Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Review

I was over the moon when Samsung told me that I could play around with this beauty for a couple of weeks, and needless to say I was completely heartbroken when the courier arrived to take it back on Monday. Really. I love(d) my current handset, but after I trying the S4 Zoom, I have been converted and can’t wait for my upgrade… Samsung is awesome.

In this review I’m not going to be sharing a whole lot of specs and technical stuff (that I don’t understand anyway) as that can easily be found on line HERE. I want to tell you why I think this phone is so great and why, as a blogger and a mom, I want it so badly.

Let’s start with the look and feel of the phone. I was scared that it would feel bulky and uncomfortable to use because of the fixed zoom lens and hand grip, but as soon as I got used to the weight (a little heavier than your average smart phone) it didn’t really bother me. The pro’s of the fabulous camera outweighs that ‘negative’ anyway. The screen is big and beautiful.

I’ve read that from the front this phone is basically the same as the S4 mini, so if you have experience with Samsung phones, you will know exactly what it offers. I, on the other hand, do not have experience with Samsung smart phones, so here are my thoughts on the ‘phone’.

The phone is very user-friendly and I quickly figured out how to navigate it (I didn’t need a manual, and that says a lot!). I also very easily set up my social media and e-mail accounts… I had Instagram on my phone! Yay.  I guess you can easily figure what I have at the moment, hey? The touch screen is very responsive and a pleasure to use. It took me a bit to get used to typing as I am not used to a full touch screen, but I quickly got the hang of it. Not sure it will be very suitable for guys with big hands… I work in an industry with a lot of big guys and they often complain if ‘buttons’ aren’t big enough. Overall I was very comfortable with the phone and I enjoyed using it.

Now, THE CAMERA. What an absolute pleasure. As a beauty blogger, I need to be able to take proper pics of product and they need to be clear and I need to be able to zoom in. With this camera you can zoom in to the max or take a pic as close as you want, and the pic is clear. No blurriness. I mostly just used the auto setting, and all my pics came out crisp and clear and I was proud to post them on my blog. I don’t have a proper camera, so this was an absolute dream. And I could instantly post my stunning pics to Instagram. This was a big deal for me as you can see.

As a mom, this camera is perfect. I am used to struggling to access my camera on my phone and I seldom get the shot I try to go for (as toddlers never sit still!). This camera caught the most precious images of my little girl. Once again crisp and clear, even when she was running around or jumping on the trampoline. The beautiful detail in my pics is something that I am not used to. And the colours are so vivid. I prefer to use a camera phone as it isn’t always practical to carry a camera with you, and as this camera is so good, you don’t need one anyway.

I also took the most amazing videos of Cara and her cousin. Who needs a camcorder? Do they still make those?!

You can choose between Auto, Smart and Expert shooting modes. I just stuck to Auto as those gave me the results I wanted. And I didn’t attempt to play around with Expert. Smart mode easily and quickly lets you select the mode you need, like Best Face, Continuous, Kids, Sunset, etc. There are also many beautiful filters to use and fun ways to edit your pics.

I am really impressed with the camera’s quality. Have a look at some of my pics and you be the judge:

The only camera con was that I kept changing the modes while shooting with one hand. The grip lets you easily use just one hand (which is very useful if you’re a parent… you always need a free hand) to take pictures, but you have to be careful not to press the mode button on the screen.

The only other cons I can think of is the battery life that’s not the best (as with most smart phones I guess) and the fact that it is a bit difficult to see what going on on the screen in bright direct sunlight.

All in all I was very happy with this device and it was a pleasure to use. My heart aches for this phone. Especially when I try to take a pic with what I’ve got now. It is sad indeed.

xoxo