Samsung’s various models for the S21 are not all the same. If the price and physical size did not suggest, the specifications probably would. And nestled between the list of different named patterns and numbers is a curious tidbit that escaped detection on launch day: while the low-end Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra support 960 fps super slow motion video (in bursts of up to 0, 5s), the apparently more premium S21 Ultra, with its upgraded cameras, no – or at least, not natively.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because last year’s S20 / S20 Ultra had a similar arrangement.
It’s not very simple if you’re not familiar with how it all works, but hidden in a footnote in the video recording section of the spec sheet, Samsung shows the difference:
“On the Galaxy S21 5G and S21 + 5G, users can record approximately 0.5 second of captured video at 960 fps with approximately 16 seconds of playback. On the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, users can record approximately 1 second of captured video at 480 fps and digitally enhance the video at 960 fps with approximately 32 seconds of playback. “
Simply put, this means that smaller S21 models can record 960 fps natively, instead of relying on digital interpolation to create frames between the 480 fps it I can registration, as with the S21 Ultra. In some cases, the difference will probably not be noticeable, but it does give smaller models an advantage when it comes to recording slow motion video.
The distinction is curious. As noted by the Android Authority, there is no difference in chipset level between phones, and the Snapdragon 888 chipset that these phones share (in the U.S.) must support 960 fps capture at the hardware level. A possible explanation is the lack of cache linked to the S21 Ultra’s camera or a difference in the sensor used to record the video.
We contacted Samsung for more information about this difference in slow motion video recording between S21 models. In the meantime, if you plan to use the feature, it may be a good idea to keep that distinction in mind when choosing a model. While the “digitally enhanced” 960 fps mode may be sufficient, slow motion aficionados may be better served by the cheaper model.