Samsung today announced the newest addition to the Galaxy family, the Galaxy K. This phone is most definitely a follow on to the Galaxy Camera. But while the Galaxy S4 Zoom was definitely a modified Galaxy S4, the Galaxy K Zoom (the 'K' stands for 'kamera'), is not all that similar to this year's flagship Galaxy S5. The device uses a different processor, has a fraction of the storage, wildly different camera hardware (obviously), a smaller screen, a smaller battery, a smaller (and lower resolution) display, and a heavier overall package. Check out our side-by-side comparison for the full breakdown on how these 2014 Samsung devices differ from each other in terms of hardware.
Galaxy K Zoom
Operating SystemAndroid 4.4.2Android 4.4.2Custom UITouchWizTouchWizScreen5.1-inch Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 pixels, 432 ppi4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720 x 1280 pixels, 306 ppiChipsetSnapdragon 801Exynos 5260CPUQuad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400A quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex A7 coupled with a dual-core 1.7 GHz Cortex A15GPUAdreno 330 Mali-T624RAM2 GB2 GB Storage16 GB or 32 GB8 GBRemovable StorageMicroSD (up to 128 GB)Micro SD (up to 64 GB)Camera16-megapixel (5312 x 2988) lens with phase detection autofocus, and LED flash, as well as a 2.1-megapixel camera in front.20.7-megapixel (5248 х 3936) lens with auto/manual focus and 10x optical zoom (24-240mm) as well as optical image stabilization, and Xenon and LED flash. There's also a 2-megapixel lens up front.ConnectivityHSDPA, 42.2 Mbps, HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps up, 150 Mbps down; GPRS; WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiFi Direct, DLNA, WiFi hotspot; Bluetooth 4.0; NFC; and MicroUSB.HSDPA, 42 Mbps, HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps up, 150 Mbps down; GPRS; WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiFi Direct, DLNA, WiFi hotspot; Bluetooth 4.0; NFC; and MicroUSB.BatteryLi-Ion 2800 mAh batteryLi-Ion 2430 mAh batteryDimensions142 mm (5.6 in) H 72.5 mm (2.85 in) W 8.1 mm (0.32 in) D149 g / 5.1 oz 137.5 mm (5.41 in) H 70.8 (2.79 in) W 16.6 mm (0.65 in) D200g / 5.7 ozPrice$649 off contractNot Yet Available
The Galaxy K Zoom is interesting in that it's not trying to be the Galaxy S5 with a beefed up camera. Instead, it represents a totally different type of smartphone, one that hopes to compete with the likes of the Lumia 1020 and is aimed directly at the snap-happy photo enthusiast (we stop short of saying photographers, because not a lot of photographers would give up their DSLR for a point-and-shoot). Samsung hasn't felt the need to cram the highest of high-end specs into this device. At this point, smartphone technology has progressed to the point where you don't need to have the fastest or the biggest phone on the market. Though every company likes to have their flagship, devices like the Moto G and the Nexus 5 are showing us that customers are more than happy if you give them decent specs with a reasonable price. Finding that balance can be difficult, especially when you add the fact that Samsung's Galaxy K Zoom is a niche device on top of that. Sammy hasn't mentioned pricing for the Galaxy K Zoom, so we'll reserve judgement until we hear the magic number, but we're hoping this one is a good value.
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