Samsung’s popular Galaxy S5 has received an imaging update with the K zoom variant, which adds some heft to the flagship in exchange for a 20.7MP camera.
The hybrid smartphone has gone on sale for $749 outright. No carriers at the time of writing have confirmed if they will stock the K Zoom.
What $749 buys you
Differentiating the K zoom from the Galaxy S5 is its improved 20.7 megapixel camera, which is backed by a CMOS sensor and a 10x optical zoom.
Shortcomings as a smartphone are aplenty when the K zoom is compared to the flagship Galaxy S5. For starters, it is twice as thick at 20mm and weighs more at 200 grams.
The smaller 4.8in screen — charged with displaying higher resolution photos — has a lower 1280x720 resolution. The pixel count remains healthy at a density of 306 pixels-per-inch.
The K zoom will alternate between two CPUs in an effort to balance performance with efficiency: a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU for less demanding tasks, and a 1.3GH quad-core CPU for those that are more intensive.
Also featured is 2GB of RAM, a 2430 milliamp-hour battery, 8GB of internal storage and support for 64GB microSDXC memory cards.
Read more: Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch review
The Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone supports 4G networks, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11n), near field communications (NFC) and the latest 4.0 version of Bluetooth.
The K zoom is available now “from major retailers” in white and black for $749.
