Cameras and phones have well and truly merged by now, but has the phone really replaced the camera? Not yet, as far as Samsung is concerned, but that could change with its latest release, the K Zoom, which integrates a 10x optical zoom 20 megapixel camera with - you guessed it - a phone.

One of the most versatile smartphone cameras you'll find today; Looks more phone-like than the last Samsung camera-phone hybrid; Supports fast 4G connectivity

Chunky; No infrared; The odd performance glitch here and there holds up the phone; Shutter button doesn't go right into the camera like it does on other phones

Samsung makes plenty of quality electronics products and we've been taken by many of its smartphones and cameras over the years. Now it's condensed much of that expertise into one phone-camera (or should that camera-phone?): the Galaxy K Zoom.

4G connectivity for fast and direct sharing; Android is a great operating system; full phone with all the apps you'll need; more slender than S4 Zoom; image quality about on par with equivalent compact

Camera components still make it feel horrible as a phone; mere 8GB internal storage; zoom button placement feels off; some image processing and lens sharpness issues; no aperture/shutter priority modes

After the Galaxy S4 Zoom, Samsung Mobiles have launched the Galaxy K Zoom (SMC-111) in India. This is a smartphone that comes with 20.7MP rear AF camera with 10X optical zoom. This single SIM handset runs on Android KitKat and is loaded with Exynos 5260 hexa core chipset.

The smartphone has claimed many scalps - the portable games console, the MP3 player, the satellite navigation system - but the point-and-shoot camera has clung to survival because a large, zooming lens doesn't sit neatly with smartphone designers' lust for thinness.

Superb camera with unrivalled zooming capability; Sharp and bright display; Removable battery; Expandable storage

Chunky compared to regular smartphones; More camera features than most will use; Lower screen resolution than others; Poor internal storage

Samsung Galaxy K zoom is 4.8 inch device, running on latest Android KitKat OS and powered by Hexa-Core (1.7GHz Dual + 1.3Ghz Quad) processor. It is available for price tag Rs. 29,999 from amazon.in and for £400 from Samsung Galaxy e-store in Europe.

KitKat OS; Decent battery life; Excellent camera performance

Extra size and weight; Expensive

The Galaxy K zoom speeds down right onto our review track, ready to take on any cameraphone contender. This speedster is equipped with a 10x optical zoom and OIS and if you were to see only its back, you would hardly recognize you are staring at an Android smartphone with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED...

20.7MP camera - 1/2.3" sensor, 10x optical zoom (24-240mm), optical image stabilization, xenon flash, 1080p video camera, 30fps and 60fps modes, 2MP / 1080p front-facing camera, 4.8" Super AMOLED, 720 x 1,280px, 306ppi; Gorilla Glass 3 with ambient light sensor, Android OS v4.4.2 KitKat, Exynos 5260...

Thicker and heavier than a regular smartphone; No 2160p video capture; Manual camera controls are hard to use

The camera is FANTASTIC, on paper 20mp and 10x optical zoom makes an average stand alone camera, but combined with the Android OS and Samsung software it easily replaces my fancy Sony Cybershot camera.

10 zoom; xenon flash; HD screen; build quality; photo results; Only 8gb internal memory; no tripod mount

By no means the perfect combination of a smartphone and zoom lens, the K Zoom isn't half bad. It's capable of great photos and videos in the right conditions. This isn't a device for everyone, but if the "zoom camera with a built-in smartphone" concept appeals to you and you don't mind the size and...

The curious case of the phone-camera crossbreed

Optical zoom is great for photo composition; High customisable software

Screen not pin-sharp; Bulky and heavy; Oversaturated display colours; Poor battery life

By no means the perfect combination of a smartphone and zoom lens, the K Zoom isn’t half bad. It’s capable of great photos and videos in the right conditions. This isn’t a device for everyone, but if the “zoom camera with a built-in smartphone” concept appeals to you and you don’t mind the size and weight, it’s currently your best option.