Samsung’s latest camera trick for the Galaxy Z series
At the July 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event Samsung unveiled a suite of video‑centric tools for its newest foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8. The headline feature is Portrait Video, a software‑only upgrade that promises the shallow‑depth‑of‑field look traditionally reserved for large‑aperture DSLR lenses. While the announcement came from Samsung’s own press channel, the underlying technology is the result of a joint effort between Samsung Research and the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, as detailed in a recent interview with the two teams.
What exactly is Portrait Video?
Portrait Video works much like the still‑photo Portrait mode that has been on Samsung phones for years, but it applies the effect to moving images. When you open the Camera app, tap More and select Portrait Video, the software keeps the main subject sharp while gradually softening the background. The key difference from a simple blur filter is that the amount of background blur changes naturally with the distance between the subject and the backdrop – just as a real f/1.4 lens would do.
The effect is most noticeable on bright points of light. Small light sources turn into smooth, rounded bokeh highlights that retain their shape, giving videos a cinematic feel. Users can also re‑focus after recording, swapping the subject or tweaking the blur intensity on a scale of 0‑7.
How Samsung mimics a professional lens
According to the interview, the core of Portrait Video is a two‑step process:
- Optical analysis – Samsung Research first dissected how light behaves in a genuine large‑aperture lens, cataloguing the size and shape of bokeh produced by different focal lengths.
- AI‑driven depth mapping – The MX team then trained neural networks to estimate the distance of every pixel in a video frame. By feeding the optical data into the AI model, the software can decide how much blur to apply at each point, creating a realistic transition from foreground to background.
The engineers stress that merely smearing the image would not reproduce the subtle way a real lens renders out‑of‑focus areas. Instead, the algorithm respects the physics of light, preserving the brightness and circular shape of highlights while scaling the blur based on depth.
Overcoming the practical hurdles
Turning a research prototype into a consumer‑ready feature required solving several real‑world problems:
- Fine‑detail separation – Hair strands, glasses frames and other intricate edges often trip up depth‑sensing AI. Samsung combined the AI‑derived distance map with edge information taken directly from the raw footage, allowing the system to keep delicate details crisp while still separating them cleanly from the background.
- Consistency across conditions – The team filmed thousands of test clips in varied lighting, weather and motion scenarios. Each iteration fed new data back into the AI, tightening the model’s ability to handle back‑lit subjects, low‑light environments and rapid movement.
- Power and heat management – Real‑time 4K video processing is computationally heavy. Samsung trimmed non‑essential calculations and optimized the pipeline so that the feature runs without overheating the device, even during extended recordings.
Tips for getting the most cinematic look
The interview also yielded a handful of practical pointers for creators:
- Chase bright background lights – Sparkling sunlight through leaves, Christmas lights, or street lamps make the most striking bokeh. Position the subject in front of a darker backdrop to let the highlights pop.
- Side or back lighting – Avoid harsh frontal illumination. Light from the side or behind adds depth to hair and contours while keeping the background bokeh vivid.
- Use the post‑capture focus shift – If your subject moves out of frame, you can tap a new face after recording and the software will re‑assign focus, saving you from a retake.
How it stacks up against the competition
Apple’s Cinematic mode on the iPhone 16 Pro series also offers real‑time depth‑of‑field video, but it relies on a dual‑camera system and a separate depth sensor. Samsung’s approach is purely software‑driven, meaning it works across the three different foldable form factors, including the Flip8’s compact clamshell.
Google’s Pixel 9 Video Bokeh uses a similar AI‑based blur, yet early reviews suggest it struggles with fine hair details – an area Samsung specifically targeted with its hybrid edge‑plus‑depth method.
For UK buyers who value a large, flexible screen for editing on the go, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra’s 7.6‑inch inner display gives a clear advantage. The ability to tweak blur levels directly on the device means you can produce near‑professional footage without a laptop.
Availability and pricing for UK shoppers
The Portrait Video feature ships out of the box on the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (£1,799 on contract), the standard Fold8 (£1,449) and the Flip8 (£999). All three models are available through the major UK carriers – EE, O2, Vodafone and Three – on 24‑month contracts with data allowances ranging from 50 GB to unlimited. Samsung’s own online store also offers a 12‑month contract bundle that includes a free Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, a useful addition for creators who want high‑quality audio to match their video.
What Samsung hopes users will feel
Both interviewees said the ultimate goal is to make users forget they need a separate camera rig. “We want creators to be surprised at how easy it is to get a cinematic look on a phone,” said Sang‑uk Park, head of camera development for the MX Business. Visual‑technology researcher YoungGeol Kim added that the team will keep refining the AI so that future Galaxy devices can push the envelope even further.
Bottom line for the contract‑deal hunter
Portrait Video is a clear differentiator for Samsung’s latest foldables, especially for anyone who records vlog‑style content, family moments or social‑media clips. The feature works without extra lenses, runs efficiently on the device’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and is already bundled into the standard camera app. If you’re weighing a Galaxy Z Fold8 series phone against an iPhone or Pixel for a new contract, the added video‑creation toolbox could tip the scales – particularly when you factor in the larger screen for on‑the‑fly editing.
Samsung’s press release and the accompanying interview with the Visual Technology Team and MX Business formed the basis of this report.
