Yet another Galaxy: Hexa-core Samsung Galaxy K zoom features 20.7MP sensor and KitKat OS

Today, Samsung has expanded their Galaxy Zoom line up with the addition of the Galaxy K zoom. The naming convention seems a bit off given the phone looks like an Samsung Galaxy S5 with a massive sensor on the back. The Galaxy K zoom is quite a big upgrade from the Galaxy S4 Zoom in almost all departments except for connectivity and the battery. We don’t have any pricing details yet but expect this to be on the border of Rs 40,000 when it launches.

The Samsung Galaxy K zoom features a bigger 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a higher pixel count thanks to the HD resolution. It’s also powered by a hexa-core SoC, which is probably the same one powering the Galaxy Note 3 Neo . The phone will run on 4.4. KitKat with the same TouchWiz version we’ve seen on the Galaxy S5.

The highlight of course is the 20.7MP BSI sensor around the back. You also get 10x optical zoom, optical image stabilisation, a 24-240mm lens with an aperture value of f/3.1 to f/6.3. There’s also an AF assist LED around the back and Xenon flash for capturing better low-light shots. The special camera-centric interface also comes with SMART Mode, Expert Mode (Program and Manual) and My Mode. Other features include AF/AE separation, Object Tracking, Studio Smile/Blink Detection.

Besides the digicam features, the K zoom is a normal Android phone underneath. We have support for LTE and 3G depending on the region it’s launched in as well as 2GB of RAM and 8GB onboard storage. The phone is slightly thicker than the old model but a tiny bit lighter at 200g.

The disappointing bits however are in the connectivity and battery department. While NFC, GLONASS and Bluetooth 4.0 are present, there’s no Wi-Fi ‘ac’ or USB 3.0. Also, memory card support is limited to 64GB while most new models are offering 128GB support. Video recording also maxes out at 1080p which is a shame as 4K video would have been a great value-add for the K zoom. Finally, the battery is only 2,430mAh, which is a not much of an upgrade from the previous 2330mAh on the S4 Zoom.

Samsung finally has a camera sensor that can go toe-to-toe with Sony’s Xperia Z2. However, this does come at the cost of portability and convenience. We’ll have to wait and see how the camera performs in the real world tests.