Samsung recently launched its Galaxy S24 series with a range of innovative features, including Instant Slow-Mo. This unique feature allows users to watch recorded videos in slow motion without the need to record them that way or manually edit the effect. Initially, it was exclusive to the newly launched Galaxy S24 series, but Samsung has announced that it will be expanding this feature to older phones as well.
In a recent announcement on the official South Korean community forum of Samsung, a moderator shared the exciting news. They revealed that as many as eight older smartphones will soon support the Instant Slow-Mo feature. These smartphones include the Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
It was explained in the forum post that the Instant Slow-Mo feature requires a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with a minimum processing speed of 16.6 milliseconds for 60fps videos. Interestingly, all eight listed smartphones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is the minimum requirement for this feature. This means that it is unlikely to be available on older or less powerful Samsung phones with different processors.
Samsung refers to the Instant Slow-Mo feature as “time zoom.” According to the moderator’s post, just like spatial zoom in still images allows users to stretch the image and see finer details, this feature stretches the time between each frame of the video. As a result, users can see the finer details in the motion, creating the perception of slow motion.
No specific timeline was provided for when this feature will be available on older handsets. However, there are reports suggesting that it could arrive with the One UI 6.1 update expected next month.
Limitations and Future Improvements
Currently, the Instant Slow-Mo feature only supports 8-bit videos shot between 720p to 8K resolution and in the MP4 file format. Samsung aims to improve the feature and has plans to add support for 10-bit videos shot in 480p resolution and in the MOV file format.
Samsung’s Instant Slow-Mo feature has garnered attention for its ability to allow users to watch recorded videos in slow motion without any additional effort. The expansion of this feature to older Samsung phones is an exciting development for users who own these devices. While it is limited to specific models powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, there is hope that future updates will include more devices. With further improvements on the horizon, Samsung continues to innovate and enhance the user experience with their smartphones.