Can the Samsung Galaxy S10 Play 4K Video?

When buying a new phone, people often assume that if they can record videos in 4K, they can also watch content in 4K. However, this isn’t always the case. And if you’re thinking of buying a Samsung S10, you might be wondering if it supports viewing 4K videos.

Unfortunately, although the phone doesn’t feature this option for most content, you can still record 4K videos. In this article, we’ll show you how to enable this recording option. Plus, we’ll tell you the ups and downs of shooting in 4K.

Watching 4K Videos on Samsung S10

When purchasing an expensive phone, you’d expect it to have certain features, and being able to play videos in 4K is one of them. For that, many Samsung S10 owners are confused as to why their cellphone can’t do this for all YouTube videos.

Since the resolution of the Samsung S10 is 3040×1440, it’s actually a 3K cellphone. So 4K content isn’t going to play at the full resolution on your Samsung S10. You can test this out by visiting YouTube, selecting the video you want, and then tapping on the three dots. If that video is available in 4K, you might be able to change the resolution, but that’s not always the case.

Shooting 4K UHD Videos on a Samsung S10

If 4K isn’t enabled by default on your Samsung S10, the likelihood of you finding this option is really slim. Since Samsung doesn’t actually call this function 4K, it may be confusing to users. Here’s what you should do to enable 4K UHD on your Samsung S10:

Open the camera app and look for the gear icon. Tap on it.
Select between the front AND the rear camera. If you’ve got an S10+, both will have the 4K option.
Usually, 16:9 is the default aspect ratio. Tap on Resolution.
Under it, you’ll see three different options. To get 4K videos, you should click on UHD (Ultra High Definition).

Note: The rear camera is also capable of UHD resolution at 60 fps, which means that images (or frames) of 3840×2160 are displayed 60 times per second.

Once you launch your camera, you’ll be able to see the difference immediately. The videos are much more realistic and in-depth. Plus, you can zoom in more and still have a clear image.

Benefits of 4K Video Recording

Now you know how to record videos in 4K. But, what are the benefits of shooting video at the resolution?

First of all, 4K gives you more creative options. 4k videos have substantially better details. The images are crisp, and the colors are much more vivid. Sports, nature, and animal videos look much better when shot at the highest resolution. And if you’re good at editing, 4k videos are unlikely to lose their quality post-production.

Furthermore, 4K videos are sharp even when zoomed in. If you’re to film interviews and dramatically zero in on the subject, this option is great for that. Finally, as more and more TVs now support 4K, by recording videos in 4K you’ll be able to play them back at your TV’s top resolution. Your content of today will hold its quality for years to come.

Disadvantages of 4K Video Recording

Although there are numerous advantages to recording videos in 4K, there are also a few downsides. In the main, 4k videos take up significantly more storage. This means that you can be limited by your cellphone’s memory or SD card.

In general, one minute of HD video requires 300-600MB of storage space. If you record longer videos, you can quickly run out of memory.

Moreover, shooting 4K videos eats up your battery. And if you don’t have a power bank or charger at the ready, your phone battery can die much faster.

Samsung S10 Video Tips

Now that you know how to shoot videos in 4K, it may interest you to learn a couple of video recording tips.

Color Boosting

The Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with a built-in option to improve the color of videos. It can make darker scenes lighter and thus, clearer. This is especially beneficial if you’re watching a TV show in a darker setting. To enable this option:

Go to Settings and find Advanced Features.
Then, tap on Video Enhancer.

Just keep in mind that this doesn’t work for all apps.

Stabilizing Videos

Shooting video while on the move can be difficult without proper equipment. Fortunately, the Samsung Galaxy S10 has a video shaking stabilization function. To access it, you first need to launch the camera app, go to Video and then tap the square icon. A message will appear confirming that you’ve enabled the steady option. You can then proceed to record.

Improved Video Quality

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to watch video content on the Samsung S10 at the full 4k resolution. However, the Samsung S10 has an option to record stunning videos in 4K. Just follow the steps described above and you’ll be on your way.

What are you thinking? Did you get the answer you expected? Do you often shoot in 4K? Share with the community in the comments section below.