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Samsung SM-C101 spied, is this the Galaxy S4 Zoom?

What could well be the 16-megapixel spinoff of the S4 has shown up for approval at the FCC in the US.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

What could very well be the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom has shown up at the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) in America, looking for approval to go on sale, Engadget reports.

The handset is listed as the Samsung SM-C101, which also showed up in the listings of the Bluetooth SIG a couple of weeks ago. You can read the full FCC document for yourself here. It doesn't list the specs per se, but it does say NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 are among its skills.

There's no mention of that 16-megapixel camera either, which is said to be the main selling point of the S4 Zoom. (If you think that sounds a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Camera, you'd be right.) The Zoom should be smaller than the standard S4, according to reports -- with a 4.3-inch screen, compared to the 5-inch S4. 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and Android Jelly Bean should also be on the cards.

It's not the only spinoff of the S4. The S4 Active is a rough 'n' tumble blower with a waterproof and dustproof casing to protect it from the elements. And it's actually better-looking than the standard S4. Only the camera is weaker.

Then there's the S4 Mini, which was announced this week. Sadly, the specs are nothing like the powerhouse that is the S4, and the handset is more of an attempt to cash-in on the name. Much like the S3 Mini, in fact. Hey-ho.

Samsung is holding an event on 20 June in London's Earl's Court, where it'll showcase some new Galaxy and Ativ devices. I'm sure the S4 Zoom and Active will be among them. I'm less sure what we'll see from the Ativ side of things, though. A new Windows Phone blower? Samsung renamed all its PCs as Ativ devices, so maybe it'll launch some new laptops, too.

Whatever the news, we'll be on hand to bring you what's hot and what's not. Are you excited by these S4 spinoffs? Or are they cynical attempts to cash-in? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.