Samsung Announces The World’s First 200-megapixel Smartphone Camera Sensor

Samsung has finally unveiled the long-awaited ISOCELL HP1, the industry’s first 200-megapixel (MP) image sensor with 0.64im pixels intended for smartphone cameras, by some distance the highest resolution phone camera sensor ever made, and ISOCELL GN5, the first image sensor to adopt all-directional focusing Dual Pixel Pro technology with two photodiodes in a single 1.0im pixel.

Duckhyun Chang, Executive Vice President of Sensor Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement: “Samsung has been pioneering ultrafine pixel technologies that are taking high-resolution image sensors to the next level. With the ISOCELL HP1 that is breaking barriers and ISOCELL GN5 bringing ultrafast autofocus, Samsung will continue to lead the trend for next-generation mobile imaging technologies.”

The ISOCELL HP1 is the industry’s first mobile image sensor to support 200MP. Based on 0.64im-sized pixels, the ISOCELL HP1 aims to bring ultra-high resolution in a small package that fits comfortably in today’s hand-held devices. For ultimate low-light photography, the ISOCELL HP1 features an all-new ChameleonCell technology, a pixel-binning technology that uses a two-by-two, four-by-four, or full pixel layout, depending on the environment.

In a low-lit environment, the HP1 transforms into a 12.5MP image sensor with large 2.56im pixels by merging 16 neighbouring pixels. In addition, the ISOCELL HP1 can take 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with minimum loss in the field of view.

Meanwhile, the ISOCELL GN5 is the industry’s first 1.0im image sensor to integrate Dual Pixel Pro, an all-directional autofocusing technology, that can substantially boost autofocusing capabilities. This technology places two photodiodes, the smallest in the industry, within each 1.0im pixel of the sensor either horizontally or vertically to recognize pattern changes in all directions.

Both new ISOCELL camera sensors from Samsung are currently available for sampling, and we may see smartphones with these camera sensors sometime next year. None of these sensors are as impressive and flexible as the ISOCELL GN2, though, which is Samsung’s biggest sensor yet and features Dual Pixel Pro autofocus.