Damien Wilde / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could get 4K 120fps video recording capabilities.
- The phone is also said to support seamless zoom at 4K 60fps, which indicates parity in video quality across the camera lenses.
We’re getting closer and closer to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, and new information about the devices keeps surfacing. There’s no doubt that the new devices will be contenders for the best Android phones in 2024, and it’s aiming for that spot with a flurry of new features that add up to the experience. A new leak suggests that the Galaxy S24 Ultra could push the boundaries of smartphone videography with a 4K 120fps video recording feature and seamless zoom and lens switching.
According to leaker Ice Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could get 4K 120fps video recording feature, though the leaker mentions that the feature is present in testing and is not guaranteed to arrive in the final builds.
Further, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is said to seamlessly zoom during 4K 60fps (but not 120fps, understandably) video recording.
This zooming is likely possible by switching between different lenses on the phone. In the past, phones have been unable to execute this due to wide variations in the outputs between the primary camera and auxiliary cameras like ultrawide and telephoto. So, to achieve seamless zoom during video recording, the Galaxy S24 Ultra would need comparable video output across its cameras and switch between them easily and quickly.
With 4K 120fps recording, users will be able to slow down video to 30fps to create a cinematic effect. The leaker has posted an example of the effect, though it needs to be pointed out that the example may not necessarily be from the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
What can 4K120fps do? Take a look at this video and you will know. You can play it at 30fps and the picture will be 4 times slower, which will create a somewhat cinematic feel. pic.twitter.com/pkRSCbBvxv
If you are expecting 4K 120fps video recording from all sensors, you may have to wait a while. The seamless zoom feature being restricted to 4K 60fps indicates that the phone’s other lenses may be unable to shoot at higher frame rates. Few phones offer 4K 120fps recording, and very few do it across all lenses. Further from this subset, even fewer offer results that are good and usable.
Curiously, the leaks do not mention the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus for any of these features. It remains to be seen if this is a casual omission by the leaker or if these phones don’t have the feature.
We can’t wait to see what improvements Samsung has made to its imaging pipeline to enable such videography features.
