Samsung’s new "Portrait Video" – a quick look
Samsung has rolled out a fresh camera capability for its flagship foldables – the Galaxy Z Flip8, Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra – that promises to give video footage a shallow‑depth‑of‑field look traditionally reserved for DSLR or mirrorless cameras. In a recent interview with Samsung Newsroom, Young‑Geol Kim from the Visual Technology team at Samsung Research and MX Business camera lead Sang‑uk Park walked us through the idea, the engineering challenges and practical advice for getting the most out of the feature.
What exactly is Portrait Video?
Portrait Video works a bit like the portrait mode you may already know from still photography, but it applies the effect to moving images. The software keeps the main subject sharp while gradually softening the background, and it does so in a way that mimics the way a large‑aperture lens renders blur. The result is a more cinematic look – the background lights turn into soft, rounded bokeh, and the amount of blur varies naturally as the distance between the subject and the background changes.
For UK users, this means you can film a vlog on a London street, a family gathering in a dimly lit pub, or a travel clip on a rainy Scottish hillside and still get that professional‑grade separation without lugging around a separate camera.
From research lab to a feature you can tap in the Camera app
Kim explained that the concept originated from his long‑standing passion for photography. While Samsung’s smartphone cameras have been closing the gap with dedicated cameras for stills, video lagged behind in terms of depth rendering. The team decided to analyse the optical behaviour of real large‑aperture lenses – how light spreads, how bokeh shapes form, and how blur intensity changes with distance.
That optical data was then fed into a machine‑learning model that estimates the distance of every pixel in a video frame. By marrying the two data streams, the algorithm can decide how much blur to apply and how large the bokeh circles should be for each part of the scene.
The hard part: keeping the effect natural around fine details
One of the biggest technical hurdles was handling complex edges such as hair strands, eyelashes or the thin frames of glasses. Pure depth estimation can mis‑classify these fine structures, leading to a “cut‑out” look where hair looks fuzzy or background elements remain oddly sharp.
To solve this, Samsung combined the AI‑derived depth map with edge information extracted directly from the original footage. The hybrid approach lets the software preserve delicate boundaries while still applying a convincing background blur.
Making it work in the real world – and on a battery‑friendly phone
Processing 4K video frame‑by‑frame is computationally heavy. Park told us the MX team spent months shooting test clips in everything from bright summer parks to low‑light club scenes, constantly tweaking the software to keep heat and power draw in check.
The final implementation prioritises the most perceptually important calculations – the parts of the image that the human eye is most likely to notice – and trims down less‑visible processing. The result is a feature that runs smoothly on the Galaxy Z’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset without overheating, even during extended recordings.
How UK creators can get the best out of Portrait Video
Both interviewees offered practical tips that are especially useful for creators on a budget:
- Use back‑lit subjects – Position a light source behind or to the side of the person you’re filming. This creates a rim of light that separates the subject from the background and makes the bokeh more pronounced.
- Look for point‑light sources – Street lamps, Christmas lights, or sunlight filtering through leaves turn into soft, circular bokeh highlights that add a cinematic sparkle.
- Avoid harsh front lighting – Direct light from the camera can flatten the subject and reduce the depth effect.
- Mind your distance – The further the background is from the subject, the stronger the blur. Experiment with a few steps back to see how the algorithm adapts.
- Post‑capture tweaks – After recording, you can shift focus to a different person or adjust the blur intensity, giving you flexibility similar to a professional video editor.
How does it compare with rivals?
While Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro series introduced a "Cinematic Video" mode that also simulates shallow depth, Samsung’s approach differs in two key ways:
- Optical‑data‑driven bokeh – Samsung actually models how light behaves in a real large‑aperture lens, rather than relying purely on AI‑estimated depth. This can produce more natural‑looking out‑of‑focus highlights.
- Dynamic blur based on distance – The blur strength changes continuously as the subject moves relative to the background, whereas some competitors apply a more static blur curve.
For Android enthusiasts who favour the flexibility of Samsung’s One UI, Portrait Video adds another creative tool that works across the entire Z‑series line‑up, not just a single flagship.
What Samsung hopes users will feel
Both Kim and Park said the ultimate goal is to make users feel they no longer need a separate camera rig to achieve a cinematic look. They want creators – from TikTok influencers to weekend vloggers – to be surprised by how easy it is to get professional‑grade depth on a pocket‑sized device.
If you’re hunting a contract deal for a new phone, the inclusion of Portrait Video could be a differentiator, especially if you plan to produce video content for social media or personal projects. Keep an eye out for carrier bundles that include the Galaxy Z Flip8 or Z Fold8 Ultra, as the feature is available out‑of‑the‑box on those models.
Bottom line for the UK market
Samsung’s Portrait Video is more than a gimmick; it’s a carefully engineered blend of optical research and AI that brings large‑aperture bokeh to smartphone video. The feature works across the latest Z‑series devices, runs efficiently on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 platform, and offers post‑capture flexibility that rivals on‑device video modes lack.
For anyone who wants to step up their video game without investing in a separate camera system, the Galaxy Z Flip8, Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra now give you a credible, contract‑friendly alternative.
