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Samsung Galaxy K Zoom gets you closer (pictures)

The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom picks up where the S4 Zoom left off, shedding a lot the design elements that made that smartphone and its 10x zoom lens awkward to carry and use.

Joshua Goldman
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Joshua Goldman
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1 of 18 Aloysius Low/CNET

Point, shoot, make a call

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Side-by-side

From left to right: Galaxy S4 Zoom, Galaxy K Zoom, and Galaxy S5

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Stacked up

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Still kind of thick

For the moment, a phone with a 10x zoom lens is still going to be thicker than a phone with a fixed focal length.

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Redesigned lens

Samsung redesigned the lens so that some of it is in the phone's body.

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Bigger screen

The Galaxy K's 4.8-inch screen is bigger and nicer than the S4 Zoom's (right).

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Volume, power, and shutter release

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Headphone jack

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Micro-USB port

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S5-like settings menu

The Camera app looks like the  one on the Galaxy S5, right down to the settings menu.

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10x zoom

The zoom lens can be controlled either by pinching in and out on the screen or the volume buttons on the right side.

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AE/AF point separation

New to the Zoom is the capability to select separate autofocus and autoexposure points.

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28 Smart Modes

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Pro Suggest

Frame up your subject, half press the shutter release, and up pops a row of shooting mode suggestions that can be applied.

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Pro Suggest Market

Create, save, share, and download custom camera settings.

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Selfie Alarm

The Selfie Alarm lets you tell the camera where to expect to find your face and once it locks on the camera gives off a series of beeps so that you smile pretty before it takes three shots. You get to pick the one you like the most.

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1080p video at 60fps

The Galaxy K Zoom can record video in full HD at either 30 frames per second or 60fps.

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Asian markets first

The availability focus is on Asian markets first, with Singapore specifically being an important launch market. Samsung isn't ruling out a US launch, but there are currently no US plans.

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