Despite previous rumors that there would be no “Zoom” variant in the works for this year’s Samsung Galaxy S5, it looks like that chatter can all be put to rest because the folks over at SamMobile claim that their sources already have hands on the unannounced Galaxy S5 Zoom. They also have a specs list and a set of Antutu benchmark scores to back up their claim, so it might be safe to scratch this one from the rumor list and change it to a “coming soon”. Last year’s Galaxy S4 Zoom was released with the intention of being a hybrid device, which combined the connectivity of a smartphone and the image quality of a compact camera. The S4 Zoom featured a 16MP BSI CMOS camera, which was an improvement over the original Galaxy S4’s 13MP shooter. The S4 Zoom’s processor and RAM were less than that found in the original Galaxy S4, making it more of a photographer-friendly device than one aimed at consumers looking for a high-end computing experience. This year’s S5 Zoom will follow the same model.
According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S5 Zoom (SM-C115) will feature a 20.2-megapixel (5184×3888) camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), Xenon Flash, 10x optical zoom, and a 2.10-megapixel (1920×1080) front-facer. The device’s processor will be the impressive 6-core Samsung Exynos 5 Hexa (5260) SoC with ARM’s big.LITTLE HMP technology; two 1.7GHz Cortex-A15 cores and four 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 cores. The device will also come with a 4.8-inch SuperAMOLED HD (1280×720) display, which is an extra half-inch of screen real estate in comparison to the S4 Zoom. Also on board for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom will be a microSD card slot, an IR blaster, Android 4.2.2 KitKat (with the latest version of TouchWiz on top, of course), and support for WiFi 802.11ac, WiFi-Direct, hotspot, NFC, Bluetooth, and a MicroUSB 2.0 for device syncing and charging.
Although benchmark scores don’t necessarily relate to real-life experience, they’re still fun to look at, and a stat that many folks in the Android community like to see when considering a new smartphone. On top of the specs list, we also have a slew of screenshots for you to peruse. As you can see, the Galaxy S5 Zoom scored a respectful 33252, putting it above last year’s flagship devices from Samsung and HTC. Again, the S5 Zoom won’t feature the oomph that the Galaxy S5 has to offer in terms of computing power, but those seeking a premium camera with the functionality and general experience of a mid- to high-end device will surely want to give this one a look. There’s no word on when to expect to see the Galaxy S5 Zoom land on retail shelves, nor is there any mention of price, but our sources tell us that the phone isn’t that far out. When it becomes available, will you be looking at picking one up?
