Galaxy S4 Zoom released today

[SandEagle]

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/galaxy-s-4-zoom-white.html
http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxycamera/s4zoom/

with a 10x optical zoom

 

[Crono]

It sure took them a while. I remember reading the announcements and reviews back at the beginning of summer. Android-based phones have a place in the market - and keep in mind that was actually the original plan for Android, to be a camera OS - but I'd much rather have a full-fledged MILC like a Sony NEX if size matters or obviously a DSLR if size doesn't.

It's just too uncomfortable a compromise between smartphone and camera for my tastes. Much prefer something closer to the Nokia 1020 or 1520.

The pricing for the Zoom is much better than I thought it would be, though. I have to give Samsung credit for improving on and sticking with the P&S-smartphone hybrids. Definitely getting better, but I still wouldn't want one just yet until they get better image quality.

 

[Chrono]

Looks stupid as hell.

 

[notposting]

I know the 1020 has a bit of a hump on the back, but it's still pocketable. It seems like this thing crosses that line where you may as well just be carrying a separate phone and camera?

 

[chin311]

Lol are they serious? Looks like some kind of joke!

 

[Dari]

Much better options out there. Nokia and SONY phones come to mind. But, seriously, any modern smartphone is good enough for this target audience. No professional or amateur will touch this turd.

 

[ibex333]

I completely disagree with the posts above. You people just don't understand what this is. This is an experiment by Samsung to see how important it is for people to have a good camera in their smartphone, and what is more important to some, a better camera or a more powerful/capable smartphone. The price is just right too.

Why is it that some of you compare this to Sony NEX? This is just wrong. These devices have absolutely nothing do do with one another and neither is a replacement for the other. Is sort of like saying it's better to have a huge Chevrolet Silverado than a Chevy Sonic. Not only are such statements purely subjective, but such comparisons simply shouldnt be made. The Sonic has its uses and the Silverado has it's uses.

The new Samsung camera phone is probably better as a camera than many P&S cameras out there, and if this is the case Samsung has a huge winner here. I was too lazy to read all the details, but if this new phone is as powerful/versatile as a Samsung Galaxy S4 AND has a capable camera with good indoor and night shot quality, I would totally buy it. I'd literally sell my GS4 and buy this new thing. For me, a good camera is extremely important in my smartphone. So much so, that I'd happily deal with sacrifices in size/bulk/weight/form factor to get a good camera with my phone.


EDIT: Never mind. It's no Galaxy S4. : (

Processor is slower, screen is tiny. I guess I have to wait to see if they will finally make a full featured GS4 + capable shooter. But hey, they had to cut something out otherwise this phone would be very expensive.

 

[lopri]

I thought this was released like 6 months ago. (and nobody bought them)

 

[Dari]

I completely disagree with the posts above. You people just don't understand what this is. This is an experiment by Samsung to see how important it is for people to have a good camera in their smartphone, and what is more important to some, a better camera or a more powerful/capable smartphone. The price is just right too.

Why is it that some of you compare this to Sony NEX? This is just wrong. These devices have absolutely nothing do do with one another and neither is a replacement for the other. Is sort of like saying it's better to have a huge Chevrolet Silverado than a Chevy Sonic. Not only are such statements purely subjective, but such comparisons simply shouldnt be made. The Sonic has its uses and the Silverado has it's uses.

The new Samsung camera phone is probably better as a camera than many P&S cameras out there, and if this is the case Samsung has a huge winner here. I was too lazy to read all the details, but if this new phone is as powerful/versatile as a Samsung Galaxy S4 AND has a capable camera with good indoor and night shot quality, I would totally buy it. I'd literally sell my GS4 and buy this new thing. For me, a good camera is extremely important in my smartphone. So much so, that I'd happily deal with sacrifices in size/bulk/weight/form factor to get a good camera with my phone.


EDIT: Never mind. It's no Galaxy S4. : (

Processor is slower, screen is tiny. I guess I have to wait to see if they will finally make a full featured GS4 + capable shooter. But hey, they had to cut something out otherwise this phone would be very expensive.

I'm sorry but I just don't believe you. You are willing to trade in a light smartphone for this heavyweight? And carry it around every day? All that bulk? Yeah right...

 

[Crono]

I completely disagree with the posts above. You people just don't understand what this is. This is an experiment by Samsung to see how important it is for people to have a good camera in their smartphone, and what is more important to some, a better camera or a more powerful/capable smartphone. The price is just right too.

Why is it that some of you compare this to Sony NEX? This is just wrong. These devices have absolutely nothing do do with one another and neither is a replacement for the other. Is sort of like saying it's better to have a huge Chevrolet Silverado than a Chevy Sonic. Not only are such statements purely subjective, but such comparisons simply shouldnt be made. The Sonic has its uses and the Silverado has it's uses.

The new Samsung camera phone is probably better as a camera than many P&S cameras out there, and if this is the case Samsung has a huge winner here. I was too lazy to read all the details, but if this new phone is as powerful/versatile as a Samsung Galaxy S4 AND has a capable camera with good indoor and night shot quality, I would totally buy it. I'd literally sell my GS4 and buy this new thing. For me, a good camera is extremely important in my smartphone. So much so, that I'd happily deal with sacrifices in size/bulk/weight/form factor to get a good camera with my phone.


EDIT: Never mind. It's no Galaxy S4. : (

Processor is slower, screen is tiny. I guess I have to wait to see if they will finally make a full featured GS4 + capable shooter. But hey, they had to cut something out otherwise this phone would be very expensive.

I don't care for Samsung's experimentation. I'm all for R&D, but I'm not going to be the guinea pig. As your edit shows, this isn't the "best of both worlds" approach, and it's not a good value for what you get. Someone else can go ahead and buy the Zoom if they want, I'll wait for someone else to get it right.

Your car analogy isn't the greatest. The Zoom is more like an early crossover vehicle: too big and heavy to be a sedan, but too underpowered to be a proper SUV. Nowadays there are lot of good crossover options, but it took a while for most manufacturers to get them going (some still haven't).

 

[ibex333]

I don't care for Samsung's experimentation. I'm all for R&D, but I'm not going to be the guinea pig. As your edit shows, this isn't the "best of both worlds" approach, and it's not a good value for what you get. Someone else can go ahead and buy the Zoom if they want, I'll wait for someone else to get it right.

Your car analogy isn't the greatest. The Zoom is more like an early crossover vehicle: too big and heavy to be a sedan, but too underpowered to be a proper SUV. Nowadays there are lot of good crossover options, but it took a while for most manufacturers to get them going (some still haven't).

Haha.. good one. The Aztek may have been a failure, but in a way it paved the road to better things. Also, let's not forget what the main character drives in Breaking Bad. ; )

Either way like I already admitted, the gs4 zoom isn't quite what I was hoping it is, but hopefully something truly great will come out of these "experiments" by Samsung, even though some people don't care about them.

 

[notposting]

Also, do you know anyone with an Aztek? They freaking love the things! Pretty capable vehicles, just ugly as hell.

 

[Dari]

Haha.. good one. The Aztek may have been a failure, but in a way it paved the road to better things. Also, let's not forget what the main character drives in Breaking Bad. ; )

Either way like I already admitted, the gs4 zoom isn't quite what I was hoping it is, but hopefully something truly great will come out of these "experiments" by Samsung, even though some people don't care about them.

What's wrong with the Nokia 1020?

 

[shabby]

What's wrong with the Nokia 1020?

Windo... oh nevermind.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Bulky as hell. Besides for shooting, there are only two real choices, mobile devices or DSLR. Whatever in the middle is already dead.

Though it is academic example of how easy it is to slap a touchscreen and Android to anything...

 

[Crono]

Also, do you know anyone with an Aztek? They freaking love the things! Pretty capable vehicles, just ugly as hell.

They were ugly and overpriced at launch but yes, people do love them. Had GM not cut prices to move them they probably would have taken a massive loss and it would have been a flop.

I don't actually dislike the Aztec, it's just not a car I would strongly consider purchasing unless the price was right. I feel the same way about the S4 Zoom.

GM forecast sales of up to 75,000 Azteks per year, and needed to produce 30,000 annually to break even. Just 27,322 were sold in 2001.[23]

Pricing of the Aztek was also an issue at launch: the vehicle was too expensive for its intended "Generation X" audience and was priced significantly higher than competing vehicles. After the 2001 model year, the GT model was dropped and pricing was slashed, in addition to extremely generous rebates and cut-rate financing instituted by GM in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.[citation needed]

The Aztek had among the highest CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) scores in its class, and won the appellation of "Most Appealing Entry Sport Utility Vehicle" in 2001 from J.D. Power and Associates, an independent consumer survey organization which noted: "The Aztek scores highest or second highest in every APEAL component measure except exterior styling."

Matthew DeBord of The Big Money argued that despite its poor reviews and sales, the Aztek was the car that, in the long run, could save GM. He praised GM for being daring and trying to create an entirely new market in vehicles, rather than simply copying successful formulas. He argued that the Aztek's failure is similar to the failure of the Apple's Newton and Mac Portable - two failed products that revolutionized the computer industry and became the basis for later successful products made by Apple.[24]

The Aztek's "Design by Committee" was criticized in Steve McConnell's software design book, Code Complete 2.[25]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Aztek

 

[The Day Dreamer]

I won't buy it, it just looks bad. Plus it contributes to the weight.

 

[WelshBloke]

Bulky as hell. Besides for shooting, there are only two real choices, mobile devices or DSLR. Whatever in the middle is already dead.

Though it is academic example of how easy it is to slap a touchscreen and Android to anything...

Bull! Theres a bunch of point and shoots that are streets ahead of any smartphone camera.

The space between DSLRs and smartphones is dizzyingly vast and is inhabited by a bunch of functional and useful devices.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Bull! Theres a bunch of point and shoots that are streets ahead of any smartphone camera.

The space between DSLRs and smartphones is dizzyingly vast and is inhabited by a bunch of functional and useful devices.

Ever heard of "good enough"?

 

[WelshBloke]

Ever heard of "good enough"?

So which is good enough?

The smartphone, the point and shoot or the dslr?

 

[StrangerGuy]

So which is good enough?

The smartphone, the point and shoot or the dslr?

Geez, smartphones of course, do I have to spell it out? Don't use the tiny niche excuse for P&S either because it applies to everything else in life.

 

[WelshBloke]

Geez, smartphones of course, do I have to spell it out? Don't use the tiny niche excuse for P&S either because it applies to everything else in life.

If by "niche" you mean "needing any type of decent zoom" you might have a point.

 

[poofyhairguy]

We don't even need to think of the Aztec. This of the Dell Streak. A 5 inch phone YEARS before its time.

If that that would have been sold on AT&T with a subsidy Dell might be Samsung today!