Can Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra out ref the ref?

Ref got it wrong? Now you can whip out your phone and tell them so, in slow motion. (I’m sure they’ll love that.)

Samsung reckons it has the answer, and it may already in your pocket. A few clever features on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and to a lesser extent the rest of the Galaxy S family, are being positioned as the great sideline peacekeeper:

Space Zoom, the 100x zoom found on the S26 Ultra, lets you zoom in close enough to settle exactly whose foot did what to whom, and where the ball actually ended up. Perfect for refereeing from forty metres away with the confidence of someone who definitely didn’t see it properly the first time.

If it all happens too fast for the human eye, Instant Slow-mo uses AI to generate extra frames and slow the action right down, so you can relive that contested handball in glorious, undeniable detail.

Super Steady (motion stabilisation) and Horizontal Lock keep your footage level even while you’re sprinting down the sideline for a better angle. The footage stays smooth. Your dignity, less so.

Samsung’s even floated the idea that the S26 Ultra could double as a pocket VAR, or video assistant referee – timely given how much the real VAR is already being talked about at The World Cup!

To see it in action, check out Samsung’s video featuring Archie Thompson, former Socceroo from the golden era of 2006, and a team of very enthusiastic kids from Sutherland Sharks FC.

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