Samsung seems to have removed an important camera feature from its Galaxy S23 flagships. Several users have reported that their phones can no longer capture high bitrate 8K videos at 30fps. They are limited to an 80 megabits per second (Mb/s) rate, down substantially from the previous bitrate limit of a glorious 200Mb/s. The latest update for the stock camera app or the device itself seems to have brought this change.
The Galaxy S23 lineup, which consists of three models, offers one of the best smartphone camera experiences. The Ultra model, in particular, is a mobile photography powerhouse thanks to its 200MP sensor. Improved 8K video recording capabilities with support for 30fps shooting at up to 200Mb/s have been one of the best features of the device. It allowed users to capture superior-quality videos with their smartphones on the go.
The High bitrate videos option is available under advanced video settings in the camera app. You can toggle it on/off according to your liking. However, Galaxy S23 users recently found that the option is greyed out, with the phones limited to an 80Mb/s bitrate for 8K videos at 30fps. Piunikaweb has compiled complaints from dozens of users across Twitter (aka X), Reddit, and official Samsung Community forums.
It’s unclear when Samsung made this change. Some users suspect the July update for the Galaxy S23 series removed this feature, while others believe a separate update for the camera app disabled the High bitrate videos option. The app was reportedly updated from 13.1.01.28 to version 13.1.01.35 recently. Samsung didn’t mention this change in any of its official update changelogs.
High bitrate videos occasionally stuttered on the Galaxy S23 series
High-bitrate 8K videos captured with Galaxy S23 phones weren’t always smooth. Users noticed occasional stuttering in the final output. However, the feature mostly worked fine, giving users a handy option when they want to capture something at the highest quality possible. Samsung abruptly removing the feature has understandably irked them.
The worst part of it all is that there has been no communication from the company about this. It’s unclear if this is a temporary change to improve high-bitrate videos or if Samsung doesn’t plan to bring it back again. Either way, it would have been better if the Korean firm communicated things with users. We will keep a close eye on the matter and let you know as soon as we have more information.
2023-07-31 15:12:32