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How to record slow motion video on iPhone 5s and Android’s Samsung Galaxy Note 3, S4, HTC One and Moto X

By Victor Hristov

Published: Jan 10, 2014, 10:06 AM

19comments

Motorola Samsung iOS LG HTC Apple Android Sony How-to

How to record slow motion video on iPhone 5s and Android’s Samsung Galaxy Note 3, S4, HTC One and Moto X

Did you know that you could record slow motion Matrix-style videos right on your smartphone?

While Apple has made slo-mo video capture a known feature on its iPhone 5s, a similar slow motion video recording option is present on top-shelf Android devices.

Slo-mo on iPhone 5s

How do you turn on slow motion video recording on Android and iOS?

Apple

First, let’s start with the iPhone 5s, the first and only iPhone to support slo-mo capture. Apple touted slow motion recording on its 2013 flagship as the second coming and for a good reason - it's an awesome feature that would help make your videos look cooler. It's also just fun to play with.

Switching to slow motion video capture on the iPhone 5s is really simple - just open the camera application and swipe to the right until you reach the ‘slo-mo’ red circle.

Just tap on it to start recording glorious 120 frames per second slow motion at 1280 x 720 pixel HD resolution. And that's it! Apple does not hide the neat new feature in lists, menus and submenus. Actually, we can bet on the fact that most iPhone 5s users know about slo-mo and have used it at least ones.

Interestingly, Android differs a lot. While many of the best Android phones have the feature, many owners don't know about it. Read on to find the hidden slo-mo recording on Android.

Samsung

Samsung’s latest top-shelf devices like the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 both support slow-motion recording, but the setting is a bit more obscured. You first have to start the camera app and there, in the top left corner tap on the gear settings icon. Next, a row of small icons will appear and you have to tap on the small camera icon (fifth from right to left).

There, finally, you’d see the ‘Slow motion’ option - just tap on it and you’re done! Samsung’s devices come with the neat option to adjust the slow motion effect speed to ⅛, ¼, or ½. Recordings happen in 720p as well. You can even record ‘Fast motion’, but that’s a topic of a different discussion.

Slo-mo on Galaxy Note 3

Motorola

Finally, Motorola’s latest flagship, the Moto X, also support slow motion video recording. Unlike the previous two, Motorola’s ring UI has a clearly visible ‘Slo’ icon that you just have to scroll to. Tap on it, and you can start right away with your Matrix: Reloaded 2 Home Made Edition. The footage will be recorded at 720p and 60 frames per second, though, so the slo-mo effect won’t be all that pronounced as on the previous devices.

Slo-mo on Moto X

LG

The LG G2 is a great cameraphone, but it does not have the slow motion setting built in the camera. Interestingly, this does not mean that you are completely out of luck. It will take a bit more fiddling around, but you can still get the G2 to record your world at a slower pace. For that, you have to go on and shoot 1080p in 60 frames per second. Then, you’d need to have an advanced video editing app that will allow you to import that footage and export it right away at say 25 frames per second.

That’s all it takes! Yes, you have to know your way around with video editors, but the effort will be worth it - after all, you’d get full HD 1080p slow motion footage, and that’s something no other phone has built right in its camera.

Actually, you can use the same trick with other phones that support 60fps video recording (like the Note 3) to get the best quality slo-mo!

Slo-mo on HTC One

HTC

If you have one of the latest HTC devices like the HTC One or HTC DNA, you’re also covered. The slow motion effect is also buried deep in menus, so follow this closely. First, open the camera app. Once you’re in, tap on the icon with the three dots to open the menu. Next, scroll down to ‘Video capture mode’ and then tap on ‘Scene’. Tapping on it uncovers a hidden (well done with hiding that option, HTC /sarcasm) ‘Slow motion video’ option.

All it takes is tapping on it to get started with the slo-mo recordings! The HTC One records slo-mo in the interesting nearly 480p resolution at around 100 frames per second.

Others

What about the other awesome top-shelf smartphones out there? Sony’s Xperia Z1 took our breath away with its awesome 20-megapixel camera, but it cannot record slow motion out of the box. That’s sad because it runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip and on the same ISP as say the Note 3 (and the Note 3 can), so it’s just something that Sony chose not to enable.

For other phones, if you don’t see the option, and if there’s no 60fps recording option - you’re out of luck. Hey, there is always the app store of your platform, and chances are there is a slo-mo app there (we can't guarantee anything about its quality, though). For all else, we do expect more smartphones to get slo-mo in the near future, so keep your fingers crossed.

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.