Samsung introduced several new camera features and improvements with the Galaxy S24 series. All three phones in the lineup have faster processors with powerful NPUs that support some of those new camera features. However, some camera features introduced with the Galaxy S24 series will be released to existing Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
In its South Korea Community Forum, Samsung has listed the camera features that will come to existing/older Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Those features are 12MP images from Motion Photos, an easier way to get long-exposure images, cross-device syncing for video editing, HDR for social media apps, improved Single Take, and the ability to colorize monochrome (black and white) images using AI. Only the Galaxy S24 will support the Live HDR Preview feature for the camera. It won't come to existing devices.
1. Turn Motion Photos frames into 12MP images or long-exposure images
The Galaxy S24 can turn any frame of a Motion Photo into a 12MP still image using AI-based upscaling. While Samsung didn't say which devices would get it, it did mention that One UI 6.1 would bring that feature to other devices. Moreover, with the help of Motion Photos, you can create long-exposure versions of an image. Such long-exposure shots look more artistic.
Samsung mentioned that Motion Photos don't work with Nightography, so if you want to capture Motion Photos in low-light conditions, you need to turn off the Nightography feature by clicking the Moon-shaped icon. This icon can be found on the bottom right part of the screen.
2. Continuity for Samsung Studio video editor
Samsung Studio, which is the new name of the built-in video editor app that comes pre-installed on Samsung's smartphones and tablets, is also getting new features. It can now alter the speed of the video at different parts of the video. Earlier, the whole video needed to be slowed down or sped up. Moreover, you can start editing videos using Samsung Studio on one device (like your phone) and continue editing it on another Galaxy device (like a laptop or tablet). This feature will come to some devices with the One UI 6.1 update, but Samsung has not revealed the names of those devices.
3. Improved image and video quality inside social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat
With the Galaxy S24, Samsung introduced the ability to capture Super HDR images/videos, view them, and even upload them on social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat. Now, the company has announced that HDR images/videos shot using social media apps can be viewed in HDR.
Other advanced camera features, such as noise removal from videos shot in low-light conditions, EIS for video stabilization, and advanced scene recognition, will also be available while capturing images and videos using social media apps through Samsung's new UniHAL+ structure. This feature won't come to devices older than the Galaxy S24.
The HDR viewing ability for videos will come to the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Z Fold 5 with the One UI 6.1 update.
4. Improved Single Take
The improved version of Single Take camera mode that comes with the Galaxy S24 lets you choose the camera (ultrawide, primary, 3x zoom, 5x zoom, or 10x zoom) before capturing images and videos. The earlier version of this feature didn't allow you to select the camera of your choice. It can now also recognize pets for better images and videos of cats and dogs.
This new Single Take feature is coming to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Fold 5 with the One UI 6.1 update.
5. Colorize monochrome (black and white) images using AI
One UI 6.1 offers the ability to colorize monochrome (black and white) images using AI. This feature will not come to existing devices older than the Galaxy S24. However, it will come to some future Galaxy phones that come pre-installed with One UI 6.1. This feature might need a processor with a built-in powerful NPU to function.
Galaxy S24 camera features that are not coming to older Galaxy smartphones and tablets with One UI 6.1 update
As mentioned earlier, some camera features seen on the Galaxy S24 series will not come to existing Galaxy smartphones and tablets, and they include the following:
1. Camera features that are dependent on the UniHAL+ structure (mentioned above) from Samsung won't come to devices older than the Galaxy S24.
2. Colorize monochrome (black and white) images.
3. Generative AI editing.
4. Super HDR live preview in the camera app.
5. Nightography for zoomed-in photos and videos.
6. Enhanced portrait videos using two camera sensors at once.
7. Spatial Video Zoom and Temporal Zoom for videos.
8. Fast capturing of images with near-zero shutter lag is not available for phones released before the Galaxy S24. With this feature, powered by faster ISP and NPU, images are captured while previous images are still being processed for HDR.
9. Professional shooting features: Anamorphic Lens Compensation, Audio Monitoring, and DOF Adapter Calibration.
10. AI-based slow-motion for normal videos.
11. Changing the playback speed of videos at different locations.
