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Galaxy S9 has a 5-minute rule on recording 4K 60fps video

by Daniel Petrov / Mar 02, 2018, 3:52 AM

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are some of the best video-recorders out there you can always carry with you, as they offer 4K 60fps footage and optical image stabilization, like Apple's newer iPhones. We say "some of," as Sony's Xperia XZ2 can do true HDR video capture at 10-bit, but it maxes out the 4K recording at 30fps.

While that's the default on the S9, too, you can switch up to 60fps footage, like on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or X, with the necessary warnings about resulting huge video files and so on. There is one more limitation that Samsung has placed on the new Galaxy S9 and S9+, though, and it is likely valid for both the Exynos 9810, and the Snapdragon 845 models.

Yes, we are talking about the 5-minute rule. For various reasons, Android manufacturers have been restricting the amount of time you can record at the highest video settings due to memory, processing power, and other tall orders. First it was with 4K 30fps video that Samsung allowed you to only capture five minutes of at a time, and now the same restrictions go to the newfangled 4K 60fps standard.

Bummer, but if a Samsung goes all hot and bothered during a task, it's better to play it safe, and limit your breathtaking 4K 60fps sesh to five minutes or less, not to mention the amount of internal memory the footage will occupy at that length anyway, even in the high-efficiency video format that the S9 recordings support.

source: Reddit

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PhoneArena Rating:

9.0

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User Rating:

9.8

Based on 9 Reviews

Display 6.2" 1440 x 2960 pixels

Camera 12 MP / 8 MP front

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Octa-core, 2800 MHz

Storage 64 GB + microSDXC

Battery 3500 mAh(35h talk time)

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31 Comments

2. androiduser

Posts: 510; Member since: Jun 18, 2014

S9 is only slightly better than the s8, its better to just buy the s8 and save the money. What a failure..

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 3:57 AM 3

5. iushnt

Posts: 3097; Member since: Feb 06, 2013

What about S7, that more cheaper and still holds good performance

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 4:32 AM 0

22. Cat97

Posts: 1890; Member since: Mar 02, 2017

And a great camera.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 7:52 AM 0

40. androiduser

Posts: 510; Member since: Jun 18, 2014

If one doesnt need a bezeless design then yes

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 9:47 PM 0

8. j2001m

Posts: 3061; Member since: Apr 28, 2014

S9 fast updates is a good start

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 5:13 AM 2

4. bungid

Posts: 25; Member since: Mar 16, 2015

what a failure... good on paper only

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 4:15 AM 7

7. thetruthhasbeenspoken

Posts: 83; Member since: May 02, 2017

Samsung s9 Best CAmera on a phone:https://petapixel.com/2018/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s9-best-camera-among-smartphones-dxomark/ Samsung s9 Best Display on a phone:https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s9-best-smartphone-display/ Why is PhoneArena not posting these? This is front page-worthy news! .

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 4:41 AM 8

11. Ciro1900

Posts: 591; Member since: Dec 17, 2017

because displaymate and dxomark is a fake

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 5:41 AM 1

28. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

No? They are the most objective and therefore trusted sources when it comes to display testing and camera testing, respectively. Just because a Samsung phone is the best in both regards, you can't just suddenly change your mind and say that they are "fake". You're ridiculous.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 10:01 AM 0

31. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

Why they only test Samsung and Apple? Screen of XZP, U11 and G6 have image miles better i8+.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 11:39 AM 0

35. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

Unlike other sources, such as consumer reports, they do extensive and thorough testing, which means they only test for the most popular and/or requested/promising devices. Therefore they mainly test Samsung, Apple, Google Pixel and Huawei smartphones.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 11:46 AM 0

39. luis.aag90

Posts: 274; Member since: Aug 12, 2014

If they are so fake, then why Phone Arena bothered to publish the news when the Pixel 2 got the best camera score from DXOmark and the iPhone X got the best display score by Display Mate? Double standard so much?

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 1:36 PM 1

14. Diego!

Posts: 871; Member since: Jun 15, 2009

1130 nits!! Amazing achievement! Bravo Samsung!

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 6:17 AM 5

24. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

Gossips say the oled xperia will have 1500

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 8:50 AM 0

27. foreverNOOB

Posts: 160; Member since: Jul 07, 2017

YES "Gossip" And that means it's doesn't exist in reality now, or maybe forever.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 10:00 AM 1

29. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

Yeah, and some people say there is a flying spaghetti monster, but that doesn't mean i have to believe it.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 10:02 AM 0

41. androiduser

Posts: 510; Member since: Jun 18, 2014

99 score va pixel 2 98.. not a big difference. The pixel 3 will slaughter it

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 9:48 PM 0

9. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

Costumers have the right to record as long as they need.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 5:24 AM 1

13. AmashAziz

Posts: 2923; Member since: Jun 30, 2014

Why can't Samsung do it if Apple can?? Please, no explanations on how most people won't be recording for 5+ minutes all the time. I want genuine reasons.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 6:13 AM 4

17. Boast_Rider

Posts: 535; Member since: Sep 14, 2017

It's the same bad reason as 30 fps, storage concerns. You can start recording a new video as soon as time gets out and stitch them on phone itself though. Out you know

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 6:50 AM 1

25. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

I recorded once almost 40min 4K@30, not even 20GB

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 8:51 AM 0

26. Boast_Rider

Posts: 535; Member since: Sep 14, 2017

Imagine someone leaving it on by accident and recording it for a couple hours, using up all the storage and the phone getting unusable due to no free storage. Anyway, it's probably a stupid decision from someone up the software team. It's not a limitation, since you can record hours of it before getting the phone even warm.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 9:02 AM 1

36. AlphaMale

Posts: 59; Member since: May 03, 2017

"Imagine someone leaving it on by accident and recording it for a couple hours, using up all the storage and the phone getting unusable due to no free storage." Lol if it does happen you can easily delete the video and also Xperia XZ Premium still perfectly useable when it runs out of memory because it record 4K video for 1:42:37 https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5WHT8GQKsJw

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 11:55 AM 1

37. Boast_Rider

Posts: 535; Member since: Sep 14, 2017

It will be perfectly usable for a while, until it doesn't. The phone will start using the internal memory when it runs out of RAM and since it's not available, it will show down. Not to mention caching issues and new installs. See, I'm not trying to defend Samsung here. It's a seriously stupid decision. I'm just giving a reason of why it might have happened.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 1:09 PM 0

19. bucknassty

Posts: 1337; Member since: Mar 24, 2017

cause of that s**tty ass snapdragon

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 7:19 AM 2

18. Marcwand3l

Posts: 432; Member since: May 08, 2017

LoL iphone fanboys are quite desperate. This is the best bone they've got since the S9 was announced. Most of them are near their braking point after the S9 wiped the floor with Apple in the screen and camera department. I don't see where is the huge problem in this story. It's 5 minutes limit at a time not an absolute 5 minute limit. So you record for 5 minutes at a time, what's the big deal? Also it's Android, you will be able to cancel this limit quite easily. How knows why Samsung didn't, maybe to ensure max video quality every single time.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 6:51 AM 2

20. AVVA1

Posts: 228; Member since: Aug 01, 2017

'maybe to ensure max video quality every single time' Pretty stupid and inefficient lol

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 7:42 AM 3

30. patrickf3

Posts: 43; Member since: Feb 11, 2015

OS aside, not one phone is wiping the floor with the other. They are so close in terms of camera/screen/build quality its crazy. The iPhone doesn't have a recording limit due to a more efficient and powerful processor, and the Galaxy gets a better DXO Mark for better bokeh and lowlight due to its 1.5 aperture. And its brighter screen on DisplayMate. These are not huge differences, there is no 'hands down' winner anymore.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 10:22 AM 2

32. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

Higher score of S9+ camera is zoom and noise. 7 out of 9 itens, the S9+ scores less than Pixel 2.

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 11:41 AM 0

38. patrickf3

Posts: 43; Member since: Feb 11, 2015

It confuses me how it got a higher score than the Pixel, considering what you said, that 7 of the 9 items were higher on the Pixel than the Galaxy. Maybe noise and zooming have a higher value? Who knows

posted on Mar 02, 2018, 1:23 PM 0

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