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Samsung’s different models for the S21 are not all the same. If the price and physical size had not taken you into account, the specifications would probably have done. And located in the list of different nominated standards and numbers, is a curious treat that escaped on launch day: While the bottom Galaxy S21 and S21 + 960 fps support super slow motion video (in bursts up to 0.5s), is the seemingly more premium S21 Ultra, with its upgraded cameras, not – or at least.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because S20 / S20 Ultra had a similar setup last year.
It’s not very simple if you are not familiar with how it all works, but hidden in a footnote in the video recording section of the spec sheet, Samsung highlights the difference:
“On Galaxy S21 5G and S21 + 5G, users can record about 0.5 seconds of video at 960 fps in about 16 seconds. On Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, users can record about 1 second of video at 480 fps and the video at 960 fps at about 16 seconds. 32 seconds play. “
Simply put, this means that the smaller S21 models can record 960 fps originally, instead of relying on digital interpolation to create the frames between 480 fps. can record, as with the S21 Ultra. In some cases, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable, but it does give the smaller models an edge when it comes to recording slow-motion video.
The distinction is curious. As noted by Android Authority, there is no difference between chips between phones, and the Snapdragon 888 that shares these phones (in the US) should support 960 fps recording at hardware level.
After the release, Samsung told us that the reason for the S21 Ultra’s digitally upgraded slow-mo video has to do with the larger image sensor of the phone, which works at a lower shutter speed when recording video. Instead of artificially limiting the smaller phones, which can reach a higher shutter speed, Samsung chose to give them the full recording capability of 960 fps and use the frame rate conversion technology on the larger phone, which suggests that the difference between the two was not very noticeable. .
I know it sounds like a strange statement, but as far as we can see, it’s legal. This DP Review article explains the difference between shutter types and claims that the performance of electronic shutters (as you would with smartphone video) can be affected by not only the number of pixels but also the size of the pixel / sensor and the S21 Ultra. do has a larger primary sensor with a very high pixel count compared to the smaller S21 and S21 +.
If you plan to use the feature, it may be a good idea to keep this distinction in mind when choosing a model. While the “digitally enhanced” 960 fps is probably enough, slo-mo lovers may be better served by the cheaper model.
Samsung provided us with more details about the slow-motion video on the S21 Ultra and confirmed that the larger sensor in the larger phone is responsible for the difference in performance. Our coverage has been updated with these details.