Samsung unveils 200-megapixel smartphone camera sensor

The electronics company also launched the ISOCELL GN5 sensor, said to be the industry’s first 1.0μm image sensor to integrate Dual Pixel Pro, an auto-focusing technology.

Samsung ISOCELL HP1 and GN5. Picture by special arrangement.

Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled a new phone camera sensor powered by 200 megapixels, the industry’s first-ever mobile image sensor to support 200MP.

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The ISOCELL HP1 is said to have 0.64μm-sized pixels to power ultrahigh resolution images in smartphones, the South Korean company said in a statement.

The image sensor also contains a pixel-binning technology that can adjust the pixels depending on the environment. For example, the sensor transforms into a 12.5MP sensor with large 2.56μm pixels by merging 16 neighbouring pixels in a low-lit environment, Samsung noted.

The 2.56μm pixel is said to be capable of more light absorption and sensitivity, producing brighter and clearer photos indoors and in the evening. In bright environments, the sensor’s 200-million pixels can capture ultrahigh definition photography on mobile devices, Samsung added.

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The sensor can also take 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with minimum loss in the field of view.

The electronics company also launched the ISOCELL GN5 sensor, said to be the industry’s first 1.0μm image sensor to integrate Dual Pixel Pro, an auto-focusing technology. The 50MP sensor enables sharper and instantaneous images in bright and low-lit environments, according to Samsung.

The company said samples of both sensors are available but did not provide details on when the sensors will be integrated with smartphones.