Samsung’s latest foldable brings a new kind of video editing to the palm of your hand
When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 at its July 2026 Unpacked event, the headline‑grabbing specs were the larger cover screen and the upgraded hinge. Yet a quieter, software‑first addition is already generating chatter among K‑pop fans and family vloggers alike: My FanCam.
In a recent interview with Samsung’s research and Mobile eXperience (MX) divisions, the engineers behind the feature explained how a combination of on‑device AI, clever workflow design and a user‑centred testing regime turned a simple idea – “let the viewer pick the star of the show” – into a polished tool that ships on the Fold8.
What exactly is My FanCam?
My FanCam is a video‑editing shortcut that allows you to tap a person in a clip and have the software automatically follow that subject for the remainder of the footage. The result is a version of the video where the chosen individual stays centred and in focus, even as they move around or other people cross the frame.
The feature is positioned as a bridge between casual smartphone filming and the more labour‑intensive fan‑cam edits that have become popular on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels. Instead of manually cropping, key‑framing, or using third‑party apps, Fold8 owners can achieve a similar effect with a few taps – a clear win for anyone who wants to showcase a concert star, a child’s dance recital, or a friend’s performance without spending hours in a desktop editor.
Under the hood: AI that stays on the device
According to Hwangpil Park from Samsung Research’s Visual Technology Team, the magic lies in an AI model that learns to recognise a person’s visual signature – essentially a combination of facial features, body shape and movement patterns. Once the model has identified the subject in the first frame, it stores that “fingerprint” and continuously matches it against subsequent frames, even when the background becomes cluttered or the subject is partially occluded.
Crucially, the processing happens entirely on the phone. Samsung’s engineers had to shrink the model to run efficiently on the Fold8’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset while keeping power draw and heat generation within acceptable limits. Sunghwan Kim from the MX Business highlighted that the optimisation work meant longer videos could be processed without a noticeable slowdown, a key consideration for UK users who may be editing concert footage that runs several minutes.
A smoother workflow than you might expect
One of the biggest pain points in existing fan‑cam workflows is the need to re‑analyse a video each time you switch the focus to a different person. Samsung tackled this by analysing multiple subjects in a single pass. After the initial scan – which takes a few seconds for a typical 1080p clip – you can tap any of the detected faces and instantly see the new output.
The team also added a simple aspect‑ratio adjustment tool, letting you crop to 16:9, 9:16 or square without leaving the My FanCam interface. This is particularly handy for UK creators who need to tailor content for different platforms, from YouTube Shorts to Instagram Stories.
From the lab to the living room: how the feature was tested
The interview revealed a surprisingly hands‑on testing regime. Samsung staff pulled out old college dance‑club videos, filmed climbing sessions on weekend trips, and even used footage of school sports days to stress‑test the AI. “Real‑world footage can be far messier than the clean clips we use in research,” Park noted, explaining that overlapping bodies and sudden movements forced several rounds of model refinement.
Weekly sync‑ups between the research and MX groups eventually turned into daily stand‑ups, ensuring that any edge‑case discovered by the MX team could be fed back to the researchers for rapid iteration. This close collaboration is what the engineers credit for the feature’s robustness at launch.
Practical tips for UK users
If you’re keen to get the most out of My FanCam, the MX team recommends a few best‑practice steps:
- Shoot in the highest resolution available – the AI has more pixel data to work with, which improves tracking accuracy.
- Leave a little breathing room around the subject – a slightly wider frame gives the algorithm space to follow the person when they move toward the edge.
- Pick a frame where the subject isn’t heavily overlapped – clear facial or upper‑body visibility makes the initial selection more reliable.
- Don’t be afraid to use existing footage – My FanCam works with videos recorded on any device, so you can revive old concert recordings or family holidays.
- Use a tripod for steady shots – while the AI can handle movement, a stable base reduces motion blur, making the subject easier to lock onto.
How My FanCam stacks up against the competition
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro introduced a “Focus‑Follow” mode in its video editor, but it still relies on cloud‑based processing for longer clips and lacks the instant subject‑switching capability of Samsung’s solution. Google’s Pixel 9 line offers a “Subject‑Track” feature, yet it is limited to portrait‑mode videos and does not support the flexible aspect‑ratio cropping that My FanCam provides.
For UK consumers who are already eyeing the Fold8 for its large, foldable display and multitasking prowess, My FanCam adds a genuine creative advantage that is not easily replicated on competing flagship phones.
Why this matters for contract‑deal hunters
Many UK carriers bundle the latest Samsung devices with attractive data‑plus‑handset deals. The Fold8’s price point, combined with a feature set that includes on‑device AI video editing, could tip the scales for customers who value content creation without a separate laptop or subscription‑based editing suite.
If you’re comparing the Fold8 against a similarly priced iPhone or Pixel, consider the total cost of ownership: My FanCam eliminates the need for third‑party apps that often charge a monthly fee, and because the processing stays on the phone, you avoid data‑usage concerns that come with cloud‑based services.
Looking ahead
Samsung hinted that a second part of the interview series will dive into the Fold8’s large‑aperture lens‑emulation technology, promising to bring the look of professional camera optics to a pocket‑sized device. If the company can replicate that level of innovation across both still‑photo and video workflows, the Fold8 could become the go‑to Android foldable for UK creators who want a single device that does it all.
Bottom line: My FanCam is more than a gimmick; it’s a thoughtfully engineered, on‑device AI tool that lets you spotlight the people who matter in any video. For UK users who love to capture concerts, family moments or street performances, the feature adds genuine value to the Galaxy Z Fold8’s already impressive hardware roster.
