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Galaxy S20 Personifies the Trend in Large Image Sensors
May 24, 2020
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series includes large image sensors, powerful optical zoom functionality, 108MP sensors and advanced camera array setups. The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 1/1.33-inch image sensor, larger than in some compact DSLRs (typically 1/2.00-inch – 1/1.70-inch), and competition is expected to intensify. In the short term, Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO will continue to introduce larger sensors. Huawei P40 Pro Plus already has a 1/1.28-inch sensor but is not available outside of China.
Figure 1: Image Sensor Size – A Rising Trend
May 24, 2020
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series includes large image sensors, powerful optical zoom functionality, 108MP sensors and advanced camera array setups. The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 1/1.33-inch image sensor, larger than in some compact DSLRs (typically 1/2.00-inch – 1/1.70-inch), and competition is expected to intensify. In the short term, Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO will continue to introduce larger sensors. Huawei P40 Pro Plus already has a 1/1.28-inch sensor but is not available outside of China.
Figure 1: Image Sensor Size – A Rising Trend
Source: Counterpoint Research
Digital zoom has typically been used in smartphones to enlarge images, but a major issue has been image loss. To overcome this, optical zoom features have increasingly been introduced since 2016 which utilizes multiple lenses. The Galaxy S20 is Samsung’s culmination of these efforts, and its 103mm telephoto lens now rivals those found in DSLRs (100mm-300mm).
Figure 2: Optical Zoom By Key Flagship Model
Source: Counterpoint Research