Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom goes official with 16MP camera, 10x optical zoom

Well, no more rumours and leaks – Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S4 Zoom, another variant of its latest flagship handset S4. The Galaxy S4 Zoom features 16MP CMOS sensor with 10x optical zoom and a Xenon flash. The new Samsung cameraphone is capable of 1080p video recording @30fps and 720p@60fps.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. It measures 125.5×63.5×15.4 mm, slimmer than the Galaxy Camera.

The built-in storage of the cameraphone is 8GB, expandable up to 64GB via hot-swappable microSD card slot. In terms connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, and A-GPS. There’s a 2,300mAh battery. The Galaxy S4 Zoom is available in LTE and 3G versions.

As expected, the Galaxy S4 Zoom comes with various camera-oriented apps. Samsung has introduced a new Zoom Ring feature that activates the In-call Photo Share feature and allows users to capture and send an image directly via MMS to whoever they are talking. Zoom Ring can also be used to activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features.

Photo Suggest feature gives users access to libraries of images taken by fellow photographers. Smart Mode Suggest feature gives a short list of the best options for consideration based on surrounding factors such as light levels, focal length, or face detection.

“The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom represents yet another step forward in the way Samsung is working to enhance the lives of our customers around the world,” says JK Shin, President and CEO, Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics.

“As communication continues to become increasingly visual in nature, people wish to capture and share their moments in the highest quality possible, but often do not have the space or inclination to carry a dedicated camera for this purpose. The GALAXY S4 zoom changes this forever, combining the industry leading functionality and connectivity of the GALAXY S4 with the high quality photographic experience you’d expect from a compact camera. The result is truly the best of both worlds, without compromise.”

Prior to the S4 Zoom, Samsung has launched Mini and Active spinoffs for its flagship handset. So far there’s no word on pricing and availability of the S4 Zoom. We can expect more information at the forthcoming Samsung event in London. In the meanwhile, you can check out full specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom  here.