Samsung has announced a 200-megapixel camera sensor that it will start using in smartphones. It is a significant step up in resolution used in current flagship smartphones. Called the ISOCELL HP1, the new sensor has 0.64μm pixels and can bin 16 of them at once for the equivalent of a 12.5-megapixel sensor with 2.56μm pixels.
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It has long flaunted its binning technology, and it is calling its newest iteration “ChameleonCell.” The binning technology is used to increase detail in low-light conditions, as it lets in more light than a smaller sensor. It can also use two-by-two binning (combining four pixels), which creates a 50MP image. When not binning, the sensor is capable of taking true 200MP photographs.
According to Samsung the two-by-two binning mode allows the new sensor to capture 8K video.
At the same time the Korean tech giant has also announced the ISOCELL GN5, which is a new 50-megapixel sensor with 1.0μm pixels. The company has said that it is its first 1.0μm-pixel sensor to integrate its Dual Pixel Pro technology. While it isn’t a brand new technology, it is a refinement of the 1.4μm-pixel GN2, which was the biggest phone camera sensor available when it made its debut on Xiaomi’s Mi 11 Ultra this year.
There isn’t any word on when these sensors will make their way to mass production or which smartphones may don them first. However, if the past has taught us anything it is most likely to be a Chinese smartphone manufacturer. They seem to be happy in testing the new hardware components that come out of various OEMs, and steer the industry in terms of what needs to be improved and what is ready for the mass market.
Do you think we need a 200MP camera in a smartphone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
