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200MP Smartphone Image Sensor Being Developed by Samsung
Samsung produced the only CMOS 100MP sensor for smartphones and has now been pushing the smartphone camera industry into the 200MP era. The company announced its new Isocell HP1 sensor, which brings new pixel-binning tech and claims of improved low-light shooting to market. The Isocell HP1 is the industry’s first 200MP resolution sensor. In bright light, the Isocell HP1 can opt to use all 200MP as individual 0.64 micron pixels. In dimmer scenes, Samsung employs its new Chameleon Cell pixel-binning tech, which allows the sensor to group four or 16 pixels into a single larger pixel. These two configurations effectively turn Isocell HP1 into a 50MP sensor with 1.28 micron pixels or a 12.5MP sensor with 2.56 micron pixels. Samsung notes that the latter configuration boosts light absorption and sensitivity for improved low-light shooting. Pixel-binning is a common way for sensors to extract more light in dimmer scenarios, but it does have its drawbacks.
Samsung hasn’t set a release date for the Isocell HP1 or GN5 sensors in mainstream smartphones. But there have been reports of a flagship with a 200MP sensor landing in 2022. It’s also unclear if Samsung will use the 200MP sensor in its forthcoming flagship series. No marked camera upgrades are in the works for the , but the S22 and S22 Plus could land with 50MP sensors.
Samsung produced the only CMOS 100MP sensor for smartphones and has now been pushing the smartphone camera industry into the 200MP era. The company announced its new Isocell HP1 sensor, which brings new pixel-binning tech and claims of improved low-light shooting to market. The Isocell HP1 is the industry’s first 200MP resolution sensor. In bright light, the Isocell HP1 can opt to use all 200MP as individual 0.64 micron pixels. In dimmer scenes, Samsung employs its new Chameleon Cell pixel-binning tech, which allows the sensor to group four or 16 pixels into a single larger pixel. These two configurations effectively turn Isocell HP1 into a 50MP sensor with 1.28 micron pixels or a 12.5MP sensor with 2.56 micron pixels. Samsung notes that the latter configuration boosts light absorption and sensitivity for improved low-light shooting. Pixel-binning is a common way for sensors to extract more light in dimmer scenarios, but it does have its drawbacks.
- The higher the pixel density, the more color accuracy could be affected. Software could be used to get around these limitations, but color accuracy arguably isn’t the top priority when shooting in very dark environments. For videographers, the 200MP sensor can also shoot 8K/30fps video using four-in-one pixel binning.
- Samsung also debuted a new sensor in its GN series, but its focus isn’t packing on more megapixels. Instead, the Isocell GN5 brings improved autofocusing performance through the use of more photodiodes. Samsung claims this results in near “instantaneous” autofocusing speeds. Notably, the GN5 also packs smaller 1.0 micron pixels than the 1.4 micron pixels of the Isocell GN2 launched earlier this year.
Samsung hasn’t set a release date for the Isocell HP1 or GN5 sensors in mainstream smartphones. But there have been reports of a flagship with a 200MP sensor landing in 2022. It’s also unclear if Samsung will use the 200MP sensor in its forthcoming flagship series. No marked camera upgrades are in the works for the , but the S22 and S22 Plus could land with 50MP sensors.
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