SINGAPORE—The sudden heavy downpour at noon did not dampen the mood of the guys at Samsung who invited local and foreign journalists to the launch of its newest baby here in late April.
One ranking local officer swears Samsung’s newest smartphone has an optical zoom feature so powerful that someone at the farthest seats at a concert would take better photos of the band compared to those at the mosh pit.
A senior vice president (SVP) boasted that the Galaxy K Zoom is also so sleek and portable that a girl can fit it snugly into the pocket of her skinny jeans.
Retracting lens
“The Galaxy K zoom is equipped with new retracting lens technology that provides 10x optical zoom in a remarkably slim and chic body,” Sun Hong Lim, SVP of mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics, pointed out.
The retracting zoom lens is located at the back of the smartphone and takes the place of the nearly invisible camera lens found in most phones.
Eugene Goh, vice president of mobile communications business at Samsung Singapore, said the lenses retract mechanically inside the unit when not in use so there’s no worry about them breaking.
“It’s mechanical, not digital… You can take the cheap seats at a concert and still take better photos,” he promised.
Since the Galaxy K zoom is a camera-specialized smartphone, it is designed to offer “the control and functionality of a professional camera, ensuring that the important moments are never missed and always captured with complete clarity,” SVP Lim said.
True enough, the new smartphone’s camera produced very clear photos that impressed journalists and bloggers from all over Asia who were invited to the launch at the Red Dot Museum here.
In some instances, it was like looking out a miniature window of the real world outside. The colors and lines were very defined.
VP Goh said this is because of the Galaxy K zoom’s 20.7-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor that gives “ultra-clear, ultra-detailed images” in pictures even under low light conditions.
Crisp and sharp
An optical image stabilizer reduces blur such as those caused by a photo subject’s sudden head movement.
He said these specifications ensure the device delivers pictures and full-HD video that are crisp and sharp, even when zoomed and in low light.
“In addition, the device’s Xenon Flash provides a brighter light than LEDs to improve the quality of the image with natural brilliance,” Goh noted.
He also pointed to the smartphone’s Instant Camera Mode feature that allows a user to “point, press the volume and power button and enjoy the moment forever” without the hassle of missing those quick but crucial moments “because you couldn’t switch on the camera fast enough.”
The Galaxy K zoom comes in a variety of colors and finishes. Choices allow users of different ages to customize their units depending on personal preference.
A bold style prediction: The ones that come in a shiny finish in bright colors like blue, white and bright pink would most likely bridge age and gender boundaries.
An added bonus is the rounded back and more comfortable grip of the ergonomic design, inspired by what Samsung dubbed as “the soft round curves of pebbles.”
Diverse demands
Lim said the Galaxy K zoom is proof of Samsung’s commitment “to creating products that meet the diverse demands of our consumers.”
Apparently noting complaints about bulky smartphones, Lim pointed out that the Galaxy K zoom would not pose a problem to girls fond of skinny jeans.
Goh, meanwhile, pointed to the Selfie Alarm feature that allows users to take timed selfies without the hassle of last-second posing and preening.
Other features include the Auto Focus/Auto Exposure Separation, for the precise balance of light and clarity; Pro Suggest mode, which offers five optimized filter settings; and object tracing, for a clear, focused shot of a moving subject.
Samsung said each feature comes with a simple user interface, allowing users to easily capture photos and videos with groundbreaking quality in any situation.
The Galaxy K zoom also offers all the features available in a flagship Galaxy smartphone like the Ultra Power Saving Mode for minimizing battery consumption, S Health Lite for personalized fitness and lifestyle coaching, and a Studio app to allow users to easily edit their pictures and videos.
Premium audio products
Following this, Goh announced that the company will soon distribute the Samsung Level, a new series of premium audio products that offer “organic sound quality, superior comfort, portability and style.”
The Level series carries four types of audio products: Level Over, Level On, Level In and Level Box. All four products allow users to take calls while listening to any type of audio, and ensure the best sound clarity during their call in harmony with Samsung’s industry-leading mobile technology.
Level Over is an over-ear headphone featuring superior HD organic sound, a comfortable ergonomic design, touch controls and wireless Bluetooth pairing.
Level Over also uses a hybrid-type active noise cancellation, both on the headphone inside and with a mic on the outside that picks up sounds to block so that users can enjoy perfectly crystal-clear music.
Natural sound
Level On is designed to provide a full range of natural and clear sound by flexibly dampening the airflow with a 40-mm dual layered diaphragm, while Level In provides an “immersive sonic environment” via a three-way speaker that lets users enjoy sounds that cover all the low, mid and high sound naturally, and with clear sound separation.
Level Box is a compact Bluetooth speaker that provides noise reduction and echo cancellation, and built-in microphone that captures voices clearly, making it ideal for phone calls and conference calls.
Samsung said its Level series will be available for purchase beginning in mid-May in most markets around the world. They will also be available for purchase through the Samsung Online Store (store.samsung.com) in select countries. The availability of each Level series will vary by market.
For more product information, visit www.samsungmobilepress.com.
