Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra: Horizontal Lock Stabilizes Videos of Fast-Moving Subjects

While my esteemed CNET colleagues were in San Francisco for the release of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, I was in Barcelona ahead of Mobile World Congress 2026, seeing the sights. Once my colleagues arrived with the Galaxy S26 in tow, I found a novel use for one of its coolest features: shooting videos of Europe’s expensive automobiles.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

Testing Horizontal Lock in Barcelona

It’s not uncommon to see a Porsche or Maserati driving down the streets of Barcelona. To capture them on video, I tested the Galaxy S26’s new Horizontal Lock, an image stabilization mode. As my colleague Abrar Al-Heeti noted, with the camera feature turned on, you can tilt the phone as much as you want while the horizon remains steady.

I reviewed CNET’s hands-on sessions with the new mode, overrotating the phone 90 degrees in one direction and flipping it 180 degrees in the other. Horizontal Lock worked as advertised, showing smooth footage you’d believe was shot with a phone held very still. This was a great feature to try out on Barcelona’s streets, turning a wiggling arm into a steady hand behind the camera as I tracked flashy autos speeding down Passeig de Gracia and Carrer d’Arago in the Quadrat d’Or.

With Horizontal Lock straightening my footage, I could send videos back to my friends with proof that I’d seen some beautiful cars – like the Porsche Carrera GTS (a 904 from around 1964).

Beyond Cars: Potential Applications of Horizontal Lock

The Galaxy S26’s Horizontal Lock is a perfect assistant if you’re shooting fast, agile subjects. The feature could also salvage videos from shaky footage, a clear advantage when recording during emergencies, disasters, or in war zones. For everyday Galaxy S26 owners, Horizontal Lock makes casual videos easier to watch, ensuring they end up on the decent photography subreddits rather than the bad ones.

Read more: The 11 Biggest Announcements at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 Event

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