The Galaxy S25 series borrowed a neat trick from the iPhone 15 Pro, and thought nobody would notice

Samsung is finally introducing a handy feature iPhones have been rocking since the iPhone 15 series: the ability to record video straight to external USB-C storage.

The Galaxy S25 phones were just announced last week, and although their camera systems remain mostly unchanged from last year, the Galaxy S25 phones have managed to improve quite a lot from their predecessors. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is even reigning in our Camera Score as one of the best camera phones of 2025.

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But although Samsung has plenty of areas where it's leading from its main competitor - Apple - it also has some catching up to do. With the Galaxy S25 series, luckily, Samsung is bringing a feature that iPhone Pro users have enjoyed since 2023: the ability to record straight to an external USB-C storage.

Reputable tipster Ice Universe has shared on the Chinese social media website Weibo that the latest version of the Camera Assistant app on the Galaxy S25 phones lets you automatically save videos to external storage. The feature reportedly supports Video, Pro Video, Portrait Video, Timelapse, and Slow-Motion modes.



This feature can come in extra handy if you're filming a project that may be lengthy, for example: it saves you time from having to transfer the recorded footage from your phone to your computer for post-processing. Also, the trick saves your phone from the storage burden of large video files.

Back in 2023, Apple introduced the ability to record ProRes video from the iPhone 15 Pro directly to USB-C storage, so it's great to hear that Samsung is finally closing the gap. Hopefully, this feature doesn't end up being a China-only feature like the super-fancy "intelligent drag and drop". Before you get concerned though - it seems more likely that this video recording perk will be available globally. It would be exclusive to the Galaxy S25 series though.

One thing is for sure: Samsung does know how to gain ground on Apple the right way: Samsung's option supports more video formats for recording externally, while Apple only allows you to record ProRes to USB-C.

Meanwhile, it would be lovely if other phone makers could also join in and give videography enthusiasts more flexibility with this feature.