings, this device is the best out there. The body is uncomfortably heavy, and the large 10x Zoom lens on the back makes it awkward to hold when being used for anything other than photo-taking. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom would be a great option for advanced users looking for a highly portable camera solution and the unique zoom lens, but there are much better options out there for casual users.
ARM Mali-400 MP4: OpenGL ES 2.0 GPU for ARM based SoCs with 4 fragment processors and 1 vertex processor.
These graphics cards are not suited for Windows 3D games. Office and Internet surfing however is possible.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
4212 1.5 GHz: » Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
4.30":
This display is tiny. You will probably see very little on the screen and be able to use mini-resolutions.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Samsung: Samsung Group is the largest South Korean conglomerate and was founded in 1938. Samsung Group employed 489,000 people in 2014 and is one of the world's largest companies in terms of revenue and market strength. The name Samsung means "Three Stars" in Korean and represents the three sons of the company's founder. The company was founded in 1938 as a grocery store. With its subsidiary Samsung Electronics, founded in 1969, Samsung took up the production of electrotechnical items, focusing on consumer electronics and household appliances at an early stage. Other branches in which the large corporation is active include mechanical engineering, automobiles (Hyundai), insurance, wholesale, real estate and leisure. Samsung manufactures a wide range of electronic products, including smartphones, televisions, home appliances and semiconductors. The company's Galaxy line of smartphones is one of the most popular in the world. Samsung is also a major player in the semiconductor industry, making memory chips and processors for many other electronics manufacturers.
74%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.