Older Samsung Galaxy phones may be getting some S25 camera features with One UI 7.1
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series was announced last week during the Galaxy Unpacked event, and although the devices didn't seem to offer many new features when compared to their predecessors, there are some cool new camera features that have caught the attention of Pro users. These features, although exclusive to Galaxy S25 series at launch, are expected to hopefully trickle down to older Galaxy devices.
Another video-related feature is 10-bit HDR video recording, which is now standard and will make your videos have richer colors and look more true to life.
Samsung also added a feature called "virtual aperture" to the Galaxy S25 series. This lets you adjust the blurriness of the background in your photos, similar to how you would with a professional camera. This feature is only available in expert raw mode and is meant to give you more granular control over the blur than what you would have with portrait mode.
One UI 7 version at S25 series launch. | Image credit — PhoneArena
In fact, what Samsung assured the media during the Unpacked briefing was that some of the new Galaxy S25 features that the company can pull in to an older device and have it work well, they will do so at some point. This is good news when you consider the additions to the camera app that are part of the stable One UI 7 version that shipped with these devices.
One of the main additions is a set of ten new filters, including six film-style filters that give your photos a retro look. While filters are not a new thing, the difference is that now you can customize these filters by adjusting things like color temperature and contrast. Plus, there's an AI-powered feature that helps you create professional-looking photos in different settings.
Camera filters. | Image credit — PhoneArena
If you're into video, Samsung is adding a "Log Video" format that gives you more control over colors. This format is popular with professional videographers, and it lets you fine-tune the look of your videos. On the Galaxy S25 series, LOG is initially only available in Pro video mode, but you can customize the settings so that it is also available in standard video mode. You can convert this LOG footage to Rec. 709 right from your phone or, if you use an NLE or professional video editing software like Davinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro, you can use the Samsung provided LUT.
LOG video. | Image credit — PhoneArena
Another video-related feature is 10-bit HDR video recording, which is now standard and will make your videos have richer colors and look more true to life.
HDR video. | Image credit — PhoneArena
Samsung also added a feature called "virtual aperture" to the Galaxy S25 series. This lets you adjust the blurriness of the background in your photos, similar to how you would with a professional camera. This feature is only available in expert raw mode and is meant to give you more granular control over the blur than what you would have with portrait mode.
Virtual aperture from F1.4 to F16 in expert raw. | Image credit — PhoneArena
We expect these features to be available on older Galaxy devices once the One UI 7.1 update is released. It's hard to tell at this point which features will come to what devices, as each one has a different chipset and capabilities. I think it's safe to say that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely be the first one to be graced with at least some of these, as the device is already running One UI 7 in beta. I'm definitely looking forward to when Samsung gives its older phones some One UI 7 love with these new features.
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