Eyes on Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom (pictures)

This smartphone's 10x optical zoom makes it more point-and-shoot than phone.

Eyes on Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom
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James Martin/CNET

Eyes on Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom

One look at the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and you'll agree: it's a camera with a smartphone, not a smartphone with a camera.
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Zoom, baby, zoom
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Josh Miller/CNET

Zoom, baby, zoom

You can operate the 10x optical zoom by rotating the element or using on-screen controls.
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Use at your own risk
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Josh Miller/CNET

Use at your own risk

Warning: If you're not using a Bluetooth headset, you will expose yourself to certain ridicule.
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Not so pocket-friendly
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Josh Miller/CNET

Not so pocket-friendly

The Zoom's a tight fit.
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High profile
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Josh Miller/CNET

High profile

The lens rises two inches above the phone's face. That and the camera grip make it easier to hold onto, but a little lumpy.
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Wake up!
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Sarah Tew/CNET

Wake up!

If the phone's unlocked, you can press and hold the shutter button to launch camera mode.
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Taking shortcuts
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James Martin/CNET

Taking shortcuts

Turn the lens from the home screen to select and launch common modes.
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A la mode
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Josh Miller/CNET

A la mode

The camera app settings contain even more modes for all sorts of lighting situations and creative effects.
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Expert controls
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Expert controls

For more advanced photography, you can set white balance, metering and ISO; color; and shutter speed and aperture.
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Android backbone
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Sarah Tew/CNET

Android backbone

The Zoom runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean like its S4 cousins. It's a smaller phone than the original Galaxy S4.
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Storage and more
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Josh Miller/CNET

Storage and more

There are only 8GB of internal storage on the Zoom, but a microSD card slot holds up to64GB more. It's equipped with a tripod mount on the bottom edge.
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Battery compartment
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Battery compartment

The battery is fully removable, and resembles a point-and-shoot camera's compartment.
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Blast off!
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James Martin/CNET

Blast off!

Here you can see the profile of the lens, the headset jack, and the IR blaster for remotely controlling your TV.
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Truly gripping
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James Martin/CNET

Truly gripping

The bump you see is the Zoom's hand grip, which incorporates the device's Micro-USB charging port.
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Flash forward
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James Martin/CNET

Flash forward

The Zoom's auto focus light sits next to the xenon flash.
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