Samsung recently launched its Galaxy S24 series, introducing a range of innovative features to the market. One standout feature is Instant Slow-Mo, which allows users to view recorded videos in slow motion simply by long pressing on them, eliminating the need to record in slow motion or manually edit the effect. Initially, the feature was exclusive to the newly released Galaxy S24 series, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, Samsung has now announced that they are expanding this feature to older phones as well.
On February 13, a moderator on Samsung’s official South Korean community forum shared this exciting news. Providing further details on the Instant Slow-Mo feature, the moderator disclosed that eight older Samsung smartphones will soon support this functionality. The list of devices includes 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.
The post explained that the Instant Slow-Mo feature depends on the presence of 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 equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, meeting the minimum requirements for the feature. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that older Samsung phones running on less powerful processors will receive this update.
Samsung refers to the Instant Slow-Mo feature as “time zoom”. The moderator elaborated on this term, likening it to spatial zoom in still images. With spatial zoom, users can stretch an image to observe finer details. Similarly, the Instant Slow-Mo feature stretches the time interval between each frame of a video, enabling users to perceive fine details in motion and creating the illusion of slowed-down footage.
While the post did not provide a specific timeline for the feature’s availability on older handsets, some reports speculate that it may coincide with the introduction of the One UI 6.1 update, expected to arrive next month. Currently, the Instant Slow-Mo feature only supports 8-bit videos recorded between 720p and 8K resolution, saved in the MP4 file format. Additionally, Samsung expressed its intention to enhance the feature further and potentially add support for 10-bit videos shot in 480p resolution, along with the MOV file format.
Samsung’s expansion of the Instant Slow-Mo feature to older phones brings an exciting enhancement to its existing user base. The capability to effortlessly view recorded videos in slow motion without any additional manual effort adds convenience and creativity to users’ video playback experience. With the prospect of further improvements and expanded format support, Samsung continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing innovative features across its product range.
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