AT&T Rumored to Bring Galaxy S4 Zoom to U.S. to Challenge Lumia 1020

In the high-end camera phone segment, the award-winning Nokia Lumia 1020 may get some serious competition from AT&T in the form of the Galaxy S4 Zoom from Samsung. Though AT&T is now offering and heavily promoting the Lumia 1020 as a U.S. exclusive, highlighting the device’s lossless zoom, 41-megapixel camera sensor, and excellent low light performance, the Galaxy S4 Zoom may be a camera for those who refuse to give up Android for the Windows Phone ecosystem to get better camera functionality.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom has now been available for some time in the European and international market, but has yet to make its way Stateside. The device features a point-and-shoot sized sensor capable of capturing 16-megapixel resolution images. It also has a 10X optical zoom so you can get close to the action from afar.

An image of the phone posted by the famed @evleaks on Twitter reveals that the device will launch with a few AT&T apps and services. To some, that may mean bloatware, but for many some of these services will be useful, including AT&T’s digital cloud Locker service, which offers consumers 5 GB of storage for free.

The screen on the device shows that the phone will launch with an AT&T Drive Mode app as well as a folder with other AT&T apps inside.

The phone is a dual-core phone that essentially is a Galaxy S4 Mini–also rumored for AT&T in the U.S.–coupled to a phone. The device will also have 4G LTE service and may arrive in 2013, in time for the holidays.

Pricing is not yet revealed for the device.