If you’re wondering what sort of video quality you can record home videos in with a 2020 smartphone, it’s 8K - and the Samsung Galaxy 20 will be one of the first devices to offer it. Late last year, Qualcomm announced its latest mobile SoC and one of its major selling points is 8K video capturing on smartphones.
The Snapdragon 865 is Qualcomm’s latest mobile processor and although it has yet to show up in a device, the new chip is expected to power most of including the Samsung Galaxy S20. In fact, Samsung’s new smartphone is expected to be one of the first smartphones to come loaded with Qualcomm’s next-generation chipset.
Samsung is due to announce the Galaxy S20 later this month and just ahead of that unveiling, Qualcomm has released a new clip showcasing what consumers can expect from 8K videos recorded on phones powered by the Snapdragon 865. The video is a scenic one with plenty of shots of Arizona in 8K. As it is a YouTube video, those looking to watch in full 4320p will likely have to adjust the resolution up in the video settings. For reference, the actual smartphone used in the video is a Qualcomm reference device - that’s Qualcomm speak for a device used for testing, not one consumers will be able to buy.
8K A Big Deal For The Industry, But For Consumers?
8K on a smartphone is not new considering the Snapdragon 855 (the chip powering all the major phones you can buy today) was the first Snapdragon chip to launch with 8K video playback . The difference with this new Snapdragon chip is the has now been extended to the videos the creates as well, making 2020 phones powered by the 865 the first to properly capture video in 8K and playback of those same videos in 8K. The Snapdragon 865 camera-related benefits don’t stop there either. The new chip is set 4K HDR quality video and 64 megapixel photos at the same time.
While many of these new and improved features will enhance the mobile camera experience, it remains to be seen how useful 8K video capture will be for the general public. For example, finding a way to playback videos at the full resolution they can now be recorded in will prove difficult due to a lack of accessible devices with 8K-compatible displays. Although you can buy some 8K TVs and monitors now, the price is unlikely to persuade consumers into investing in an 8K TV just yet. Especially, considering the overall absence of 8K content in general - outside of the homemade videos you’ll now be able to make with your new 2020 smartphone.
Source: Qualcomm/YouTube