There was some debate on the merits of Samsung’s latest announced product, the Galaxy S4 Zoom, the moment people got word that the Korean manufacturer was going for a smaller, telephony-capable variant of its much-maligned Galaxy Camera. Branding issues, aesthetic concerns, and speculation over the device’s actual utility are all part of the discussion. It’s a confusing product, no doubt about it, and the future doesn’t look good for this ambitious cameraphone.
Cameraphones are things of the past
Cameraphones used to be a valid segment in the mobile phone market, back when do-it-all smartphones weren’t the norm and feature phones ruled the day. Sony, then known as Sony Ericsson, really hit the cameraphone concept right out of the ballpark with CyberShot-branded phones that looked good, were pocketable, and had decent camera sensors for superb photography.